In this paper, a new derivative-free method for Worst Case Analysis (WCA) of circuit design is defined. A WCA of a device can be performed by solving a particular minimization problem where the objective function values are obtained by a simulation code and where some variables are subject to a spherical constraint and others to box constraints.
In this paper, we develop a new algorithmic framework to solve black-box problems with integer variables. The strategy included in the framework makes use of specific search directions (so called primitive directions) and a suitably developed nonmonotone line search, thus guaranteeing a high level of freedom when exploring the integer lattice. First, we describe and analyze a version of the algorithm that tackles problems with only bound constraints on the variables. Then, we combine it with a penalty approach in order to solve problems with simulation constraints.
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