Control Systems Society

   


Newsletter
May 2006

1. Personals
 1.1Change of Email Address: Thomas Parisini
2. General Announcements
 2.1Call for Nominations for the 2006 CSS Awards
 2.2DISC Summer School on Identification and Control of LPV-Systems
 2.3OPTRAGEN 1.0 : A MATLAB toolbox for solving optimal control problems.
 2.4Short Course: Dynamic Traffic Flow Modelling and Control
3. Awards Honors
4. Books
 4.1Adaptive Approximation Based Control: Unifying Neural Fuzzy and ...
 4.2Design of nonlinear control systems
 4.3General Theory of Algebraic Equations
 4.4Technology of Semiactive Devices and Applications in Vibration Mitigation
5. Journals
 5.1CFP: ELEKTRIK Special Issue on Swarm Robotics
 5.2CFP: International Journal of Adaptive Control and Signal Processing
 5.3CFP: SICON special issue on Contr. and Opt. in Cooperative Networks
 5.4Contents: Automatica
 5.5Contents: Control Engineering Practice
 5.6Contents: European Journal of Control
 5.7Contents: IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control
 5.8Contents: International Journal of Control
 5.9Contents: International Journal of General Systems
 5.10Contents: International Journal of Systems Science
 5.11Contents: Journal of Systems Science and Complexity
 5.12Contents: Modeling Identification and Control
 5.13Contents: Multidimensional Systems and Signal Processing
 5.14Contents: atp international
6. Conferences
 6.11st International Conference on Computer Science and Education
 6.2International Conference on The Dynamics of Disasters - CDD 2006
 6.3Methodologies for Emerging Technologies in Automation
7. Workshops
 7.110th Annual IEEE Advanced Process Control Applications for Industry Workshop
 7.2ACC 2006 Workshop Update: CEUs and Discount
 7.3CASY Workshop on Advances in Control Theory and Applications
 7.4NSF Workshop: Future Directions in Systems Research for Networked Sensing
 7.5Structural Analysis of Hybrid Systems
8. Positions
 8.1Faculty: Hamilton Institute Ireland
 8.2Faculty: University of Newcastle Australia
 8.3PDF: Nanyang Technological University Singapore
 8.4PDF: National University of Singapore Singapore
 8.5PhD: Cranfield University UK
 8.6PhD: Norwegian University of Science and Technology Norway
 8.7PhD: University of Louisville USA
 8.8Post-Doc: Australian National University Australia
 8.9Research Engr: Smart Fields Consortium USA
 8.10Research Faculty: University of Newcastle Australia
 8.11Research Position: University of California Santa Barbara USA

1. Personals
    1.1 Change of Email Address: Thomas Parisini
    Change of Email Address: Thomas Parisini
    
    Contributed by: Thomas Parisini, parisini@ieee.org
    
    My email address has been changed to:
    
    parisini@ieee.org
    
    Best regards,
    Thomas Parisini
    
    
    
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2. General Announcements
    2.1 Call for Nominations for the 2006 CSS Awards
    Call for Nominations for the 2006 CSS Awards
    
    Contributed by: Panos Antsaklis, CSS Awards Chair, antsaklis.1@nd.edu
    
    The IEEE Control Systems Society offers five major awards each year in addition to the 
    two student conference paper awards.  Brief descriptions of these five awards and 
    calls for nominations are included below.  Information regarding the student 
    conference paper awards is included at the websites of the conferences.  Further 
    information on Control Systems Society sponsored awards can be obtained from the 
    IEEE Control Systems Society Awards web page:  http://www.ieeecss.org/awards/.  
    Note that it is possible to submit nominations, using the on-line nomination forms 
    available on the web, which are accessible from the CSS Awards web page. 
    
    George S. Axelby Outstanding Paper Award
    Every year, the CSS presents up to three outstanding paper awards to authors of 
    papers published in the IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control during the preceding 
    two calendar years.  This outstanding paper award is based on originality, potential 
    impact on the theoretical foundations of control, importance and practical significance 
    in applications, and clarity.  The award is named after George S. Axelby, founding 
    editor of the Transactions.  Nominations are solicited for the 2006 award from papers 
    published in IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control from January 2004 through 
    December 2005 (Volumes 49 and 50).  The award is presented at the annual CSS 
    awards ceremonies held at the IEEE Conference on Decision and Control.  The award 
    consists of a plaque (one for each author).  The deadline for nominations is May 15, 
    2006.  Nominations should be sent to the Chair of the Axelby Award Committee.  
    Please consult the IEEE Control Systems Society Awards web page:  http://
    www.ieeecss.org/awards/. 
    
    IEEE Transactions on Control Systems Technology Outstanding Paper Award
    This annual award is selected among papers that appeared in IEEE Transactions on 
    Control Systems Technology during the previous two years, 2004-2005 (Volumes 12 
    and 13), based on originality, relevance of the application, clarity of exposition, and 
    demonstrated impact on control systems technology.  At most one award per year is 
    presented at the annual CSS awards ceremonies held at the IEEE Conference on 
    Decision and Control.  The award consists of a plaque (one for each author).  The 
    deadline for nominations is May 15, 2006.   Nominations should be sent to the Chair of 
    the TCST Outstanding Paper Award Committee.  Please consult the IEEE Control 
    Systems Society Awards web page:  http://www.ieeecss.org/awards/. 
    
    IEEE Control Systems Magazine Outstanding Paper Award
    This annual award is selected from articles and columns that appeared in IEEE Control 
    Systems Magazine during the previous two years, 2004-2005 (Volumes 24 and 25), 
    based on the impact on and benefit to CSS members.  At most one award per year is 
    presented at the annual CSS awards ceremonies held at the IEEE Conference on 
    Decision and Control.  The award consists of a plaque (one for each author).  The 
    deadline for nominations is May 15, 2006.  Nominations should be sent to the Chair of 
    the CSM Outstanding Paper Award Committee.  Please consult the IEEE Control 
    Systems Society Awards web page:  http://www.ieeecss.org/awards/. 
    
    CSS Technology Award
    Nominations are solicited for the 2006 IEEE Control Systems Technology Award.  This 
    annual award is given for outstanding contributions to control systems technology, 
    either in design and implementation or in project management.  It may be conferred on 
    either an individual or a team.  The award is presented at the annual CSS awards 
    ceremonies held at the IEEE Conference on Decision and Control.  The deadline for 
    nominations is May 15, 2006.  Please send nominations, together with supporting 
    documentation, to the Chair of the CSS Technology Award Committee.  Please consult 
    the IEEE Control Systems Society Awards web page:  http://www.ieeecss.org/awards/. 
    
    Antonio Ruberti Young Researcher Prize
    Nominations are solicited for the 2006 Antonio Ruberti Young Researcher Prize.  This 
    award recognizes distinguished cutting-edge contributions by a young researcher to 
    the theory or application of systems and control. To be eligible, the nominee must be 
    40 years old or younger on January 1, 2006. The award is named after Antonio Ruberti 
    of Italy, and is funded by the Antonio Ruberti Foundation.  The award is presented at 
    the annual CSS awards ceremonies held at the IEEE Conference on Decision and 
    Control.  The deadline for nominations is June 15, 2006.  Please send nominations, 
    together with supporting documentation, to the Chair of the Antonio Ruberti Young 
    Researcher Prize.  Please consult the IEEE Control Systems Society Awards web 
    page:  http://www.ieeecss.org/awards/. 
    
    
    
    
    
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    2.2 DISC Summer School on Identification and Control of LPV-Systems
    DISC Summer School on Identification and Control of LPV-Systems
    
    Contributed by: Carsten Scherer, c.w.scherer@tudelft.nl
    
    DISC Summer School on 
    "Identification and Control of Linear Parameter-Varying Systems"
    
    This year’s DISC summer school will be devoted to the power of the linear 
    parameter-varying (LPV) systems paradigm for control. This comprises an 
    understanding of how to identify LPV systems and how to use advanced 
    techniques for optimal and robust controller synthesis. Particular emphasis 
    will be laid on applications of LPV techniques to the control of aerospace and 
    mechatronic control systems. The main lectures in the form of mini-courses 
    will be given by
    Gary Balas          University of Minnesota
    Laura Giarré        Università di Palermo
    Marco Lovera        Politecnico di Milano
    Kameshwar Poolla    University of California, Berkeley
    Jeff Shamma         University of California, Los Angeles
    
    with additional special topics lectures by
    Samir Bennani       European Space Agency
    Carsten Scherer     Delft University of Technology
    Maarten Steinbuch   Eindhoven University of Technology
    
    The four-day summer school will be held during the last week of June (June 
    26-29, 2006) at the Conference Center Koningshof (with lecture rooms and 
    accommodation for all participants) in Veldhoven, The Netherlands.
    
    The registration fee, which includes full-board and lodging, is
    800,- Euro for non-DISC members
    550,- Euro for DISC-students and DISC-members
    
    The school is limited to 60 participants based on a first-come first-serve 
    policy. Registration deadline is ** May 31, 2006. **
    
    All details about this event, including a preliminary program with short 
    descriptions of the lectures and the registration form, are now available at 
    the DISC website: www.disc.tudelft.nl
    
    For additional information please contact
    Agnes van Regteren, secr@disc.tudelft.nl
    Carsten Scherer, c.w.scherer@tudelft.nl
    Peter Heuberger, p.s.c.heuberger@tudelft.nl
    
    Delft Center for Systems and Control (DCSC)
    Delft University of Technology
    www.dcsc.tudelft.nl
    
    
    
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    2.3 OPTRAGEN 1.0 : A MATLAB toolbox for solving optimal control problems.
    OPTRAGEN 1.0 : A MATLAB toolbox for solving optimal control problems.
    
