Optimal design, optimal control, and parameter estimation of systems governed by partial differential equations give rise to a class of problems known as PDE-constrained optimization. The size and complexity of the discretized PDE constraints often pose significant challenges for contemporary optimization methods. Recent advances in algorithms, software, and high performance computing systems have resulted in PDE simulations that can often scale to millions of variables, thousands of processors, and multiple physics interactions. As PDE solvers mature, there is increasing interest in industry and the national labs in solving optimization problems governed by such large-scale simulations. Accordingly, the Computer Science Research Institute at Sandia National Labs will sponsor a workshop on large-scale PDE-constrained optimization on April 4-6, 2001 at the Bishop's Lodge in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The central question addressed by this workshop is: how do we endow modern large-scale PDE solvers with optimization capabilities?

The specific goals of the workshop are to:

• Identify needs and opportunities for PDE-constrained optimization in industry and the national labs
• Assess the state-of-the-art in PDE-constrained optimization
• Identify barriers to optimization presented by modern highly parallel PDE simulation codes
• Discuss promising algorithmic and software approaches for overcoming these barriers

Further information is provided under the links located at the top and bottom of the workshop web pages. The attendance of graduate students and postdocs is made possible by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0116984.

Copyright © 2000
Design and creation by Alexandre Cunha