Events Simon Stevin Lectures Detail
Fifth Simon Stevin Lecture on Optimization in Engineering
Program:
16:00 Simon Stevin Lecture on Optimization in Engineering by David Mayne
17:00 Short Coffee Break
17:15 OPTEC Christmas lecture by Guido Vanden Berghe
18:15 Reception in the salons of the Arenberg castle
Simon Stevin Lecture on Optimization in Engineering
"Optimization: highways and byways"
David Mayne (Imperial College London)
Abstract:
I commenced my research in optimal control and optimization based design in 1959 so I have seen great changes in our subject over nearly 50 years. In this talk, I outline some areas of research that I have been engaged in, some of which developed into major activities (the highways) and some of which remained dormant (byways). Both are interesting since even the byways may suggest fruitful areas for future research. The topics that I discuss include algorithms for optimal control (differential dynamic programming and strong variation algorithms), Monte Carlo procedures for stochastic control problems and filtering (particle filters), design problems involving infinite dimensional constraints such as the tuning problem in circuit design, and model predictive control. My aim is to present the relatively simple concepts that motivated research in these areas.
Bibliographical Information:
David Mayne received the B.Sc. and M.Sc degrees in Engineering from the University of the Witwatersrand, the Ph.D. and D.Sc degrees from the University of London, and the degree of Doctor of Technology, honoris causa, from the University of Lund, Sweden. He has held posts at the University of the Witwatersrand, the British Thomson Houston Company, University of California, Davis and Imperial College London where he is now Senior Research Fellow. He has been awarded Fellowships from the Royal Society, Royal Academy of Engineering, IEEE, IFAC, IEE and Imperial college. He has held numerous visiting professorship appointments.
David Mayne left traces in nearly all areas of control. His research interests include optimization, optimization based design, nonlinear control, model predictive control, and adaptive control.
Slides
"Simon Stevin (1548-1620) Mathematician, physicist, engineer . . . , Uomo universale"
Guido Vanden Berghe (Universiteit Gent)
Guido.VandenBerghe@UGent.be
Abstract:
In this talk we shall give in first instance attention to the family and the life of Simon Stevin. Born in Bruges his grandparents were original wealthy inhabitants of Ypres and Veurne. In the second place we shall present a comprehensive picture of the activities and the creative heritage of Simon Stevin, who made outstanding contributions to various fields of science in particular, physics and mathematics and many more. Among the striking spectrum of his ingenious achievements, it is worth emphasizing, that Simon Stevin is rightly considered as the father of the system of decimal fractions as it is in use today. Stevin also urged the universal use of decimal fractions along with standardization in coinage, measures and weights. This was a most visionary proposal.
Stevin was the first since Archimedes to make a significant new contribution to statics and hydrostatics. His activities as an engineer will be discussed; in particular the construction of fortifications,windmills and the famous sailing chariot will be illustrated. He truly was an "uomo universale".
References
(1) J.T. Devreese en Guido Vanden Berghe, Wonder en is gheen wonder , De geniale wereld van Simon Stevin. 1548-1620, Davidsfonds, Leuven, 2003.
(2) J.T. Devreese and Guido Vanden Berghe, Magic is No Magic: The Wonderful World of Simon Stevin , WITpress Southampton (UK), 2007 .
About the Lecture Series:
The "Simon Stevin Lecture Series on Optimization in Engineering" is set up in order to promote optimization in engineering. For this aim, every quarter of the year an outstanding international scholar is invited to report on latest progress in the development of optimization algorithms and their applications in engineering.
Simon Stevin (1548-1620) was a Flemish mathematician and engineer. Among other, he helped to advance the use of decimal fractions, was the first to explain the tides by the attraction of the moon, and discovered the hydrostatic paradox. He made numerous inventions, among them a wind propelled carriage with sails, the "land yacht", which once impressed Prince Maurice of Orange as it moved faster than horses, in around 1600 on the beach between Scheveningen and Petten. Simon Stevin was fond of promoting the use of science in daily life and in craftmanship, and translated various mathematical terms into dutch. Among other, he introduced the dutch word for mathematics, "wiskunde".
Directly after this winter's Simon Stevin Lecture, a little reception will be given at 18:45 in the salons of Arenberg Castle, to which all attendants of the lecture are most warmly welcome!
***** REGISTRATION ENCOURAGED *****
Please send an e-mail with the subject "STEVIN" to Ida.Tassens@esat.kuleuven.be if you intend to participate in the event. No obligation, just to help us getting an idea how many people plan to come.
This Stevin lecture is co-sponsored by ICCoS (Identification and Control of Complex Systems), a Scientific Research Network of the Research Foundation - Flanders (FWO-Vlaanderen).
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Two OPTEC professors have been awarded three "Gouden Krijtjes", the yearly teaching awards given by the organization of engineering students (vtk). Prof. Lombaert was awarded the prize for the best course in civil engineering, and Prof. Diehl the prizes for the best professor and the best course in mathematical engineering (where he teaches numerical optimization). They received these awards at the yearly "proffentap" where experienced students taught them how to draft beer professionally.