    Contributed by: Raktim Bhattacharya, raktim@aero.tamu.edu
    
    We present a new MATLAB toolbox called OPTRAGEN for numerically solving
    optimal control problems. Numerical solution is achieved by transcribing the
    optimal control problem to a nonlinear programming (NLP) problem. The
    resulting NLP is solved using SNOPT. The toolbox does not include SNOPT. It
    has to be downloaded separately.
    
    OPTRAGEN User Manual is available at
    http://aero.tamu.edu/people/raktim/doc/OPTRAGEN.pdf
    
    OPTRAGEN can be downloaded from
    http://aero.tamu.edu/people/raktim/optragen/optragen.zip
    
    It will ask for username and passwd, which can be obtained by sending an email
    to raktim@tamu.edu, with the following information
    
    1. Name
    2. Organisation
    3. Brief description of use 
    
    A student version of SNOPT can be downloaded from
    http://cam.ucsd.edu/~peg/software.html
    
    
    
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    2.4 Short Course: Dynamic Traffic Flow Modelling and Control
    Short Course: Dynamic Traffic Flow Modelling and Control
    
    Contributed by: Markos Papageorgiou, markos@dssl.tuc.gr
    
    7th SHORT COURSE 2006 DYNAMIC TRAFFIC FLOW MODELLING AND CONTROL
    
    Lecturer: Prof. Markos Papageorgiou
    Date:  17-21 July 2006
    Location: Chania (Crete), Greece
    Fee:  1.200 EURO (for graduate students: 800 EURO)
    (20% reduction is granted in case of more than one participation from the
    same institution)
    
    Scope
    The design, analysis, and evaluation of Intelligent Transportation Systems 
    (ITS) requires a good knowledge of traffic flow modelling and control 
    techniques as well as of powerful methodologies from the areas of 
    optimisation, control, networks and dynamic systems. The purpose of the 
    intensive 5-day course is to cover the basic theory and tools necessary for 
    efficient design and evaluation of ITS on highway networks. The course will 
    begin with traffic flow modelling and validation that includes a coverage of
    the various traffic flow models, the modelling of traffic networks, and 
    simulation tools. Measurement devices and estimation problems in traffic 
    networks, that include automatic incident detection and O-D estimation, will 
    be presented and discussed. The state-of-the art techniques on freeway 
    control, road traffic control, and integrated control employing rampmetering, 
    signal control, and route guidance via application of modern optimisation, 
    control, and estimation techniques, together with several case
    studies will be presented. Some 45 exercises will be used for consolidation 
    of the provided knowledge. Extensive written materials, including all 
    transparency copies, will be handed out.
    
    Who Should Attend
    Graduate students, engineers, researchers, consultants, and government 
    employees who are interested in improving their understanding of advanced 
    traffic flow modelling and control tools and in becoming familiar with their 
    application in ITS.
    
    >>> Please forward the information about the Short Course to any of your
    colleagues who may be interested.
    
    For More Information
    To take more information (Detailed Course Contents, About the Lecturer, Fee 
    and Registration Form, Location, Accommodation, Evaluation of previous 
    courses) please visit the site 
    http://www.dssl.tuc.gr/en/shortcourse/7thShortCourse.htm or contact:
    
    Prof. Markos Papageorgiou
    Director 
    Dynamic Systems & Simulation Laboratory
    TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF CRETE
    University Campus
    GR-73100 Chania, GREECE
    -----------------------
    Tel: +30-28210-37289
    Fax: +30-28210-37584/69410
    E-mail: markos@dssl.tuc.gr
    Web: http://www.dssl.tuc.gr
    
    
    
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3. Awards Honors
4. Books
    4.1 Adaptive Approximation Based Control: Unifying Neural Fuzzy and ...
    Adaptive Approximation Based Control: Unifying Neural, Fuzzy, and ...
    
    Contributed by: Jay A. Farrell, farrell@ee.ucr.edu
    
    Title: Adaptive Approximation Based Control: 
           Unifying Neural, Fuzzy, and Traditional Adaptive Approximation Approaches
    Authors: J. A. Farrell and M. M. Polycarpou
    Publisher: John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 2006
    ISBN-13 978-0-471-72788-0
    
    Chapter 1:   Introduction
    Chapter 2:   Approximation Theory
    Chapter 3:   Approximation Structures
    Chapter 4:   Parameter Estimation Methods
    Chapter 5:   Nonlinear Control Architectures
    Chapter 6:   Adaptive Approximation: Motivation and Issues
    Chapter 7:   Adaptive Approximation Based Control: General Theory
    Chapter 8:   Adaptive Approximation Based Control for Fixed-Wing Aircraft
    Appendix 1:  Systems and Stability Concepts
    Appendix 2:  Recommended Implementation and Debugging Approach
    Bibliography
    Index
    
    
    
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    4.2 Design of nonlinear control systems
    Design of nonlinear control systems
    
    Contributed by: D. Subbaram Naidu, naiduds@isu.edu
    
    Design of nonlinear control systems with the highest derivative in feedback
    Valery D. Yurkevich
    World Scientific, 2004
    ISBN 981-238-899-0
    
    The main theme of the present book  is design of feedback controllers for
    nonlinear systems with the highest derivative of the output in the feedback
    loop with a ``distinctive feature of the control system thus designed is that
    two-time-scale motions are forced in the closed-loop system" for both
    continuous-time,  and discrete-time systems for both
    single-input-single-output (SISO) and multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO)
    systems. 
    
    The book starts with a brief introduction (Chapter 1) to dynamical systems
    described by regularly perturbed and singularly perturbed 
    differential and difference equations and explains ideas of stability, slow
    and fast subsystems, and the associated Lyapunov equation. Next in (Chapter
    2), the main problem is stated in terms of the goal to design a feedback
    controller  to force the error  between a reference (desired) input  and the
    output  of a plant subject to external disturbance. 
    
    Next two chapters (Chapters 4 and 5) focus on designing controller for SISO
    systems with the objective of providing robust zero steady-state error. The
    closed-loop properties are discussed in terms of slow and fast subsystems.
    Chapter 5 focuses on various design techniques  for choosing controller
    parameters, the influence of high-frequency noise measurements and noise
    attenuation. 
    
    The effect of unmodeled dynamics arising due to relative degree of the system
    is discussed in Chapter 6 relating to pure time delays and unstructured
    uncertainties leading to singularly perturbed structures. Further, the control
    design in the presence of a nonsmooth nonlinearity in the control loop is
    discussed.    
    
    The realizability conditions  for the desired output performance are discussed
    in Chapter 7 relating them to invertibility conditions, and nonlinear inverse
    dynamics. Also discussed are the concepts relating to invertibility index
    (relative degree), normal form, internal stability, degenerated system of
    output stabilization, and zero dynamics. 
    
    The treatment of MIMO systems is presented in Chapter 8 with particular
    emphasis on the design of controllers for nonlinear time-varying systems to
    provide output decoupling and disturbance rejection. The  topic of the
    stabilization of internal dynamics is presented in Chapter 9 where the
    redundant control variables and output vector are used to obtain stabilization
    of the internal dynamics. A discussion of the corresponding linear,
    time-invariant system amounts to the displacement of zeroes of the transfer
    function in the left half of the complex plane. 
    
    The next three chapters (10, 11, and 12) address discrete-time (digital or
    sampled) systems. Chapter 10 prepares the necessary background with next
    chapter presenting the technique for designing feedback controllers for
    discrete-time systems as counter part of (Chapters 4 and 5) the
    continuous-time systems. In particular, this chapter focuses on a
    pseudo-continuous-time model of the control loop with a pure time delay, due
    to the approximation of zero-order hold. Chapter design addresses the design
    of controllers for discrete-time systems.It has been shown that the output of
    the closed-loop system is insensitive parameter variations of the plant and
    external disturbances if the fast dynamics is damped out in the discrete-time
    system having sufficient slow and fast time-scale separation. Chapter 12
    briefly discusses the continuation of discrete-time systems with zero-order
    hold for both SISO and MIMO systems.
    
    A unique feature of this book is the treatment of distributed
    parameter systems (Chapter 13) governed by partial differential equations, the
    analysis of which in terms of Fourier series leads to a linearized system with
     an infinite-dimensional set of  differential equations. In particular, for a
    heat system, the model is obtained in the singularly perturbed form. 
    
    Finally, the general design methodology presented in the book allows us to get
    the conventional PI and PID controllers for the systems of the first and
    second order, respectively. 
    
    This book which focuses on one particular structure for the feedback
    controller in terms of the highest derivative of the output, takes a departure
    in the contents of the various topics compared to the other traditional books
    on nonlinear control systems in the sense the topics such as Lyapunov
    stability, describing function, geometric methods such as input-state and
    input-output linearization are not treated. I would have liked to see Chapters
    1 and 2 merged and Chapters 6 and 9  to be adjacent to each other to have a
    continuous flow of the topic of internal dynamics. The book would be more
    interesting to the readers if some real-world applications are presented. On
    the whole this book (to be accompanied by  a solutions manual) exploiting the
    time-scale character of the closed-loop system,  is a welcome addition to the
    recent flood of books on  the ``new and beautiful world of nonlinear science". 
    
    
    
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    4.3 General Theory of Algebraic Equations
    General Theory of Algebraic Equations
    
    Contributed by: Julie Haenisch, julie_haenisch@pupress.princeton.edu
    
    General Theory of Algebraic Equations
    Etienne Bézout
    Translated from the French by Eric Feron
    
    This book provides the first English translation of Bezout's masterpiece, the
    General Theory of Algebraic Equations. It follows, by almost two hundred
    years, the English translation of his famous mathematics textbooks. Here,
    Bézout presents his approach to solving systems of polynomial equations in
    several variables and in great detail. He introduces the revolutionary notion
    of the "polynomial multiplier," which greatly simplifies the problem of
    variable elimination by reducing it to a system of linear equations. The major
    result presented in this work, now known as "Bézout's theorem," is stated as
    follows: "The degree of the final equation resulting from an arbitrary number
    of complete equations containing the same number of unknowns and with
    arbitrary degrees is equal to the product of the exponents of the degrees of
    these equations."
    
    The book offers large numbers of results and insights about conditions for
    polynomials to share a common factor, or to share a common root. It also
    provides a state-of-the-art analysis of the theories of integration and
    differentiation of functions in the late eighteenth century, as well as one of
    the first uses of determinants to solve systems of linear equations.
    Polynomial multiplier methods have become, today, one of the most promising
    approaches to solving complex systems of polynomial equations or inequalities,
    and this translation offers a valuable historic perspective on this active
    research field.
    
    Cloth | 2006 | USD 49.50 / BP 32.50 | ISBN: 0-691-11432-3
    http://www.pupress.princeton.edu/titles/8121.html
    
    
    
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    4.4 Technology of Semiactive Devices and Applications in Vibration Mitigation
    Technology of Semiactive Devices and Applications in Vibration Mitigation
    
    Contributed by: Francesco Marazzi, francesco.marazzi@libero.it
    
    Fabio Casciati, Georges Magonette and  Francesco Marazzi
    Wiley 2006, 268 pages, ISBN 0-470-02289-2
    
    Synthesises the knowledge needed to design and implement semiactive devices.
    
    Technology of Semiactive Devices and Applications in Vibration Mitigation 
    presents the most up-to-date research into semiactive control systems and 
    illustrates case studies showing their implementation and effectiveness in 
    mitigating vibration.  The material is presented in a way that people not 
    familiar with control or structural dynamics can easily understand.  
    
    Connecting structural dynamics with control, this book: 
    -  Provides a history of semiactive control and a bibliographic review of 
    the most common semiactive control strategies. 
    -  Presents state-of-the-art semiactive control systems and illustrates 
    several case studies showing their implementation and effectiveness to 
    mitigate vibration. 
    -  Illustrates applications related to noise attenuation, wind vibration 
    damping and earthquake effects mitigation amongst others. 
    -  Offers a detailed comparison between collocated and non-collocated 
    systems. 
    -  Formulates the design concepts and control algorithms in simple and 
    readable language. 
    -  Includes an appendix that contains critical considerations about 
    semiactive devices and methods of evaluation of the original damping of a 
    structure. 
    
    Technology of Semiactive Devices and Applications in Vibration Mitigation is 
    a must-have resource for researchers, practitioners and design engineers 
    working in civil, automotive and mechanical engineering.  In addition it is 
    undoubtedly the key reference for all postgraduate students studying in the 
    field.
    
    A full table of contents and excerpts are available at the Wiley web site 
    www.wiley.com
    
    
    
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5. Journals
    5.1 CFP: ELEKTRIK Special Issue on Swarm Robotics
    CFP: ELEKTRIK Special Issue on Swarm Robotics
    
    Contributed by: Veysel Gazi, vgazi@etu.edu.tr
    
    ELEKTRIK: The Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences 
    Announces a Special Issue on Multi-Robot Systems Swarm Robotics
     
    Sponsored by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey 
    (TUBITAK) and the Chamber of Electrical Engineers (EMO), ELEKTRIK is an 
    international journal on all aspects of electrical engineering and computer 
    sciences. This special issue, scheduled to be published in July 2007, will 
    contain both invited and contributed papers. 
     
    Submission of papers 
    Prospective authors may submit their manuscripts to the guest editor and/or 
    the Editor-in-Chief given below with a statement that the submission is 
    intended for this special issue. Only word/latex documents or PDF files via 
    email submission will be accepted (please follow the regular guidelines of 
    ELEKTRIK).   
     
    Topics
    Possible topics for the issue include but are not limited to
    * Modeling and analysis (Lyapunov, graph theoretic, game theoretic methods, 
    etc.)
    * Networked multi-robot systems
    * Robot teams
    * Coordination and control (decentralized, cooperative, noncooperative, etc.)
    * Formation control (stabilization, reconfiguration, coverage algorithms, 
    etc)
    * Self-organization, self-assembling
    * Synchronization, consensus seeking, rendezvous
    * Evolutionary algorithms
    * Emergent behavior (gathering, aggregation, flocking, schooling, etc.)
    * Swarm communication, service discovery, ad-hoc networks
    * Swarm intelligence
    * Applications 
    
    Guest Editor 
    Dr. Veysel Gazi 
    TOBB University of Economics and Technology 
    Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering 
    Sogutozu Caddesi, No: 43, Sogutozu 06560 Ankara, TURKEY 
    Tel: +90 (312) 292-4079, Fax: +90 (312) 292-4091 
    Email: vgazi@etu.edu.tr
     
    Important Dates 
    Final date for submission of manuscripts:  31 August 2006 
    Notification of acceptance/rejection:  31 December 2006 
    
    For further information, in addition to the guest editor, please contact 
    Prof. Dr. Kemal Leblebicioðlu, (kleb@metu.edu.tr) Editor-in-Chief 
    Middle East Technical University 
    Electrical - Electronic Engineering Dept. 
    06531, Ankara - Turkey, Fax: +90 (312) 210-1261,  
    http://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/elektrik/
    
    
    
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    5.2 CFP: International Journal of Adaptive Control and Signal Processing
    CFP: International Journal of Adaptive Control and Signal Processing 
    
    Contributed by: Tao Zhang, tao.z.zhang@seagate.com
    
    CFP:  International Journal of Adaptive Control and Signal Processing
    Special Issue on Intelligent Control and Its Applications to Hard Disk Drive
    
    This special issue aims at providing a forum for control researchers and
    engineers to report the latest developments and trends in intelligent control
    for hard disk drives (HDD). The topics of interest include, but not limited to
    the following control techniques in HDD applications: 
      * Self-tuning and adaptive control
      * Iterative learning control (ILC) and repetitive control (RC)
      * Adaptive feedforward control
      * Neural networks and fuzzy logic
      * Sliding mode control (SMC) and variable structure control (VSC)
      * Modeling and compensation of actuator nonlinearities
      * Dual-stage micro-actuator control
      * Shock and vibration control
      * Multi-rate control
      * Optimal seek control
    
    Prospective authors are requested to submit their manuscript online to
    
    http://www.interscience.wiley.com/journal/acsp
    
    and to follow the instructions under "For Authors". When submitting your
    article for this Special Issue, make sure that you have selected the correct
    article code in the online submission system Special Issue Article AHDD2007. 
    
    All papers will be reviewed following the standard procedures of the journal.
    The acceptance notification of papers will be in January 2007. The publication
    of the Special Issue is tentatively scheduled for October 2007. For further
    information please contact any of the Guest Editors listed below.
    
    The Guest Editors: 
                        Tao Zhang
                        Seagate Technology
                        Email: tao.z.zhang@seagate.com
    
                        Shuzhi Sam Ge
                        The National University of Singapore
                        Email: elegesz@nus.edu.sg
    
                        F. L. Lewis
                        The University of Texas at Arlington, Texas
                        Email: lewis@uta.edu
    
    The paper submission deadline: 1st October 2006
                                            
    
    
    
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    5.3 CFP: SICON special issue on Contr. and Opt. in Cooperative Networks
    CFP: SICON special issue on Contr. and Opt. in Cooperative Networks
    
    Contributed by: Jorge Cortes, jcortes@ucsc.edu
    
    This is the first special issue of the SIAM Journal on Control and
    Optimization. The topic is "Control and Optimization in Cooperative Networks."
    The guest editors are Francesco Bullo, Jorge Cortes and Benedetto Piccoli.
    
    The purpose of the special issue is to gather recent developments aimed at
    providing new sets of distributed control and optimization tools to address
    the formidable scientific challenges posed by multi-agent networks. Specific
    topics addressed in the issue include (and are not limited to):
    
        * motion coordination for pattern formation, deployment, self organization
    and aggregation
        * distributed control algorithms for consensus, estimation, and target
    tracking
        * formal models and complexity analysis of cooperative algorithms
        * scalability, robustness and distributed control
        * wireless networking of sensors, actuators, and controllers
        * operation of cooperative networks under resource constraints,
    communication failures, and uncertainty
    
    The call for papers, together with specific instructions for submission, can
    be found at http://www.siam.org/journals/sicon.php
    
    The submission deadline is November 1, 2006.
    
    
    
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    5.4 Contents: Automatica
    Contents: Automatica
    
    Contributed by: Becky Lonberger, rebeccal@uiuc.edu
    
    Contents: Automatica, June, 2006
    Volume 42, Issue 6
    
    To consult the cumulative table of contents 1965-present, to view the list
    of recently accepted papers or to submit a paper visit
    http://www.autsubmit.com
    
    Regular papers
    
    Y. Tan, D. Nesic, and I.M.Y.Mareels
    On non-local stability properties of extremum seeking control
    
    Ilia G. Polushin, Abdelhamid Tayebi, and Horacio J. Marquez
    Control schemes for stable teleoperation with communication delay based on
    IOS small gain theorem
    
    Pertti M. Mäkilä
    LTI approximation of nonlinear systems via signal distribution theory
    
    Brief papers
    
    Jung Hoon Lee
    Highly robust position control ofBLDDSM using an improved integral
    variable structure systems
    
    Gernot Schullerus, Volker Krebs, Bart De Schutter, and Ton van den Boom
    Input signal design for identification of max-plus-linear systems
    
    Agoes A. Moelja and Gjerrit Meinsma
    $H_2$ control of preview systems
    
    Lei Zhang and Dimitrios Hristu-Varsakelis
    Communication and control co-design for networked control systems
    
    Jan Åslund and Erik Frisk
    An observer for non-linear differential-algebraic systems
    
    X. Litrico and V. Fromion
    Boundary control of linearized Saint-Venant equations oscillating modes
    
    Ping Jiang, Chen Huadong, and Leon Bamforth
    A universal iterative learning stabilizer for a class of MIMO systems
    
    Paolo Bolzern, Patrizio Colaneri, and Giuseppe De Nicolao
    On almost sure stability of continuous-time Markov jump linear systems
    
    Hong Yue, Jinglin Zhou, and Hong Wang
    Minimum entropy control of B-spline PDF systems with mean constraint
    
    F. Basile, P. Chiacchio, and A. Giua
    Suboptimal supervisory control of Petri Nets in presence of uncontrollable
    transitions via monitor places
    
    Chih-Chiang Cheng and Shih-Hsiang Chien
    Adaptive sliding mode controller design based on T-S fuzzy system models
    
    C. J. Ong, D. Sui, and E. G. Gilbert
    Enlarging the terminal region of nonlinear model predictive control using
    the support vector machine method
    
    Antonio Barreiro and Alfonso Baños
    Input-output stability of systems with backlash
    
    J. Harmand, A. Rapaport, and F. Mazenc
    Output tracking of coninuous bioreactors through recirculation and by-pass
    
    H. Chen and C. W. Scherer
    Moving horizon $H_infty$ control with performance adaptation for
    constrained linear systems
    
    Technical communiques
    
    Efim Malakhovski and Leonid Mirkin
    On stability of second-order quasi-polynomials with a single delay
    
    B. Yang and W. Lin
    On semi-global stabilizability of MIMO nonlinear systems
    by Output Feedback
    
    T. Mori, T. V. Nguyen, Y. Mori, and H. Kokame
    Preservation of Lyapunov functions under bilinear mapping
    
    Xiefu Jiang and Qing-Long Han
    Delay-dependent robust stability for uncertain linear systems with
    interval time-varying delay
    
    Wu-Hua Chen and Wei Xing Zheng
    On improved robust stabilization of uncertain systems with unknown input
    delay
    
    
    
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    5.5 Contents: Control Engineering Practice
    Contents: Control Engineering Practice
    
    Contributed by: Fernando Camisani, cep@up.ac.za
    
    Journal: Control Engineering Practice
    ISSN   : 0967-0661
    Volume : 14
    Issue  : 6 [SPECIAL ISSUE]
    Date   : Jun-2006
    
    SPECIAL ISSUE: A Benchmark Study of Fault Diagnosis for an Industrial Actuator
    Edited by:  R. J.Patton, J. Korbicz, S. Lesecq
    
    Table of Contents:
    
    Preface, R.J. Patton, J. Korbicz, S. Lesecq, pp 575-576
    
    Introduction to the DAMADICS actuator FDI benchmark study, M. Bartys, R.
    Patton, M. Syfert, S. de las Heras, J. Quevedo, pp 577-596
    
    Structural analysis of fault isolability in the DAMADICS benchmark, D.
    Dustegor, E. Frisk, V. Cocquempot, M. Krysander, M. Staroswiecki, pp 597-608
    
    Diagnosis of timed automata: Theory and application to the DAMADICS actuator
    benchmark problem, P. Supavatanakul, J. Lunze, V. Puig, J. Quevedo, pp 609-619
    
    Passive robust fault detection using interval observers: Application to the
    DAMADICS benchmark problem, V. Puig, A. Stancu, T. Escobet, F. Nejjari, J.
    Quevedo, R.J. Patton, pp 621-633
    
    Model-free actuator fault detection using a spectral estimation, approach: the
    case of the DAMADICS benchmark problem, F. Previdi, T. Parisini, pp 635-644
    
    Actuator fault distinguishability study for the DAMADICS benchmark problem,
    J.M. Koscielny, M. Bartys, P. Rzepiejewski, J. Sa da Costa, pp 645-652
    
    Application of a novel fuzzy classifier to fault detection and isolation of
    the DAMADICS benchmark problem, C.D. Bocaniala, J. Sa da Costa, pp 653-669
    
    A GMDH neural network-based approach to robust fault diagnosis: Application to
    the DAMADICS benchmark problem, M. Witczak, J. Korbicz, M. Mrugalski, R.J.
    Patton, pp 671-683
    
    FDI approach to the DAMADICS benchmark problem based on qualitative reasoning
    coupled with fuzzy neural networks, J.M.F. Calado, J.M.G. Sa da Costa, M.
    Bartys, J. Korbicz, pp 685-698
    
    A neuro-fuzzy multiple-model observer approach to robust fault diagnosis based
    on the DAMADICS benchmark problem, F.J. Uppal, R.J. Patton, M. Witczak, pp 699-717
    
    Conference Calendar, pp 719
    
    
    
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    5.6 Contents: European Journal of Control
    Contents: European Journal of Control
    
    Contributed by: Danila Ferrara, ejc@elet.polimi.it
    
    Table contents issue n. 2-2006
    
    Formal Specification Method for Production Systems Automation
    by J.F. Pétin, G. Morel, H. Panetto
    
    Discussion on "Formal Specification Method for Production Systems Automation"
    by J. Zaytoon
    
    Discussion on "Formal Specification Method for Production Systems Automation"
    by V. Valero, M. E. Cambronero
    
    Reply by the authors, Robust Adaptive Transient Stabilization of a
    Synchronous Generator with Parameter Uncertainty
    by R. Marino, T. Shen, C. M. Verrelli
    
    Discussion on "Robust Adaptive Transient Stabilization of a Synchronous 
    Generator with Parameter Uncertainty"
    by L. A. Dessaint, A. Okou
    
    Discussion on "Robust Adaptive Transient Stabilization of a Synchronous 
    Generator with Parameter Uncertainty"
    by A.S. Bazanella
    
    Discussion on "Robust Adaptive Transient Stabilization of a Synchronous 
    Generator with Parameter Uncertainty"
    by G. Damm
    
    Application of Logarithmic Based Parameter and Upper Bounding Estimation 
    Rules to Adaptive-Robust Control of Robot Manipulators
    by R. Burkan, I. Uzmay
    
    Discussion on "Application of Logarithmic Based Parameter and Upper Bounding 
    Estimation Rules to Adaptive-Robust Control of Robot Manipulators"
    by E.E. Yaz
    
    Discussion on "Application of Logarithmic Based Parameter and Upper Bounding 
    Estimation Rules to Adaptive-Robust Control of Robot Manipulators"
    by F. H. Ghorbel
    
    Reply by the authors, Symmetry and Reduction for Coordinated Rigid Bodies
    by H. Hanssmann, N. E. Leonard, T.R. Smith
    
    Performance and Robustness Improvement in the IMC-PID Tuning Method
    by Alberto Leva
    
    Reduced Order Hinf Control Design of an Active Suspension System
    by JeongHeon Han, Mauricio C. de Oliveira, Robert E. Skelton
    
    Discussion on "Reduced Order Hinf Control Design of an Active Suspension 
    System"
    by H. Prochàzka
    
    Discussion on "Reduced Order Hinf Control Design of an Active Suspension 
    System"
    by  D. U. Campos-Delgado, E. Palacios
    
    
    
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    5.7 Contents: IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control
    Contents: IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control
    
    Contributed by: C. Stewart, trac@bu.edu
    
    IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control
    Vol. 51 Issue 3 March 2006
    
    Recursive Identification for Wiener Model With Discontinuous Piece-Wise Linear
    Function
    Chen, H.-F., Page(s):  390- 400
    
    Flocking for Multi-Agent Dynamic Systems: Algorithms and Theory
    Olfati-Saber, R., Page(s):  401- 420
    
    Supervision of Networked Dynamical Systems Under Coordination Constraints
    Casavola, A.; Papini, M.; Franze, G., Page(s):  421- 437
    
    Feedback Stabilization of Uncertain Systems in the Presence of a Direct Link
    Martins, N.C.; Dahleh, M.A.; Elia, N., Page(s):  438- 447
    
    Generalized Performance of Concatenated Quantum Codes—A Dynamical Systems Approach
    Fern, J.; Kempe, J.; Simic, S.N.; Sastry, S., Page(s):  448- 459
    
    The Wonham Filter With Random Parameters: Rate of Convergence and Error Bounds
    Guo, X.; Yin, G., Page(s):  460- 464
    
    A Scaled Small Gain Theorem With Applications to Spatially Interconnected Systems
    Chandra, R.S.; D'Andrea, R., Page(s):  465- 469
    
    Robust Sampled-Data$H_infty$Control of Linear Singularly Perturbed Systems
    Fridman, E., Page(s):  470- 475
    
