Spring Meeting
MAA Ohio Section
April 5-6, 2002
Applications of Optimal Control to Various Population Models
Abstract: An introduction to the basic ideas of optimal control of ordinary
differential equations will be given. The differences between optimal control
of ordinary differential equations and optimal control of partial differential
equations will be briefly explained. An ordinary differential system for an
immunology model for AIDS and control of chemotherapy will be used to
illustrate the techniques. Bioreactors can be used to transform contaminants
into less hazardous substances through bacteria metabolism. An example model
for a gas phase bioreactor has a parabolic partial differential equation
coupled with an ordinary differential equation.
What do parallel parking and Lie brackets have in common?
Abstract: This talk will introduce the idea of controllability for a certain
type of ordinary differential equations. The idea of Lie brackets can give
conditions to guarantee such controllability. Parallel parking works because
of the non-commutativity of the operations involved; Lie brackets measure this
non-commutativity.
Suzanne Lenhart
University of Tennessee and Oak Ridge National Laboratory
President
of the Association for Women in Mathematics
Lenhart is a full professor in the Mathematics Department at the University of
Tennessee and a part-time research staff member at Oak Ridge National
Laboratory. She received her PhD at the University of Kentucky in partial
differential equations under the direction of L. C. Evans. Her research
involves partial differential equations, ordinary differential equations and
optimal control. She works on a variety of applications, including population
models, disease models, bioremediation and resource management.
Professor Lenhart is the President of the Association for Women in Mathematics
for 2001-2003. She is an elected member of the Board of the Society for
Mathematical Biology and has been the director of the Research Experiences for
Undergraduates summer program at UT since 1990.
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