Editing Quadratic programming (section)

{{Short description|Solving an optimization problem with a quadratic objective function}}
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'''Quadratic programming''' ('''QP''') is the process of solving certain [[mathematical optimization]] [[optimization problem|problems]] involving [[quadratic function]]s. Specifically, one seeks to optimize (minimize or maximize) a multivariate quadratic function subject to linear [[constrained optimization|constraints]] on the variables. Quadratic programming is a type of [[nonlinear programming]].

"Programming" in this context refers to a formal procedure for solving mathematical problems. This usage dates to the 1940s and is not specifically tied to the more recent notion of "computer programming." To avoid confusion, some practitioners prefer the term "optimization" — e.g., "quadratic optimization."<ref name="PrincetonCompanion">{{Citation|last=Wright|first=Stephen J.|year=2015|title=Continuous Optimization (Nonlinear and Linear Programming)|editor=Nicholas J. Higham|display-editors=etal|encyclopedia=The Princeton Companion to Applied Mathematics|pages=281–293|publisher=Princeton University Press}}</ref>