Local Vs Global Optima

Statutory warning: This blog is a scientific discussion.



In maths, there is a concept called as optima. I wont define wot it is. there are two types of optima, local and global. They mean literally that.



These concepts are used bery widely in many fields. Lets first discuss some of them before we go to the main topic of the blog.



1) Industry:

Industrialists all over the world are continuously analyzing their performance based on some criteria. The main problem in front of them is whether to achieve a local optima in each of their units, or to achieve a global optima in the whole pipeline as such. The achievement of a local optima is preferred by individual units as they have better performance to report. Whereas the big bosses see the 'big picture'.



2) Protein folding: (correct me if i m wrong)

In the process of protein folding, the protein goes through various free energy points which are local optima points. However the protein is supposed to fold in such a way that the overall free energy is the global optimum. But the protein in reality, in vivo is never at the global optimum, its at one of the local optima.

This brings us to the topic of this blog. Does life also have any such things?
For the sake of discussion, lets call optima as the 'good' state of life.

We all know that there are ups and downs in life. I think that they are like local fluctuations on a timeline. Sometimes we achieve local optimum, sometimes its a 'down' state. This takes us to the fundamental question, which is translated as: "Should one try to achieve the local optima always, or sometime sacrifice the local optima for the global optimum"

I think global optima is the choice (or traditionally its known to be the 'wise' choice). But is it?
On a timescale, global optimum would be at the end of the whole context, which translates to death here.(?)

Moreover, in striving for the global optimum, are we allowing some irreversible damage?

Well, i sorta forgot wot i was thinking (i was on the bike then). But lets discuss another situation.

I am applying to US.. investing more than a lac Rs in the process. Plus there are these other exams an all. So lets take it somewhere around 1.5lac. This is to achieve the global optimum right?.
But if the process fails somehow, the damage created by it is going to be a big blow. So in order to achieve the global optimum, i m putting the local situation in danger. Is that a wise thing to do?

let me ponder over it for some time.. meanwhile, any comments / suggestions are welcome.