SYCON
Rutgers Center for Systems and Control

Control Systems Theory is an interdisciplinary field with wide and varied applications. It deals with the basic principles underlying the analysis and design of control systems. To "control" an object means to influence its behavior so as to achieve a desired goal. In order to implement this influence, engineers build devices that incorporate various mathematical techniques. These devices range from Watt's steam engine governor to the sophisticated microprocessor controllers found in consumer items ---such as CD players and automobiles--- or in industrial robots and airplane autopilots. Similarly, in biological context, feedback loops underlie homeostasis at the organism level as well as the regulation of concentrations of enzymes and other species at the cell level.

The SYCON Center aims to bring together different groups at Rutgers who share an interest in control and systems theory research.

Current faculty members, with affiliations and a short description of research interests (click on names for more information) include:

• Eduardo Sontag (Director), Department of Mathematics, and Graduate Faculties of the Department of Computer Science and of the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (algebraic methods, nonlinear systems, stability, feedback theory, systems molecular biology)
• Zoran Gajic (Associate Director), Electrical and Computer Engineering (control systems, wireless communications, networking)
• Hector Sussmann, Department of Mathematics (optimal control, nonlinear control)
• Daniel Ocone, Department of Mathematics (nonlinear filtering, theory of stochastic processes)
• Konstantin Mischaikov, Department of Mathematics and BioMaPS (topological methods for the analysis of dynamical systems, computational topology and dynamics, mathematical biology)
• Peddapullaiah Sannuti, Electrical and Computer Engineering (filtering theory and applications, regulation of linear systems)
• Haim Baruh, Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering (analysis and control of constrained flexible mechanisms, structural vibrations, control of agricultural systems)
• Kaan Ozbay, Civil Engineering (intelligent transportation systems, transportation planning and safety, feedback control theory for dynamic traffic assignment)
• Melike Baykal-Gursoy, Industrial Engineering (control of networks and production/inventory systems, Markov decision processes, stochastic games)
• George Shoane, Biomedical Engineering (eye movement control, myopia development, sports medicine)
• Troy Shinbrot, Biomedical Engineering (chaos and mixing, granular flows, morphogenesis)