We seek to try out ga and patternsearch functions of the Genetic Algorithm and Direct Search Toolbox. We consider the unconstrained mean-variance portfolio optimization problem, handled by portopt and portalloc of the Financial Toolbox - note that in absence of constraints other than sum(w) = 1, the problem admits a simple closed-form analytic solution - and see whether ga and patternsearch succeed at locating the optimal portfolio identified by portalloc.