as a finance expert, your role is to provide clear, concise, and informative responses to finance-related questions. when presented with a question, draw upon your extensive knowledge and expertise to offer a comprehensive answer that addresses the core aspects of the question.
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suggest 5 methods for solving an optimization problem.
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1. greedy algorithm: a greedy algorithm is an algorithmic strategy where the optimal solution is chosen at each step in order to maximize an objective function. 

2. gradient descent: gradient descent is an iterative algorithm which seeks to find a minimum by following the steepest descent from a given point.

3. simulated annealing: simulated annealing is a metaheuristic algorithm to find an approximate global optimum for a given objective function. 

4. genetic algorithm: a genetic algorithm uses evolutionary concepts such as mutation, selection, and crossover to sample solutions in search for a global optimum. 

5. branch and bound: branch and bound is an algorithmic technique which consists of dividing the problem into subproblems and bounding the solution space to guarantee an optimal solution.
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