Gradient optimization methods (function minimizers) are well-represented in both the base and package universe of R (R Core Team, 2019). However, some of the methods and the codes developed from them were published before standards for hardware and software were established, in particular the IEEE arithmetic (IEEE, 1985). There have been cases of unexpected behaviour or outright errors, and these are the focus of the histoRicalg project. A summary history of some of the tools in R for gradient optimization methods is presented to give perspective on such methods and the occasions where they could be used effectively.
Text and figures are licensed under Creative Commons Attribution CC BY 4.0. The figures that have been reused from other sources don't fall under this license and can be recognized by a note in their caption: "Figure from ...".
For attribution, please cite this work as
Nash, "The R Journal: Provenance of R’s Gradient Optimizers", The R Journal, 2020
BibTeX citation
@article{RJ-2020-029,
author = {Nash, John C.},
title = {The R Journal: Provenance of R’s Gradient Optimizers},
journal = {The R Journal},
year = {2020},
note = {https://doi.org/10.32614/RJ-2020-029},
doi = {10.32614/RJ-2020-029},
volume = {12},
issue = {1},
issn = {2073-4859},
pages = {477-483}
}