BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Talks.cam//talks.cam.ac.uk//
X-WR-CALNAME:Talks.cam
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Recent Theoretical Developments in Optimal Control - Professor Ric
 hard Vinter (Imperial College London)
DTSTART:20091106T140000Z
DTEND:20091106T150000Z
UID:TALK21154@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Rachel Fogg
DESCRIPTION:This talk marks the inception of the Imperial-Cambridge-Oxford
 \nSeminar Series on Control for Energy and Sustainability. The role of\nOp
 timal Control in the overall research programme of the participating\nuniv
 ersities will be described. A review will also be provided of recent\ntheo
 retical developments in state constrained optimal control - currently\none
  of the most active research areas in the field. Key analytic tools\n(rega
 rding deviation of necessary conditions of optimality\, characterizing\nth
 e cost-to-go as a solution to the Bellman equation\, problem reformation\n
 to ensure optimality conditions are non-degenerate and to ensure improved\
 ncondition for numerical computation\, etc.) are estimates on the 'distanc
 e'\nof an arbitrary trajectory to the set of trajectories that satisfy the
 \nstate constraint. We review the history of such estimates and explain\nt
 heir significance. The situation in which the state constraint set has a\n
 smooth boundary is well understood. But that in which the state constraint
 \nset has corners is much more problematic. Here\, claimed estimates\, of\
 nlongstanding\, have recently been revealed as false\, and must be replace
 d\nby estimates of a quite unexpected nature. We discuss some implications
 \nfor the field.
LOCATION:Cambridge University Engineering Department\, Lecture Theatre 2
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR