Dynamical systems theoryDynamical systems theory is an area of mathematics used to describe the behavior of complex dynamical systems, usually by employing differential equations or difference equations. When differential equations are employed, the theory is called continuous dynamical systems. From a physical point of view, continuous dynamical systems is a generalization of classical mechanics, a generalization where the equations of motion are postulated directly and are not constrained to be Euler–Lagrange equations of a least action principle.
Stochastic controlStochastic control or stochastic optimal control is a sub field of control theory that deals with the existence of uncertainty either in observations or in the noise that drives the evolution of the system. The system designer assumes, in a Bayesian probability-driven fashion, that random noise with known probability distribution affects the evolution and observation of the state variables. Stochastic control aims to design the time path of the controlled variables that performs the desired control task with minimum cost, somehow defined, despite the presence of this noise.
Dynamical systemIn mathematics, a dynamical system is a system in which a function describes the time dependence of a point in an ambient space, such as in a parametric curve. Examples include the mathematical models that describe the swinging of a clock pendulum, the flow of water in a pipe, the random motion of particles in the air, and the number of fish each springtime in a lake. The most general definition unifies several concepts in mathematics such as ordinary differential equations and ergodic theory by allowing different choices of the space and how time is measured.
Rudolf Virchow lectureThe Rudolf Virchow lecture was an annual public lecture delivered by an eminent researcher in the field of Palaeolithic archaeology in Neuwied (Germany). The lecture was held in honour of the German physician, archaeologist and politician Rudolf Virchow and his contributions to German archaeology, whilst at the same time also honouring the outstanding accomplishments of the invited speaker.
The Unanswered Question (lecture series)The Unanswered Question is a lecture series given by Leonard Bernstein in the fall of 1973. This series of six lectures was a component of Bernstein's duties as the Charles Eliot Norton Professor of Poetry for the 1972/73 academic year at Harvard University, and is therefore often referred to as the Norton Lectures. The lectures were both recorded on video and printed as a book, titled The Unanswered Question: Six Talks at Harvard.
Skew-symmetric matrixIn mathematics, particularly in linear algebra, a skew-symmetric (or antisymmetric or antimetric) matrix is a square matrix whose transpose equals its negative. That is, it satisfies the condition In terms of the entries of the matrix, if denotes the entry in the -th row and -th column, then the skew-symmetric condition is equivalent to The matrix is skew-symmetric because Throughout, we assume that all matrix entries belong to a field whose characteristic is not equal to 2.
Robust controlIn control theory, robust control is an approach to controller design that explicitly deals with uncertainty. Robust control methods are designed to function properly provided that uncertain parameters or disturbances are found within some (typically compact) set. Robust methods aim to achieve robust performance and/or stability in the presence of bounded modelling errors. The early methods of Bode and others were fairly robust; the state-space methods invented in the 1960s and 1970s were sometimes found to lack robustness, prompting research to improve them.
Boyle LecturesThe Boyle Lectures are named after Robert Boyle, a prominent natural philosopher of the 17th century and son of Richard Boyle, 1st Earl of Cork. Under the terms of his Will, Robert Boyle endowed a series of lectures or sermons (originally eight each year) which were to consider the relationship between Christianity and the new natural philosophy (today's 'science') then emerging in European society.
Lecture RoomLecture Room is a Chinese television programme hosted by China Central Television (CCTV), in which scholars from various disciplines are invited to provide lectures. It was first broadcast on 9 July 2001 on CCTV-10. In its early days, featured topics included biology, physics, economics, history and literature, and the lecturers were from around the world. Its focus has gradually changed, as recent programmes focus more on Chinese history and Chinese culture. The show's title is literally translated as The Hundred Schools of Thought Forum.
USS LST-546USS LST-546 was a United States Navy in commission from 1944 to sometime between 1946 and 1952. From 1952 until 1972 she served in a non-commissioned status in the Military Sea Transportation Service and Military Sealift Command as USNS LST-546 (T-LST-546). LST-546 was laid down on 20 December 1943 at Evansville, Indiana, by the Missouri Valley Bridge & Iron Co; launched on 16 February 1944; sponsored by Mrs. W. J. Barbrick; and commissioned on 27 March 1944. LST-546 saw no combat action in World War II.
DesignA design is a concept of either an object, a process, or a system that is specific and, in most cases, detailed. Design refers to something that is or has been intentionally created by a thinking agent, though it is sometimes used to refer to the nature of something. The verb to design expresses the process of developing a design. In some cases, the direct construction of an object without an explicit prior plan may also be considered to be a design (such as in some artwork and craftwork).
