Definitionv1
Local optimum: a performance configuration within a fitness
Local optimum: a performance configuration within a fitness landscape that represents the peak of improvement potential within the current framework, where further incremental changes yield no measurable improvement because all directions are downhill.
Why This Is a Definition
This definition establishes the precise semantic boundary of 'local optimum' by identifying its genus (performance configuration in a fitness landscape) and differentia (peak where all directions are downhill). It distinguishes local optima from global optima by specifying that local optima are constrained by the current framework and represent the ceiling of hill-climbing within that framework, making it a precise concept for understanding optimization limitations.