Français
EnglishSorbonne Université
Masters in Sciences & Technologies
Masters in Mathematics and Applications - 2nd year (Sorbonne Université)
Control, Optimisation, Calculus of Variations
Course coordinator : E. Trélat
The Control, Optimisation, Calculus of Variations (COCV) course is one of six courses offered by the Mathematical Modeling programme in the second year of the MA in Applied Mathematics.
This course offers high-level training in the field of Control, Optimization and Calculus of Variations. Control theory analyses properties of controlled systems, i.e. dynamic systems which can be acted upon by means of a control (or command). The aim is to transform the system from an initial state to a particular end-state, respecting, if applicable, certain criteria. Numerous systems are addressed: differential, discrete, noise or delayed systems and partial differential equations. The systems' origins are very diverse: mechanics, electricity, electronics, biology, chemistry, economics, game theory, IT, etc. The aim might be to stabilize the system to make it resistant to certain disruptions or perhaps to determine optimal solutions for a particular optimization criterion (optimal control). Optimization theory generalizes the mathematical calculus theory of variations.
Job prospects are in academia as well as industry. Students of this course can pursue both academic theses or theses in industry (e.g. CIFRE thesis, a partnership between industry and university), and can lead to engineering jobs in specialised fields such as aeronautics or aerospace. In performance-driven modern industries where the aim is to design, build and optimise, or at least improve existing methods. As a consequence there are many other industrial opportunities: Thalès' R&D department, IFPEN, EDF, Dassault, RTE, Airbus and others. This course also attracts considerable interest from other organizations such as the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) or the National Institute of Agricultural Research (INRA). Finally, there are a number of partnerships with a great many universities in France and abroad, ensuring a wide choice of potential academic theses.
This Master and the MASEF Master ("Mathématiques de la Finance, de l'Economie et de l'Assurance") from Paris Dauphine University have established a convention which allows students from both universities to follow common courses. Theses courses are labelled "MASEF" in the following list.