Eesmärkifunktsioon

Eesmärkifunktsioon, often translated as objective function or cost function, is a fundamental concept in mathematics, economics, and computer science, particularly within optimization problems. It represents a mathematical expression that quantifies the objective or goal of a problem. The aim of optimization is typically to find the input values that either maximize or minimize this function.

In optimization, an objective function takes a set of variables as input and returns a single scalar value. This value signifies how "good" a particular solution is. For example, in a business context, an objective function might represent profit, which a company would seek to maximize. Conversely, it could represent cost, which a company would aim to minimize. In machine learning, the objective function, often called a loss function or cost function, measures the error of a model's predictions. The goal is then to adjust the model's parameters to minimize this error.

The choice of objective function is crucial as it directly defines what is being optimized. Different objective functions will lead to different optimal solutions, even for the same set of constraints and variables. Understanding and correctly defining the eesmärkifunktsioon is the first and most critical step in any optimization endeavor. It provides the benchmark against which all possible solutions are evaluated.