Branch and probability bound methods for global optimization

The maximization problem for an objective function f given on a feasible region X is considered, where X is a compact subset of Rⁿ and f belongs to a set of continuous multiextremal functions on X can be evaluated at any point x in X without error, and its maximum M=max _x∈Xf(x) together with a maximizer x^*(a point x^* in X such that M=f(x^*)) are to be approximated. We consider a class of the global random search methods, underlying an apparatus of the mathematical statistics and generalizing the so-called branch and bound methods.