1. A method, in a data processing system, for optimizing a photolithograph mask, the method comprising: receiving, by the data processing system, a given target pattern; generating, by the data processing system, an initial fictitious mask; selecting, by the data processing system, an initial value of α 2 , wherein the initial value of α 2 is used to determine a light intensity and a wafer image; determining, by the data processing system, the light intensity for each pixel in the initial fictitious mask; determining, by the data processing system, the wafer image for each pixel in the initial fictitious mask; determining, by the data processing system, if a convergence has been achieved by comparing the wafer image generated from the fictitious mask to the given target pattern; and responsive to a convergence of the wafer image generated from the fictitious mask to the given target pattern, generating, by the data processing system, a final mask to use to transfer an image to a wafer.