    On the Choice of Random Directions for Stochastic Approximation Algorithms
    Theiler, J.; Alper, J., Page(s):  476- 481
    
    Reachability Conditions for Switched Linear Singular Systems
    Meng, B.; Zhang, J.-F., Page(s):  482- 488
    
    Absolute Stability via Boundary Control of a Semilinear Parabolic PDE
    Hagen, G., Page(s):  489- 493
    
    Norm Estimators and Global Output Feedback Stabilization of Nonlinear Systems
    With ISS Inverse Dynamics
    Kaliora, G.; Astolfi, A.; Praly, L., Page(s):  493- 498
    
    Output Regulation of Uncertain Nonlinear Systems With Nonlinear Exosystems
    Ding, Z., Page(s):  498- 503
    
    Adaptive Output Control of Nonlinear Systems With Uncertain Dead-Zone Nonlinearity
    Zhou, J.; Wen, C.; Zhang, Y., Page(s):  504- 511
    
    $H_infty$Control for Networked Systems With Random Communication Delays
    Yang, F.; Wang, Z.; Hung, Y.S.; Gani, M., Page(s):  511- 518
    
    Stability of Quaternionic Linear Systems
    Pereira, R.; Vettori, P., Page(s):  518- 523
    
    Robust Adaptive Asymptotic Tracking of Nonlinear Systems With Additive Disturbance
    Cai, Z.; deQueiroz, M.S.; Dawson, D.M., Page(s):  524- 529
    
    Global Stabilization Via Local Stabilizing Actions
    Ozguler, A.B., Page(s):  530- 533
    
    Controlling the Spreading in Small-World Evolving Networks: Stability,
    Oscillation, and Topology
    Li, X.; Wang, X., Page(s):  534- 540
    
    Numerical Optimization, Theoretical and Practical Aspects, Page(s):  541- 541
    
    
    
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    5.8 Contents: International Journal of Control
    Contents: International Journal of Control
    
    Contributed by: Russell Stevens, russell.stevens@tandf.co.uk
    
    Volume 79, Issue 6
    www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/00207179.asp
    
    Ripple-free tracking with robustness 
    R. A. Paz
    
    Long term prediction of non-linear time series using multiresolution wavelet 
    models 
    H. L. Wei, S. A. Billings
    
    On adaptive observers for state affine systems 
    G. Besançon, J. De León-Morales, O. Huerta-Guevara
    
    A numerical algorithm to find soft-constrained Nash equilibria in scalar LQ-
    games 
    J. Engwerda
    
    Controller reduction with error performance: continuous- and discrete-time 
    cases 
    H. Gao, J. Lam, C. Wang
    
    Estimation of asymptotic stability regions via homogeneous polynomial 
    Lyapunov functions 
    Y. Fujisaki, R. Sakuwa
    
    Design of digital PID controllers using the parameter space approach 
    F. Kiani, M. Bozorg
    
    On the dynamic instability of a class of switching system 
    R. N. Shorten, F. ÓCairbre, P. Curran
    
    A new framework for two loop disturbance rejection control
    H.-T. Choi, B. K. Kim, K.-S. Eom
    
    Pneumatic cylinders: modelling and feedback force-control
    A. Ilchmann, O. Sawodny, S. Trenn
    
    Stability of the primal-dual algorithm for congestion control
    Y.-P. Tian, G. Chen
    
    For submission and subscription information please visit the Journal’s 
    homepage at http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/00207179.asp
    
    Editor-in-Chief
    Professor Eric Rogers
    School of Electronics and Computer Science
    University of Southampton
    etar@ecs.soton.ac.uk
    
    
    
    
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    5.9 Contents: International Journal of General Systems
    Contents: International Journal of General Systems
    
    Contributed by: Russell Stevens, russell.stevens@tandf.co.uk
    
    Volume 34, Issue 5		
    www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/03081079.asp
    
    Reliable stabilization of stochastic time-delay systems with nonlinear 
    disturbances
    Zidong Wang, Huisheng Shu, Xiaohui Liu
    
    Model theory approach to transaction processing system development
    Yasuhiko Takahara, Yongmei Liu, Xiaohong Chen, Yoshio Yano
    Efficient reinforcement learning through dynamic symbiotic evolution for TSK-
    type fuzzy controller design
    Cheng-Jian Lin, Yong-Ji Xu
    
    On the properties of equidifferent RIM quantifier with generating function
    Xinwang Liu
    
    A generalized model of fuzzy rough sets
    Daowu Pei
    
    Ontology intermingling with onticity and vice versa in M.C. Escher's 
    Reptiles (2004)
    Yrjö Mikkonen
    
    Inclusion properties for random relations under the hypotheses of stochastic 
    independence and non-interactivity
    F. Tonon, S. Chen
    
    The structure of n-contractive t-norms
    A. Mesiarová
    
    For submission and subscription information please visit the Journal’s 
    homepage at http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/03081079.asp
    
    Editor-in-Chief
    Dr George Klir
    gensyst@binghamton.edu 
    Department of Systems Science and Industrial Engineering 
    Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science 
    State University of New York
    
    
    
    
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    5.10 Contents: International Journal of Systems Science
    Contents: International Journal of Systems Science
    
    Contributed by: Russell Stevens, russell.stevens@tandf.co.uk
    
    Volume 37, Issue 4	
    www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/00207721.asp
    
    Robust adaptive output-feedback control for a class of nonlinear systems 
    with general uncertainties 
    R. Y. Ruan, C. L. Yang, Z. M. Wang, Y. Z. Li
    
    Conditions on input disturbance suppression for multivariable nonlinear 
    systems on the basis of feedforward passivity 
    S. W. Su, J. Bao, P. L. Lee
    
    A backward recursive algorithm for inventory lot-size models with power-form 
    demand and shortages 
    H.-L. Yang
    
    Singularly perturbed unified time systems with low sensitivity to model 
    reduction using delta operators 
    K.-H. Shim, M. E. Sawan
    
    Optimization of raw material procurement at pulp or paper mills – the 
    influence of weather-related risks 
    D. Hultqvist, L. Olsson
    
    For submission and subscription information please visit the Journal’s 
    homepage at http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals/titles/00207721.asp
    
    Editor-in-Chief
    Professor Peter Fleming
    Department of Automatic Control and Systems Engineering,
    University of Sheffield 
    ijss@sheffield.ac.uk
    
    
    
    
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    5.11 Contents: Journal of Systems Science and Complexity
    Contents: Journal of Systems Science and Complexity
    
    Contributed by: Lei Guo, jssc@amss.ac.cn
    
    Journal of Systems Science and Complexity (JSSC)
    Volume 19, Issue 1, March 2006
    
    Edited by: Academy of Mathematics and Systems Science
    Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Published by: Springer Boston 
    ISSN: 1009-6124 (Paper) 1559-7067 (Online) 
    http://www.springer.com/west/home/business/operations+research?
    SGWID=4-40521-70-50718126-0&changeHeader=true
    
    Studying Complex Adaptive Systems (pp. 1 - 8)
    John H. Holland  
      
    Optimal Starting Price for Ebay-Like Online Auctions (pp. 9 - 21)
    Hai Yu, Shouyang Wang, Chuangyin Dang  
      
    Identification Error Bounds and Asymptotic Distributions for Systems with 
    Structural Uncertainties (pp. 22 - 35)
    Gang George Yin, Shaobai Kan, Le Yi Wang
      
    Analysis and Computational Algorithm for Queues with State-Dependent
    Vacations I: G/M(n)/1/K (36 - 53)
    Xiuli Chao and Ayyar Rahman
      
    Soft Control on Collective Behavior of a Group of Autonomous 
    Agents By a Shill Agent (54 - 62)  
    Jing Han, Ming Li, Lei Guo  
      
    Aggregation of Fuzzy Opinions Under Group Decision-Making Based 
    on Similarity and Distance (63 - 71)  
    Chengguo Lu, Jibin Lan, Zhongxing Wang  
         
    The Existence of Orbits Connecting Critical Points of Differential 
    Equations Depending on a Parameter (72 - 75)  
    Shuxiang Yu  
      
    A Dynamic Approach to Calculate Shadow Prices of Water Resources 
    for Nine Major Rivers in China (76 - 87)  
    Jing He, Xikang Chen, Yong Shi  
      
    The Rank and Coexponent of a Finite P-Group (88 - 92)  
    Yujie Ma  
      
    D-B-Preinvex Type Mappings (93 - 100)  
    Jianwen Peng, Xinmin Yang, Weidong Rong  
      
    Semi On-Line Scheduling Problem for Maximizing the Minimum 
    Machine Completion Time on Two Uniform Machines (101 - 107)  
    Runzi Luo, Shijie Sun, Wenping Huang  
      
    A Note on the Right Spread Order Associated with Exponential 
    Distributions  (108 - 113)  
    Xiaohu LI  
      
    Existence and Uniqueness of Endemic States for the Age-Structured Seir
    Epidemic Model (114 - 127)  
    Xuezhi LI and Jing CHEN  
      
    The Relationships of Three Elementary Cellular Automata  (128 - 136)  
    Zhisong Jiang  
      
    Ultimate Stability of a Type of Characteristic Equation with 
    Delay Dependent Parameters (137 - 144)  
    Jianquan Li and Zhien Ma  
    
    For submission and subscription information please visit the Journal
    website at 
    http://www.springer.com/west/home/business/operations+research?
    SGWID=4-40521-70-50718126-0&changeHeader=true
    or email to jssc@amss.ac.cn 
    
    Editor-in-Chief
    Professor Lei Guo
    Academy of Mathematics and Systems Science
    Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Beijing 100080, China
    lguo@amss.ac.cn  
    
    
    
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    5.12 Contents: Modeling Identification and Control
    Contents: Modeling, Identification and Control
    
    Contributed by: Jostein Bakkeheim, mic@itk.ntnu.no
    
    Modeling, Identification and Control (MIC), Vol. 27, No. 2,
    April 2006
    
    J. T. Gravdahl, "Editorial" p. 1
    
    A. E. Løvgren, Y. Maday and E. M. Rønquist, "A reduced basis element method 
    for the steady Stokes problem: Application to hierarchical flow systems" p. 3
    
    E. Celledoni and N. Säfström, "A symmetric splitting method for rigid body 
    dynamics" p. 19
    
    G. A. Staff, K. Mardal and T. K. Nilssen, "Preconditioning of fully implicit 
    Runge-Kutta schemes for parabolic PDEs" p. 33
    
    R. Finnset, S. K. Rao and J. Antonsen, "Real time hardware-in-loop 
    simulation of ESMO satellite attitude control system" p. 49
    
    Accumulated index and more information about MIC is available at
    http://www.itk.ntnu.no/mic/mic.html.
    
