-- File:        MultipleVarFunction.cdl
-- Created:     Mon May 13 15:05:02 1991
-- Author:      Laurent Painnot
--              <lpa@topsn3>
---Copyright:    Matra Datavision 1991, 1992



deferred class MultipleVarFunction from math
    	---Purpose:
    	-- Describes the virtual functions associated with a multiple variable function.
uses Vector from math

is

    NbVariables(me)
    	---Purpose:
        -- Returns the number of variables of the function

    returns Integer
    is deferred;


    Value(me: in out; X: Vector; F: out Real)
    	---Purpose: Computes the values of the Functions <F> for the 
    	--          variable <X>.
    	--          returns True if the computation was done successfully, 
    	--      otherwise false.

    returns Boolean
    is deferred;
    
   
    GetStateNumber(me: in out)
    	---Purpose: return the state of the function corresponding to the latestt
    	--          call of any methods associated to the function. This 
    	--          function is called by each of the algorithms described 
    	--          later which define the function Integer 
    	--          Algorithm::StateNumber(). The algorithm has the 
    	--          responsibility to call this function when it has found
    	--          a solution (i.e. a root or a minimum) and has to maintain
    	--          the association between the solution found and this
    	--          StateNumber.
    	--          Byu default, this method returns 0 (which means for the 
    	--          algorithm: no state has been saved). It is the 
    	--          responsibility of the programmer to decide if he needs
    	--          to save the current state of the function and to return
    	--          an Integer that allows retrieval of the state.

    returns Integer
    is virtual;

end MultipleVarFunction;