System synthesis with the aid of digital computers

The conventional procedure for designing systems with many physical parameters is discussed and the translation of this procedure into digital computer operations is considered. Although it is possible to code all of the routine design calculations for a computer, it is impossible to program the insight of the design engineer. It is shown that the determination of the physical parameters for the optimum design of a system is generally equivalent to the minimization of a function subject to constraints. The application of the method of steepest descent to minimization problems is discussed. A method for extending its use to minimization with constraints is presented.