    
    
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    5.13 Contents: Multidimensional Systems and Signal Processing
    Contents: Multidimensional Systems and Signal Processing
    
    Contributed by: N. K. Bose, nkb1@psu.edu
    
    Contributed by: N. K. Bose, nkb1@psu.edu
    
    Contents: Multimensional Systems and Signal Processing, January 2006
    Volume 17, Issue 1
    
    N. K. Bose
    Editorial
    
    Regular papers
    
    Alfred Fettweis
    Robust Numerical Integration Using Wave-Digital Concepts
    
    Sripad Ram, E. Sally Ward and Raimund J. Ober
    A Sochastic Analysis of Performance Limits for Optical Microscopes
    
    J. Sun and J. Liu
    A Novel Blind Video Watermarking Scheme Based on Independent Dynamic Component
    
    Communication Brief
    Khier Benmahammad, Abdelaziz Hamzaoul and Najib Essounbouli
    Partial Fraction Decomposition and Correlation Sequence in 2D Systems
    
    
    
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    5.14 Contents: atp international
    Contents: atp international
    
    Contributed by: Birgit Vogel-Heuser, vogel-heuser@uni-kassel.de
    
    atp international
    Volume 4, 2006, issue 1
    
    P. Planchon, J. Lunze, M. Rode
    Diagnosis of the unwinding process of a rolling mill	pp 18-23
    
    S. Kempf
    How to safeguard computer systems in process plants	pp 24-28
     
    L. Litz, D. Düpont, P. Netter
    SIL validation of safety instrumented loops in use	pp 29-32
    by statistical methods
    
    R. Kauer, H. Sacher
    Asset management and cost Saving maintenance		pp 33-38	
    strategy based on risk-informed decision making
    
    E. F. da Silva Neto, P. G. Berrie
    High Speed Ethernet – Promoting openness in		pp 39-46
    hybrid control
    
    Special: 
    Petroleum and Chemical Industry
    
    
    
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6. Conferences
    6.1 1st International Conference on Computer Science and Education
    1st International Conference on Computer Science and Education
    
    Contributed by: Maoqing Li, mqli@xmu.edu.cn
    
    1st International Conference on Computer Science & Education (ICCSE 2006) 
    
    Call for Papers
    
    The First International Conference on Computer Science and Education 
    (ICCSE 2006) organized by Chinese National Research Council for College 
    Computer Education will be held on July 26-29, 2006, at Xiamen 
    University, Xiamen, Fujian, China. The conference aims to create a 
    forum for scientists and educators throughout the world to present their 
    latest research results and ideas in the areas of computer science and 
    education. 
    
    The conference will be hosted by Xiamen University, one of the key 
    universities in China. The City of Xiamen, known as a Garden on the Seas 
    situated on the scenic coastline of Taiwan Straits in Southeastern China, 
    is one of the most beautiful cities in China.
    
    Interested Authors shall submit their manuscripts in PDF through emails 
    to iccse@xmu.edu.cn. General inquiries shall be addressed directly to the 
    conference secretariat through email: iccse@xmu.edu.cn. 
    
    IMPORTANT DEADLINES:
    
        Submission Due:                  February 1, 2006
        Notification of Acceptance:      April 1, 2006
        Submission of Final Papers:      May 15, 2006
        Conference Dates:                July 26-29, 2006
        
    Official conference Websites: http://hdd.ece.nus.edu.sg/~iccse/ and 
    http://iccse.xmu.edu.cn/. ICCSE'06 Secretariat Email: iccse@xmu.edu.cn. 
    
    
    
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    6.2 International Conference on The Dynamics of Disasters - CDD 2006
    International Conference on The Dynamics of Disasters - CDD 2006
    
    Contributed by: Richard D. Braatz, braatz@uiuc.edu
    
    International Conference on "The Dynamics of Disasters" (CDD 2006) 
    Cabo Verde Hotel, Athens, Greece October 5-7, 2006
    http://www.ise.ufl.edu/cao/CCD2006/
    
    Organizers: P. M. Pardalos (pardalos@cao.ise.ufl.edu)
                T. B. Trafalis (ttrafalis@ou.edu)
    
    Understanding the dynamics of natural or man-made disasters is a 
    problem of great impact in all aspects of our life. You are invited 
    to share progress and research in the dynamics of disasters, including
    prediction, control, and disaster recovery issues. Participation is
    sought from an interdisciplinary group of scientists and engineers to
    provide a forum for discussions on the present status and future
    directions in the dynamics of disasters.
    
    Authors are invited to submit research and application papers
    representing original, previously unpublished work to CDD 2006.
    Submissions are solicited in all areas of the dynamics of disasters
    including (but not limited) to:
       - Prediction, Prevention and Mitigation of Disasters
       - Disaster Control and Recovery Planning
       - Survivable Networks and Risk Assessment
       - Evacuation Networks
       - Complex Networks and Disasters
    
    Information on submissions of papers and abstracts is provided at the
    conference website. Selected papers presented at the conference will be
    published in a special issue of the journal "Computational Management
    Science" and a Conference Proceedings Volume.  In addition, conference
    social events along with other local attractions will promote
    interactions among conference delegates.
    
    Important Dates
    Paper submission deadline:   May 1, 2006
    Notification of acceptance:  June 1, 2006
    Final paper submission:      November 1, 2006
    
    For enquiries and Information, see the conference website at 
    http://www.ise.ufl.edu/cao/CCD2006/ 
    
    
    
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    6.3 Methodologies for Emerging Technologies in Automation
    Methodologies for Emerging Technologies in Automation
    
    Contributed by: ANIPLA, gambuto@elet.polimi.it
    
    ANIPLA, the Italian National Association for Automation, will celebrate in 
    2006 the 50° anniversary of its foundation. 
    Its annual Congress traditionally represents an effective opportunity for 
    researchers, designers, practitioners and technology providers active in the 
    industrial automation field to meet and share experiences.
    As a matter of fact, the industrial production systems are experiencing an 
    increasing trend towards more and more dynamic and complex behaviour, in 
    order to face new requirements necessary to react to the upcoming dramatic 
    changes in technological, environmental, economic, and social fields. 
    Consequently, a scientific insight is mandatory to correctly understand the 
    methodologies that master the emerging systems.
    This 50° anniversary represents the opportunity for ANIPLA to organize a 
    special international event in the lively automation world. In particular 
    the International Congress 2006 will focus not only on the numerous new ICT 
    technologies for automation, but also on how the results of the technical 
    developments should be mastered by the control engineer through the in-depth 
    knowledge of the most suitable methodologies for analysis and design. All 
    the issues related to the control and automation fields will be considered, 
    in particular methods, applications, technologies and tools suitable to face 
    new automation requirements. However a special emphasis will be given, also 
    through the organization of special sessions and the invitation of 
    international-renowned experts, to the following areas:
    - advanced process control;
    - measurement for automation and sensor networks;
    - intelligent and collaborative manufacturing systems;
    - mechatronics and robotics;
    - dependability and security of control systems;
    - functional safety and safety-related systems;
    - domotics and building automation;
    - education in control.
    The goal of the congress is to bring together researchers and practitioners 
    from diverse areas to discuss state of the art and emerging critical 
    challenges of automation.
    ANIPLA 2006 will be of specific interest to:
    - R&D, design, engineering and technical professionals and managers
    - New product design and development professionals 
    - Academics and researchers in industrial automation and process control
    - Business executives, key decision makers and new business developers
    - Innovation Manager, technical and operations executives
    - National and regional economic players
    General Chair:
    Luca Ferrarini (Politecnico di Milano - Italy)
    Web site:
    http://www.anipla.it/anipla2006
    Deadlines:
    April 15, 2006: Special session/Tracks/Workshop proposals
    May 15, 2006: Paper submission
    July 15, 2006: Paper acceptance notification
    Sept 30, 2006: Final paper in camera-ready format 
    
    With co-sponsorship of IEEE-CSS; IEEE-IMS; IEEE-RAS; IEEE-IES.
    
