Abstract: A global optimum location algorithm called Variable Step-Size Generalized Simulated Annealing(VSGSA) was applied to treating the data obtained by using an array of ion-electrodes in solutions containing mixtures of Na⁺, K⁺, Ca²⁺. Unlike traditional optimization algorithms such as simplex procedure, VSGSA can be used to determine the model parameters without any priori information about the analytical system under investigation and overcome the disadvantage of simplex method which might converge to local extrema depending on the starting positions. The algorithm was applied to po-tentiometric determination of ions in mixture solutions.

Key words: Chemometrics, Multivariate calibration, Array of ion-selective electrodes, Generalized simulated annealing