--- /dev/null
+Summary of important user-visible changes for optim 1.2.0:
+-------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+ ** Together with the new backend "lm_feasible" there is now a
+ complete suite of backends for optimization with linear and
+ general equality and inequality constraints, for scalar valued
+ objective functions and for array valued model function, which
+ features, a.o., honouring of constraints throughout optimization
+ and handling of structure-based parameters. The respective user
+ functions (frontends) are
+
+ nonlin_min nonlin_residmin nonlin_curvefit
+
+ together with a user function for statistics
+
+ residmin_stat
+
+ ** The requirement of nonlin_min, nonlin_residmin, and
+ nonlin_curvefit for the general constraint functions being able to
+ honour an index of constraints has been removed, the respective
+ feature is still available by setting some options.
+
+ ** Makefile fixed to work with non-standard linker options e.g on
+ Apple.
+
+
+Summary of important user-visible changes for optim 1.1.0:
+-------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+ ** The following functions are new optim 1.1.0:
+
+ powell cauchy nonlin_min
+
+ ** The following functions have been deprecated since they have been
+ implemented in Octave core:
+
+ fminunc_compat optimset_compat
+
+ ** The function `fmin' has been deprecated in favour of using `fminbnd'
+ directly. If one really wishes to use the short version, one can
+ easily create an alias on an octaverc file (see `doc startup') with
+ the following code
+
+ function out=fmin(varargin) out=fminbnd(varargin{:}); endfunction
+
+ ** The package Makefile has been adapted for compatibility with Octave 3.6.0.
+
+ ** Bugfixes on the functions:
+
+ deriv linprog
+
+ ** The function `line_min' has a configurable setpesize and max evals.
+
+ ** Added possibility to restrict a parameter to samin.
+
+ ** Package is no longer automatically loaded.
+
+
+Some important changes of the last versions of optim before 1.1.0:
+------------------------------------------------------------------
+
+ ** New functions:
+
+ jacobs: complex step derivative approximation
+
+ nonlin_residmin, nonlin_curvefit: Frontends with a general
+ interface for constrained residual-based optimization. They
+ allow a.o. optimization of structure-based named parameters or
+ parameter-arrays. A backend is included, which is derived from
+ the algorithm of leasqr, but enables feasible-path optimization
+ with linear and general constraints.