Simulated Annealing

Scott Kirkpatrick, C. Daniel Gelatt & Mario P. Vecchi, 1983

Kirkpatrick et al. (1983) adapted Metropolis acceptance from statistical physics to combinatorial optimization. This demo minimizes a bumpy 1D energy curve: proposals are accepted with probability exp(−ΔE/T) when ΔE > 0, allowing escape from local minima early; as T decays, the walk concentrates near the global basin. Gold dot: current state; coral dot: best energy seen.