    
    
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7. Workshops
    7.1 10th Annual IEEE Advanced Process Control Applications for Industry Workshop
    10th Annual IEEE Advanced Process Control Applications for Industry Workshop
    
    Contributed by: Greg Stewart, greg.stewart@honeywell.com
    
    May 8-10, 2006
    Vancouver, Canada
    http://ieee-ias.org/apc2006/
    
    The workshop is a meeting of those interested in Advanced Process Control 
    technology to improve performance of the process industries.  Practical 
    installation experience and results in addition to theoretical developments 
    are presented for discussion.
    
    Plant operations today are faced with ever-increasing pressure to improve 
    efficiency, quality and productivity. Without making fundamental changes to 
    their production processes, improvement can usually be made with the 
    application of advanced control technology. Using modern computer hardware, 
    software and innovative techniques, application engineers are able to collect 
    real time and historical data on their processes. Data analysis, modeling and 
    simulation provide a better understanding of the dynamics of process 
    behavior. Once the process characteristics are accurately identified, the 
    options for applying suitable control methodology are no longer limited to 
    conventional control techniques.
    
    APC 2006 will feature three half-day tutorials presented by:
    Karl Åström -- Professor of Automatic Control, Lund Institute of Technology, 
    Lund, Sweden
    Paul M.J. Van den Hof -- Professor and co-director, Delft Center for Systems 
    and Control, Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands
    Robert Aberg -- Senior Development Manager for Simulink Core Development 
    Teams at The Mathworks.
    
    Visit conference website for further information:
      http://ieee-ias.org/apc2006/
    
    
    
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    7.2 ACC 2006 Workshop Update: CEUs and Discount
    ACC 2006 Workshop Update: CEUs and Discount
    
    Contributed by: Danny Abramovitch, daniel_abramovitch@agilent.com
    
    ACC 2006 Workshop Update: CEUs and Discount
    
    Two new features for the ACC workshops this year are:
    
    1. All workshops are eligible for Continuing Education Units
       (CEUs) from the IEEE.  
    2. 2 workshop discount: participants in 2 1-day workshops
       will end up paying the same cost as a single 2-day workshop.
    
    The workshops are:
    
    Two day workshops:
    - Practical Techniques in Control Engineering
      Dennis S. Bernstein and Carl R. Knospe.
    - Recent Advances in Subspace System Identification: Linear Systems (Day 1),
      Nonlinear Systems (Day 2)
      Wallace E. Larimore and  Dale E. Seborg
    - Robust and Adaptive Control Workshop
      Kevin A Wise and Eugene Lavretsky 
    
    One day workshops:
    
    - Real Time Optimization By Extremum Seeking Control
      Miroslav Krstic, Kartik Ariyur, Andrzej Banaszuk, Mario Rotea, and Eugenio
      Schuster
    - Workshop on Disk Drive Control
      Fred Hansen and Rick Ehrlich
    - Control Applications for Power Generation: A Tutorial, Some Advanced Topics
      and Many Open Problems
      Corneliu Barbu and Fernando D’Amato
    - Workshop on Modeling and Analysis of Biological Regulatory Networks
      Francis J. Doyle, III and Michael A. Henson
    - Diagnostics, Prognostics, and Health Management: from theory to practice
      Dev Tolani
    - Coordination and Control of UAVs for Urban Operations
      Datta Godbole, Tariq Samad, and John Bay
    - Control of Fuel Cells
      Anna Stephanopolou and Jing Sun
    - Stochastic Search and Optimization
      James Spall and Stacy Hill
    - Dynamic Inversion Tutorial - Theory and Example Applications
      Dale Enns and George Papageorgiou
    
    Half day workshop:
    
    - Micro- and Nanoscale Robotics
      Metin Sitti
    
    More detailed information is posted at:
    http://www.a2c2.org/conferences/acc2006/ 
    
    
    
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    7.3 CASY Workshop on Advances in Control Theory and Applications
    CASY Workshop on Advances in Control Theory and Applications
    
    Contributed by: Claudio Bonivento, cbonivento@deis.unibo.it
    
    CASY, the Center of Research on Complex Automated Systems, DEIS-University 
    of Bologna, Italy, invites about thirty distinguished speakers from Europe, 
    USA and Japan to share, in the ancient Bertinoro Fortress, during the week 
    May 22-26, 2006, discussions and exchanges of ideas on basic selected topics 
    in control area. The focus of this workshop (which hopefully is the first of 
    a continuing series) is on theoretical and conceptual problems inspired and 
    motivated by challenging applications as well as on applications whose 
    development requires the use of a rigorous formalism and theory. For more 
    details and info:
    http://www.casy.deis.unibo.it/CASY_workshop/index.html 
    
    
    
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    7.4 NSF Workshop: Future Directions in Systems Research for Networked Sensing
    NSF Workshop: Future Directions in Systems Research for Networked Sensing
    
    Contributed by: Catherine Santore, csantore@bu.edu
    
    May 24-25, 2006
    Boston University, Boston, MA
    http://www.bu.edu/systems/industry/consortium/events.html
    
    This workshop brings together the leading researchers to present new results
    and discuss the many facets of distributed sensing systems.  The program will
    focus on:
    
    a) Cooperative sensing and control 
    b) Distributed signal processing 
    c) Multi-terminal information theory 
    d) Networking 
    
    There will also be a panel of leaders from government and industry to discuss
    issues and requirements for distributed sensor networking.
    
    This workshop is sponsored by the National Science Foundation and hosted by
    Boston University’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE)
    and the Center for Information and Systems Engineering (CISE). 
    
    
    
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    7.5 Structural Analysis of Hybrid Systems
    Structural Analysis of Hybrid Systems
    
    Contributed by: Maria Domenica Di Benedetto, dibenede@ing.univaq.it
    
    Pre-Conference Tutorial Workshop 
    14th Mediterranean Conference on Control and Automation, 
    Ancona, June 27, 2006 
    
    In conjunction with 14th Mediterranean Conference on Control and Automation,
    Ancona, on June 27-30, 2006, the following Pre-Conference Tutorial Workshop
    will be held on June 27, 2006, at the same location as MED06:
    
    "Structural Analysis of Hybrid Systems" 
    http://www.diiga.univpm.it/MED06/tutorial1.htm
    Organizers:    Elena De Santis and Maria Domenica Di Benedetto - Università 
    dell'Aquila, Italy
    Speakers:      Panos Antsaklis - Notre Dame University, USA; Elena De Santis,
    Maria Domenica Di Benedetto, Stefano Di Gennaro, Alessandro D'Innocenzo,
    Giordano Pola - Università dell'Aquila, Italy
    
    To get more information about the program of the tutorial, visit the MED06 
    web site http://www.diiga.univpm.it/MED06
    
    To attend the Tutorial, it is necessary to register at 
    http://www.diiga.univpm.it/MED06/form.htm or go to the Conference web site
    http://www.diiga.univpm.it/MED06 and pay the admission fee.
    
    Each tutorial will be held only if the number of pre-registered attendees
    attains 15 within May 20, 2006. Pre-registered attendees will be informed and 
    reimbursed in case of cancellation.
    
    The admission fee for each Tutorial is 170,00 Euro and it includes coffee-
    breaks and lunch on June 27, 2006.
    
    The venue is the "Monte d'Ago" Campus of the Università Politecnica delle 
    Marche, via Brecce Bianche, 60131, Ancona, Italy. The Campus can be 
    easily reached by bus, taxi and car from the town and a shuttle bus will 
    leave from the town center at 8:15 on June 27, 2006.
    
    
    
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8. Positions
    8.1 Faculty: Hamilton Institute Ireland
    Faculty: Hamilton Institute, Ireland
    
    Contributed by: Doug Leith, doug.leith@nuim.ie
    
    Applications are invited from well qualified candidates for two positions at
    the Hamilton Institute. 
    
    P1. Tenure track faculty position;
    P2. Fixed term Senior Research position.
    
    The successful candidates will be outstanding researchers who can demonstrate 
    an exceptional research track record or significant research potential at 
    international level. We are looking for leaders who will be a vital part of 
    the future growth and development of the Institute. A strong commitment to 
    research excellence, developing research partnerships, and the ability to 
    establish a dynamic and world class research programme are essential.
    
    The Hamilton Institute seeks to genuinely bridge the gap between mathematics 
    and its applications in ICT and biology.  Areas of interest include, but are 
    not limited to,
    
    *Resource allocation in wired and wireless networks.  This includes 
    application of dynamical systems theory to network congestion control 
    problems, queueing theory and distributed algorithms for routing, channel 
    allocation and scheduling in wireless networks.
    
    *Logistics and optimisation of high-volume production.  This includes 
    application of statistical machine learning for fault prediction/detection, 
    online and distributed optimisation of scheduling in queueing networks.
    
    *Systems and mathematical biology.  This includes application of graph theory 
    and dynamical systems theory to signalling pathways and inter-cellular 
    interaction.
    
    Successful candidates will be expected to assume leadership positions within 
    the Institute and to take-up their posts no later September 1st, 2006. 
    Appointments will be at an appropriate level on the national university scale 
    EUR 42000- EUR 90000.  Informal enquires regarding the posts can be made to 
    Douglas Leith (doug.leith@nuim.ie). Applications with cv including contact 
    details of three referees and two significant papers should be sent 
    (electronically or otherwise) to :
    
    Professor D. Leith
    Hamilton Institute
    NUI Maynooth
    Co. Kildare 
    Ireland
    email: hamilton@nuim.ie
    
    to be received no later that June 15th, 2006.
    
