# `mix nous.optimize`
[🔗](https://github.com/nyo16/nous/blob/v0.17.1/lib/mix/tasks/nous.optimize.ex#L1)

Run parameter optimization for Nous agent configurations.

## Usage

    # Optimize with default parameters (temperature, max_tokens)
    mix nous.optimize --suite test/eval/suites/basic.yaml

    # Use different optimization strategy
    mix nous.optimize --suite basic.yaml --strategy bayesian
    mix nous.optimize --suite basic.yaml --strategy random
    mix nous.optimize --suite basic.yaml --strategy grid_search

    # Configure trials and timeout
    mix nous.optimize --suite basic.yaml --trials 50 --timeout 1800000

    # Optimize specific metric
    mix nous.optimize --suite basic.yaml --metric pass_rate
    mix nous.optimize --suite basic.yaml --metric latency_p50 --minimize

    # Custom parameter file
    mix nous.optimize --suite basic.yaml --params params.exs

    # Early stopping
    mix nous.optimize --suite basic.yaml --early-stop 0.95

    # Output results
    mix nous.optimize --suite basic.yaml --output results.json

## Options

  * `--suite` - Path to evaluation suite file (required)
  * `--strategy` - Optimization strategy: grid_search, random, bayesian (default: bayesian)
  * `--trials` - Number of trials to run (default: 20)
  * `--metric` - Metric to optimize: score, pass_rate, latency_p50, latency_p95, total_tokens, cost (default: score)
  * `--minimize` - Minimize metric instead of maximize (useful for latency/cost)
  * `--timeout` - Total timeout in ms (default: 3600000 = 1 hour)
  * `--early-stop` - Stop if metric reaches threshold
  * `--params` - Path to parameters file (Elixir script returning list of parameters)
  * `--output` - Output file path for JSON results
  * `--verbose` - Show detailed progress
  * `--quiet` - Suppress progress output

## Parameters File

Create a `.exs` file that returns a list of parameters:

    # params.exs
    alias Nous.Eval.Optimizer.Parameter

    [
      Parameter.float(:temperature, 0.0, 1.0, step: 0.1),
      Parameter.integer(:max_tokens, 100, 1000, step: 100),
      Parameter.choice(:model, ["gpt-4", "gpt-3.5-turbo"])
    ]

## Default Parameters

If no params file is specified, optimizes these parameters:

  * `temperature` - Float from 0.0 to 1.0 (step: 0.1)
  * `max_tokens` - Integer from 256 to 2048 (step: 256)

## Example

    # Quick optimization with Bayesian search
    mix nous.optimize --suite test/eval/suites/basic.yaml --trials 30

    # Grid search for small parameter space
    mix nous.optimize --suite basic.yaml --strategy grid_search --max-trials 50

    # Minimize latency
    mix nous.optimize --suite basic.yaml --metric latency_p50 --minimize

---

*Consult [api-reference.md](api-reference.md) for complete listing*