Optimization and Engineering Applications

Among the participants were optimization researchers that work on engineering optimization problems and vice versa. The cross fertilization of experts in both fields is crucial for the development of new methods in both communities. Although there is an increasing awareness of common interests, until recently there have been only very few opportunities for the two sides to meet at conferences. In the past two years there have been a few occasions where optimizers, e.g., Z.Q. Luo and S. Boyd have been invited to give tutorials in signal processing and electrical engineering conferences. The MOPTA conference series at McMaster University, University of Waterloo, and University of Windsor, organized by T. Terlaky, H. Wolkowicz and their colleagues, has featured several engineers who presented their work on the application of optimization in their fields. However, there has not been a workshop specifically targeting the exchange of cutting edge expertise in mathematical optimization and engineering optimization, where an elite club of expertise from both fields was formed to pave the road for future directions. A particular fact that should be mentioned here is the MITACS project “High Performance Optimization: Theory, Algorithm Design and Engineering Applications” led by T. Terlaky, which will have been in operation for five years by 2007. The workshop provided a good opportunity to review the achievements