Dakota Reference Manual: method_pointer

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method_pointer

Pointer to sub-method to apply to a surrogate or branch-and-bound sub-problem

## Topics

This keyword is related to the topics:

- block_pointer

## Specification

Alias: approx_method_pointer

Argument(s): STRING

## Description

The `method_pointer` keyword is used to specify a pointer to an optimization or least-squares sub-method to apply in the context of what could be described as hierarchical methods. In surrogate-based methods, the sub-method is applied to the surrogate model. In the branch-and-bound method, the sub-method is applied to the relaxed sub-problems.

Any `model_pointer` identified in the sub-method specification is ignored. Instead, the parent method is responsible for selecting the appropriate model to use as specified by its `model_pointer`. In surrogate-based methods, it is a surrogate model defined using its `model_pointer`. In branch-and-bound methods, it is the relaxed model that is constructed internally from the original model.