9616578 Hager This grant provides funding for a conference on optimal control theory, applications, and algorithms. Hosted by the Center for Applied Optimization at the University of Florida, this conference will bring together leading researchers working on many different aspects of optimal control and on diverse applications in areas such as aerospace engineering, superconductors, robotics, medicine, thin films, and manufacturing. It will also provide a unique opportunity for cross-disciplinary exchange of research. The conference has received endorsements from the Mathematical Programming Society and is organized in cooperation with Working Group T7C of the International Federation for Information Processing. Problems of optimization and optimal control are pervasive in modern life, occurring in applications areas as diverse as steel manufacturing, robotics, flight control, design of materials, film deposition processes, and plasmas, to name just a few. This conference will provide a forum for researchers working on different aspects of optimal control to present their recent discoveries and to interact with individuals working on complementary aspects of the subject. Papers presented at this conference will represent the state-of-the- art in optimal control theory and algorithm development. These papers will be placed in the public domain by the publication of special issues of refereed scholarly journals. ***
