The worksheet demonstrates the use of Maple to compare methods of unconstrained nonlinear minimization of multivariable function. Seven methods of nonlinear minimization of the n-variables objective function f(x1,x2,.,xn) are analyzed:

1) minimum search by coordinate and conjugate directions descent; 2) Powell's method; 3) the modified Hooke-Jeeves method; 4) simplex Nelder-Meed method; 5) quasi-gradient method; 6) random directions search; 7) simulated annealing. All methods are direct searching methods, i.e. they do not require the objective function f(x1,x2,.,xn) to be differentiable and continuous. Maple's Optimization package efficiency is compared with these programs. Optimization methods have been compared on the set of 21 test functions.