Issues in Antenna Optimization - A Monopole Case Study

A typical antenna optimization design problem is presented, and various issues involved in the design process are discussed. Defining a suitable objective function is a central question, as is the type of optimization algorithm that should be used, stochastic versus deterministic. These questions are addressed by way of an example. A single-resistor loaded broadband HF monopole design is considered in detail, and the resulting antenna compared to published results for similar continuously loaded and discrete resistor loaded designs.