ME 5250: Optimization Methods for Complex Designs
(Cross-listed with HCI 5250).
Credits: 3. Contact Hours: Lecture 3.
Optimization involves finding the 'best' according to specified criteria. Review of a range of optimization methods from traditional nonlinear to modern evolutionary methods such as Genetic algorithms. Examination of how these methods can be used to solve a wide variety of design problems across disciplines, including mechanical systems design, biomedical device design, biomedical imaging, and interaction with digital medical data. Students will gain knowledge of numerical optimization algorithms and sufficient understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of these algorithms to apply them appropriately in engineering design. Experience includes code writing and off-the-shelf routines. Numerous case-studies of real-world situations in which problems were modeled and solved using advanced optimization techniques. (Typically Offered: Fall)