Global convergence of BFGS and PRP methods under a modified weak Wolfe-Powell line search

The BFGS method is one of the most effective quasi-Newton algorithms for optimization problems. However, its global convergence for general functions is still open. In this paper, under a new line search technique, this problem is solved, and it is shown that other methods in the Broyden class also possess this property. Moreover, the global convergence of the PRP method is established in the case of this new line search. Numerical results are reported to show that the new line search technique is competitive to that of the normal line search.