Research group: Optimization and Optimal Control

The research group on optimizaton and optimal control works on the analysis and the numerical treatment of application-oriented and applied optimization problems that involve partial differential equations.

In our work we utilize techniques from numerical mathematics, analysis, optimization and control to contribute to the solution of optimizazion and optimal control problems both from an applied analysis and an algorithmic perspective. A special focus is on nonsmooth optimization problems, where the functions to be minimized are not differentiable and hence standard methods based on classical derivatives are not applicable.

Much of this work is carried out within the context of interdisciplinary or large-scale collaborative projects such as the Spezialforschungsbereich (Special Research Center) "Mathematical Optimization and Applications in Biomedical Sciences" (2007-2018), the "International Research Training Group Optimization and Numerical Analysis for Partial Differential Equations with Nonsmooth Structures" (2012-2021), or the ERC Advanced Grant "From Open to Closed Loop Control (OCLOC)".