The initial point

The solution process is sensitive to the initial values which are selected for variables in the problem, and particularly so for non-convex problems. It is not uncommon for a general nonlinear problem to have a feasible region which is not connected, and in this case the starting point may largely determine which region, connected set, or basin of attraction the final solution belongs to.

Note that it may not always be beneficial to completely specify an initial point, as the solvers themselves may be able to detect suitable starting values for some or all of the variables.