= Scott Kirkpatrick
{c}
{wiki}
= S. Kirkpatrick
{c}
{synonym}
<Scott Kirkpatrick> is a <computer scientist> whose work connects <statistical physics> with <computational complexity theory> and <optimization>. With <Charles Daniel Gelatt Jr.> and <Mario P. Vecchi>, he developed <simulated annealing> as a method for combinatorial optimization.<Optimization by Simulated Annealing by Scott Kirkpatrick and others>[1983, introduction and pages 672–673]{ref}
The method borrows a rule from the <Metropolis algorithm>: a proposed increase $\Delta C>0$ in cost can be accepted with probability $\exp(-\Delta C/T)$, where $T$ is an adjustable control parameter in the same units as the cost. Allowing occasional uphill changes can escape a <local minimum>; reducing $T$ progressively makes them less likely. The original work applied this physical analogy to electronic component placement and wiring.<Optimization by Simulated Annealing by Scott Kirkpatrick and others>[Pages 672–675]{ref}
\Image[https://www.cs.huji.ac.il/w~kirk/SKmugshot.jpg]
{title=Portrait of <Scott Kirkpatrick>}
{description=Photograph from Hebrew University of Jerusalem's official researcher profile.}
{source=https://www.cs.huji.ac.il/w~kirk/}
{width=260}
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