Release v1.4.4

[shuds13]

Target date: Feb 2025

General Updates:

• Migrate package build system to pyproject.toml (with pixi support). Add pyproject.toml, with pixi as project management tool. add pixi.lock #1459
• Use autodoc_mock_imports. Use autodoc_mock_imports #1497
• Remove python 3.9 support. Adjusting to account for 3.10 as minimum python version #1509
• Improve handling when no MPI found. Improve handling when no MPI found. #1514

Examples:

• Update Ax generator for Ax v0.5.0. Update Ax multitask generator for Ax > 0.4.0 #1508
• Re-enable tests in extended suite that are now numpy2 compatible (inc. gpCAM and Ax).
• Update gpCAM from simple and ask/tell to simple(ask/tell) and Covar.
• Make sure persistent gens return None as first parameter unless want to return something. Return None from persistent gens #1515

Documentation:

• Update Examples section of docs. Docs/generator section refactor #1501
• Add notebook with simple optimization example.
• Update Aurora guide. Update Aurora guide #1510

Before release:

• Check colab notebooks.

From ax colab examples: should use this conditional install in the LibE examples

import sys
in_colab = 'google.colab' in sys.modules
if in_colab:
    %pip install ax-platform