2006-2007 Seminar Series

The objective of global optimization (GO) is to find the best possible solution of multimodal optimization problems. This lecture reviews a recent electronic book devoted to GO. The e-book presents Maple as an advanced model development and optimization environment: the Global Optimization Toolbox for Maple is used to solve GO models numerically. Following a brief topical introduction, the book presents an extensive collection of detailed numerical examples and illustrative case studies. This e-book is available as a single fully functional (interactive, readily modifiable), printable Maple worksheet, and/or as a set of hyperlinked worksheets. The e-book supports interactive modeling and experimentation, and it can be used in education, research, and industrial practice in the quantitative sciences and engineering.

Janos Pinter is a researcher and practitioner with over three decades of experience. His professional interests are primarily related to nonlinear optimization, including algorithm and software development, and a range of applications. He is president/owner of PCS Inc., and an adjunct professor at Dalhousie University, in Halifax, NS, Canada. He received M.Sc. (Eötvös University of Sciences), Ph.D. (Moscow State University), and D.Sc. (Hungarian Academy of Sciences) degrees in Mathematics, with specializations in Operations Research and Stochastic Optimization.

Dr. Pinter wrote and edited several books, and authored over 170 research papers and technical reports. His book Global Optimization in Action received the 2000 INFORMS Computing Society Prize. Among other professional affiliations, he serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Global Optimization, the Journal of Applied Mathematics and Decision Sciences, Algorithmic Operations Research, and the International Journal of Modeling, Identification and Control. He is the principal developer of several professional nonlinear optimization software products for compiler platforms, modeling languages, and integrated scientific-technical computing systems.