Turtles! Hill Climbing! Hammers! Paper Bags!

Explore innovative optimization techniques and machine learning concepts in this engaging ACCU 2018 conference talk. Dive into the world of hill climbing algorithms, turtle graphics, and paper bag programming challenges. Learn how to navigate rectangular and crumpled paper bags using various methods, including gradient descent, stochastic gradient descent, and simulated annealing. Discover the connections between these techniques and neural networks, deep learning, and other machine learning applications. Gain insights into particle swarm optimization, gradient-based approaches, and their potential pitfalls. Whether you're a curious beginner or an expert seeking a fresh perspective, this talk provides a unique and accessible introduction to fundamental concepts underpinning many areas of artificial intelligence and optimization.