How Optimization Process Composer Generates Problem Formulations

When you use the adapter editors to select parameters and configure parameter attributes associated with process adapters, Optimization Process Composer generates an internal problem formulation from a common subset of the attributes that all process adapters share (that is, lower bound, value, upper bound, objective, and target). Existing parameter lower/upper allowed values are used as the default lower/upper bounds in a problem formulation. This internal problem formulation becomes the general problem formulation, which is displayed on the Parameters panel.

See Also
About Defining Arrays in Problem Formulations
About Design Parameters Initialization
Defining Problem Formulations

If you then make additional changes to the internal problem formulation (parameters) using the adapter editors, Optimization Process Composer automatically syncs the general problem formulation with the internal problem formulation. Alternatively, if you define the problem formulation on the Parameters tab before defining the parameter attributes using the adapter editors, the parameters will inherit the general problem formulation.

For example, if you add a DOE adapter to your simulation process, you can define the problem formulation first using the Parameters panel. If you then select factors and responses in the DOE editor, the general problem formulation will be inherited. Similarly, if you configure the factors and responses first in the DOE Editor, the general problem formulation will be extracted from the internal DOE configuration.

If you configure a problem formulation in a process adapter (parent adapter) that has a child adapter with the same parameters defined, the child adapter does not inherit the problem formulation for those defined parameters.

If you delete an adapter and add another adapter, the problem formulation is inherited from the previous adapter because the problem formulation is attached to the activity. For example, if you defined a problem formulation in the Optimization adapter, delete the Optimization adapter, and then add a DOE adapter, the DOE adapter inherits the problem formulation from the Optimization adapter.

The Parameters panel lists the activity’s parameters, not parameters for individual adapters.