Stonick This research addresses the use of numerical optimization methods to develop real-time adaptive filters for estimating, identifying, or predicting time-varying and potentially nonlinear processes. The first phase of this work will be devoted to the development, analysis, and simulation of an optimal adaptive infinite-impulse response (IIA) filtering algorithm for telecommunications using homotopy continuation methods to perform the necessary nonlinear optimization. This research will increase our understanding of IIA filter structures in time- varying environments, and will ultimately lead to their more widespread use.