"Optimal" vs. "ideal"

The meanings are similar:

Optimal: Best or most favorable; optimum

Ideal: Satisfying one's conception of what is perfect; most suitable

In my mind optimal is the best that is reasonably possible while ideal is the perfect and possibly unattainable.

"Optimal" seems to convey the impression, to me, that the temperature is the best, at the moment, but it's not the ideal. That is, under the current/surrounding circumstances, the temperature that is optimal would be... etc.

"ideal", is stating a temperature that would be perfect, but this doesn't mean that this temperature is achievable in all circumstances, and it sometimes can't be achieved at all.

Edit:, Able to confirm the usage and definition of "optimal":

The best, most favourable or desirable, especially under some restriction

As you can see, there is a restriction. That is, "optimal" is used when referring to the best possible ...whatever... under certain restrictions, such as the environment, or the conditions surrounding the time of occurrence.

Optimal takes more than one variable in consideration and looks at the total result (of two or more variables) while ideal may look at one variable and disregard the other/s.

Example: to create automation you build the functionality that automates the manual process (development cost) and then you apply the automation in production (operational improvements).

• An ideal operational improvement is building a solution that will create the lowest operational costs (not consider development costs).
• An optimal operational improvement is finding a balance between development cost and ideal operational improvement where when adding the total development costs and total operational savings, it equals the biggest total savings. May not be the ideal operational solution (looking from the operational perspective alone) but it is optimal taking all other variables in consideration.