Study on the optimum design applying qualitative reasoning

A Study on a multi-objective optimum design method applying qualitative reasoning to a part of the optimization process is proposed. A single-objective optimum design problem is solved by a monotonicity analysis, and then with the information of active constraints sets, we add these constraints to the objective function and turn the problem into a multi-objective optimum design problem. Qualitative reasoning is modified to be able to make use of the qualitative information which gives an approximate direction of the optimum search and saves the number of the iteration for optimization. It appears from the structural optimum design of an antenna that the proposed method is applicable for the optimization of complex systems, since an optimization can be easily carried out even with inadequate quantitative information.