Answers.Body: <p>When we climb a hill:<br>
  <a href="https://i.sstatic.net/msB7D.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/msB7D.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>
  
  <p>We move higher in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altitude" rel="nofollow noreferrer">altitude</a>. The person who is climbing, will always look for rocks/mud on the hill that are higher, so that he can climb higher.<br>
  That is what the algorithm does too. We are assuming that there is a hill of numbers. The larger numbers are placed higher than the smaller numbers. So if we want to climb up the hill, we search for the larger numbers.<br>
  Comparing this with the real world hill climbing, simply assume that every rock on the hill has a number written on it. The number will be the altitude of the rock, from sea level height. So if you want to climb up, you just have to search for the rock with a higher number than the rock you are standing on now.  </p>
  
  <p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/u1leZ.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/u1leZ.png" alt="enter image description here"></a></p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-10-20T09:55:01.750Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2017-10-20T09:55:01.750Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Nav
Answers.Body: <p>There is no reason why you can't have a hill descending algorithm, instead of finding maxima you will find minima.  If that is what your aim is, it's still called a hill climbing algorithm, I guess...</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2017-11-20T00:06:31.940Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2017-11-20T00:06:31.940Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: solarflare
Body: <p>In the hill climbing algorithm, the greater value, compared to the current value, is selected, but I cannot understand why it takes the larger value instead of the smaller one. Why is that?</p>
  
  <p>I greatly appreciate the inclusion of figures in your answers.</p>
  
Comments.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Comments.CreationDate: 2017-10-19T14:23:48.060Z
Comments.Text: Answer can be found [here](https://ai.stackexchange.com/questions/4000/when-to-choose-stochastic-hill-climbing-over-steepest-hill-climbing/4039#4039)
Comments.UserDisplayName: Ugnes
Tags: <algorithm><search><hill-climbing>
Title: Why is the larger value, as opposed to the smaller one, chosen, in the hill climbing algorithm?
UserDisplayName: Khan
ThreadText: # Why is the larger value, as opposed to the smaller one, chosen, in the hill climbing algorithm?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2017-10-19)
  
  In the hill climbing algorithm, the greater value, compared to the current value, is selected, but I cannot understand why it takes the larger value instead of the smaller one. Why is that?
  
  I greatly appreciate the inclusion of figures in your answers.
  
  **Tags:** algorithm, search, hill-climbing
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_1**: Answer can be found [here](https://ai.stackexchange.com/questions/4000/when-to-choose-stochastic-hill-climbing-over-steepest-hill-climbing/4039#4039)  
  
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  ## 2 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_2 on 2017-10-20. Score: 3
  
  When we climb a hill:  
  [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/msB7D.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/msB7D.jpg)
  
  We move higher in [altitude](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Altitude). The person who is climbing, will always look for rocks/mud on the hill that are higher, so that he can climb higher.  
  That is what the algorithm does too. We are assuming that there is a hill of numbers. The larger numbers are placed higher than the smaller numbers. So if we want to climb up the hill, we search for the larger numbers.  
  Comparing this with the real world hill climbing, simply assume that every rock on the hill has a number written on it. The number will be the altitude of the rock, from sea level height. So if you want to climb up, you just have to search for the rock with a higher number than the rock you are standing on now.
  
  [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/u1leZ.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/u1leZ.png)
  
  
  ---
  
  ### Answer by username_3 on 2017-11-20. Score: 1
  
  There is no reason why you can't have a hill descending algorithm, instead of finding maxima you will find minima. If that is what your aim is, it's still called a hill climbing algorithm, I guess...
  
  
  ---
  
  