I'm having positing problems to boot, so I don't even know if this will make
it to the newsgroup, but I hope so. If it does, I'll see it. Though I
seldom use solver, I recall it to be powerful. I wanted to show some other
users how nice it is, but it is not working for me. I concocted an example
with only nine integer choices for an input, values of 1 thru 9. I asked it
to maximize an output cell. Using a data table, I can quickly see that the
output cell's curve is concave down and definitely has a clear maximum in
about the middle. Bu, for some reason, Solver will not budge from whatever
starting integer value I give it. It says it has found a solution but the
solution is always whatever value it had when I started the solver.



I am simply saying maximize the output cell subject to constraints that the
input cell (that I am changing) being an integer, being greater than or
equal to 1, and being less than or equal to 9. I have checked and rechecked
and there just doesn't seem to be any reason this is not working. It can
find the minimum (which is at one of the two endpoints) just fine. I notice
that it takes about 20 seconds (and you see some fleeting calcs at the
bottom left) to find that minimum, whereas it thinks it finds the maximum in
about 10 seconds, and you don't see much of the fleeting calculation.



Can anyone explain how this could happen? I don't think I'm doing something
stupid, I tried an example with a much simpler output cell, output cell
equals input cell plus 2, and it found that constrained maximum just fine,
so the solver seems to be working. I can't fathom what the problem can be.
I've used it before and it solved much harder problems.



Thanks!

Dean