Variational Analysis and Optimization Seminar

In the first part of the talk, we analyze an optimization problem constrained by Darcy's law, to design permeability that achieve uniform flow properties despite having nonuniform geometries. We establish well-posedness of the problem, as well as differentiability, which enables the use of rapidly converging, derivate-based optimization methods.

The second part of the talk will focus on ALESQP, which is a general purpose augmented Lagrangian based optimization algorithm that can handle generic constraints such as PDEs. Extensions of ALESQP to risk-averse optimization problems will also be considered.

The talk will end with a few realistic interdisciplinary applications of the above frameworks. Examples include, optimal HVAC outlay to minimize pathogen propagation and numeromorphic imaging. Speaker(s): Harbir Antil (George Mason University)