This three-year award supports US-France cooperative research on methods for optimal control and shape optimization. The researchers are Richard Byrd from the University of Colorado, Jorge Nocedal of Northwestern University, Jean Charles Gilbert and Patrick Le Tallec of the French National Institute for Research in Informatics and Applied Mathematics (INRIA) in Rocquencourt, France. The objective of their research is to develop new algorithms and software for solving large optimal control and shape optimization problems. These problems arise in many areas of application where realistic models often involve thousands of variables and constraints. They propose to develop new interior point methods that are tailored to large, nonlinear models, and provide high quality implementation of them. Their methods will be guided by two important application areas: (1) control of an immersed vehicle in the ocean; and (2) optimal design of nonlinear structures.
The US and French researchers have complementary expertise in optimal control problems with constraints and in algorithm design tailored to optimal control problems and shape optimization problems. Their collaboration will advance the development of effective software for solving application problems.
