Local vs. Global Optimum

Analogy

Imagine you’re hiking up a mountain. As you trek along, you encounter various peaks and valleys. Your goal is to reach the highest peak, which represents the best outcome you could possibly achieve. However, there’s a catch: you can only see a limited distance around you, and you must make decisions based on what you can observe in your immediate vicinity. You may climb a smaller peak, thinking it’s the highest, only to discover later that there’s an even taller peak hidden behind it. This is analogous to the concept of local and global optima.