Thank you for taking the time to write a thorough and considerate response. I have been working through the Engineering Optimization Methods and Applications by

Thank you for taking the time to write a thorough and considerate response. I have been working through the Engineering Optimization Methods and Applications by Ravindran, Ragsdell and Reklaitis so far but I will spend some time in the coming few weeks with Nocedal and Wright in accordance with your recommendation. I intend to write more about what I learn in this area and I'd be honoured if you would contribute like you did here with your comments/ corrections and suggestions! Thank you for the help and reference, I will definitely be following up.