    
    
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    8.2 Faculty: University of Newcastle Australia
    Faculty: University of Newcastle, Australia
    
    Contributed by: Minyue Fu, minyue.fu@newcastle.edu.au
    
    A continuing (i.e., tenure-track) position at Level B (Lecturer) and a 5-year
    fixed term position at Level B or C (Lecturer/Senior Lecturer) are available.
    Both positions are to support and expand the School’s research and teaching
    activities in one or more of the following fields: systems and control, signal
    processing, digital communications, power electronics and VLSI design. The
    successful applicants will be required to establish a strong research profile
    and support the School’s teaching programs, including offshore teaching in
    Singapore. For more details, please check:
    http://www.newcastle.edu.au/service/employment/394.pdf 
    Extended Deadline for application: 12 May 2006
    
    
    
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    8.3 PDF: Nanyang Technological University Singapore
    PDF: Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
    
    Contributed by: Vinay Kariwala, vinay@ntu.edu.sg
    
    A post-doctoral position is available in the Division of Chemical & 
    Biomolecular Engineering at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. 
    
    The intended areas of research are plant-wide control and process 
    controllability analysis. The research in plant-wide control aims to answer 
    the question: Given a process, where shall the controllers be placed, that 
    is, what should be controlled, manipulated and measured, and how shall these 
    variables be interconnected for safe and economic operation of a complex 
    system. Process controllability analysis identifies the fundamental 
    limitations posed by the system itself on the achievable control quality.
    
    The applicant should have a Ph.D. degree in an engineering or science 
    discipline with a strong background in systems and control theory. 
    Candidates with prior experience in one or more of the following areas will 
    be preferred: control structure design, nonlinear and combinatorial 
    optimization, and robust control.
    
    The successful applicant will receive about S$ 48,000 per annum. The 
    position is currently available for 1 year with the possibility of an 
    extension for another year, subject to the candidate's performance and 
    funding availability. 
    
    Interested candidates should send their CV with the contact details of three 
    referees by May 15th 2006 to:
    
    Asst/Prof. Vinay Kariwala
    Division of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering 
    Nanyang Technological University 
    Singapore 637722
    E-mail: vinay@ntu.edu.sg
    Tel: +65 6316 8746
    
    
    
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    8.4 PDF: National University of Singapore Singapore
    PDF: National University of Singapore, Singapore
    
    Contributed by: Sam Ge, elegesz@nus.edu.sg
    
    We are seeking an outstanding young researcher for a Postdoctoral Research 
    Fellow position in the broadly defined area of pattern recognition, signal 
    processing, modeling and control in Singapore. The successful candidate is 
    expected to be strong in mathematics, pattern recognition, modeling, signal 
    analysis, and good at programming. The deadline for application is 30 May 
    2006. The appointment will be offered on a yearly basis but tenable to 2 
    years minimum. Salary depends on the experience of the applicant and 
    regulation of the fund. Shortlisted applicants will be notified. 
    
    Interested parties, please send Dr Ge your complete CV and other supporting 
    documents at elegesz@nus.edu.sg. 
     
    
    
    
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    8.5 PhD: Cranfield University UK
    PhD: Cranfield University, UK
    
    Contributed by: DR John T. Economou, j.t.economou@cranfield.ac.uk
    
    PhD Scholarship: Cranfield University – Defence College of Management and
    Technology
    Submitted by Dr John Economou (j.t.economou@cranfield.ac.uk )
    
    Research theme: “Range sustainability for autonomous multi-agent UAVs”.
    
    Description:  UAVs even nowadays tend to have a limited operational range as a
    result of the finite on-board energy sources especially when used in extreme
    environments. In the case of a single and multiple UAVs settings the on-board
    power and propulsion architecture must be capable of meeting the improve the
    system performance by increasing the attainable maximum range based on the
    power and propulsion constraints and mission requirement.
    
    The research programme will focus on the utilization of existing UAV and power
    & propulsion technologies while improving the UAV’s range via optimized energy
    efficiency so to successfully complete the required mission.   
    
    The research will require the utilization of mathematical modelling, control
    together with understanding of the existing energy/power technologies in the
    area of mobile robots. 
    
    Student pre-requisites:
    Potential PhD students will be required to have an MSc or a First Class
    honours undergraduate degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering with a
    good understanding of applied mathematics and modelling/control of  UAVs with
    an appreciation of Power & Propulsion systems. Potential candidates with
    similar qualifications will also be considered. The potential applicants
    should also submit a statement (up to 4 pages) clearly explaining why this
    research post is of interest to them.
    
    For further Enquiries please contact: Dr J T Economou at 
    J.T.Economou@cranfield.ac.uk
    
    
    
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    8.6 PhD: Norwegian University of Science and Technology Norway
    PhD: Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway
    
    Contributed by: Bjarne Foss, Bjarne.Foss@itk.ntnu.no
    
    Model based Predictive Control (MPC) has been an active research topic for 
    many years at the Department of Engineering Cybernetics at The Norwegian 
    University of Science and Technology (NTNU). A significant number of 
    publications, several PhD degrees and a good international network have 
    resulted from the research. The company Cybernetica AS commercializes 
    products in the field of Model based Predictive Control.
    
    The topic for the PhD-study is Model based Predictive Control. The research 
    challenge is to develop novel methods for predictions in large, complex 
    model systems.  The methods will be used in real-time optimization based on 
    economical criteria.  The candidate will develop prediction methods by 
    combining methods for stochastic optimization, applied in value chain 
    optimization, with methods used in MPC. 
    The candidate should have:
    - A MSc degree (or equivalent) in a relevant field of Engineering 
    - Documented scientific knowledge, ability to carry out a project 
    plan, and good co¬operative and communicative skills
    - Industrial experience is an advantage.
    
    Professor Bjarne Foss at the Department of Engineering Cybernetics, NTNU 
    will be the supervisor for the candidate (see 
    http://www.itk.ntnu.no/ansatte/Foss_Bjarne). 
    
    Several PhD students in his group work on optimization and MPC. 
    The work will be carried out in close co-operation with:  
    - Department of Industrial Economics and Technology Management, NTNU, 
    represented by Associated Professor Asgeir Tomasgard. He has a PhD student 
    who recently started and who will be connected to this scholarship. 
    Prof. Tomasgard will act as a co-advisor to the candidate.
    - Cybernetica AS (http://cybernetica.biz), represented by Dr. Tor S. Schei, 
    Technical Director. Schei has long-time experience with MPC, and is chief 
    technologist in development of Cybernetica’s MPC products. Cybernetica has 
    11 employees, and has made several international MPC applications. Dr.  
    Schei will act as a co-advisor to the candidate.
    The PhD study will include an exchange period at a cooperating university, 
    typically for a period of six months. 
    The position is at NTNU. The scholarship is given for three years, with a 
    possibility of one year extension. The position may be combined with an 
    internship at Cybernetica AS. Cybernetica may offer a permanent position 
    after graduation. 
    For further information, please contact Prof. Bjarne Foss, NTNU, (e-mail: 
    Bjarne.Foss@itk.ntnu.no, phone +47-73594476) or Dr. Tor Steinar Schei, 
    Cybernetica, (e-mail: Tor.S.Schei@cybernetica.no, phone +47-73822872).
    The application with attached certificates and diplomas should be sent to 
    NTNU, Faculty of Information Technology, Mathematics and Electrical 
    Engineering, Sem Sælands vei 5, N-7491 Trondheim, Norway.
    
    APPLICATION DEADLINE: MAY 10, 2006
    
    
    
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    8.7 PhD: University of Louisville USA
    PhD: University of Louisville, USA
    
    Contributed by: Tamer Inanc, t.inanc@louisville.edu
    
    Research assistantship for a PhD student is available at the Electrical and
    Computer Engineering Department of University of Louisville (UofL), Kentucky,
    USA. Applicants should have a M.S. degree from Electrical and Computer
    Engineering or from a related field. Qualified undergraduate students who
    wants to do their M.S. degree at  UofL will be considered, as well.
    
    The student will work on a project which involves mapping between arbitrary
    surfaces, i.e., mapping 3D curved fingerprint ridge surface image around the
    fingers and palm to a 2D flat surface in the form of a standard print while
    maintaining local pixel spacing.
    
    The successful applicant must have strong image processing background and
    C/C++ programming skills. Knowledge of control systems theory is a plus.
    
    The position is initially available for one year and includes tuition, monthly
    stipend, and health insurance. It is renewable for another year depending on
    the success of the applicant. Other years for the applicant to finish his/her
    PhD are expected to be supported from the future extramural grants that will
    be sought.
    
    The position is available in the Fall 2006 semester starting on August 22,
    2006 at UofL. Interested qualified students should apply as soon as possible. 
    
    To apply, please email your resume, names and contact info of three referees
    and copy of any related research papers to: 
    
    Tamer Inanc
    Assistant Professor
    Electrical and Computer Engineering Department
    W.S. Speed Building, Room 200
    University of Louisville, KY 40292
    
    Office: W.S. Speed Bldg., Room 211
    Phone : 502-852-7508
    Fax   : 502-852-6807
    Email : t.inanc@louisville.edu 
    URL   : http://www.ece.louisville.edu/~t0inan01
    
    
    
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    8.8 Post-Doc: Australian National University Australia
    Post-Doc: Australian National University, Australia
    
    Contributed by: Matt James, Matthew.James@anu.edu.au
    
    Post-Doctoral Fellow/Research Fellow
    CECS3375, Academic Level A or B, Fixed Term – 2 years
    Salary range: AUD 44,860-74,313 pa plus 17% superannuation, 
    
    ANU College of Engineering and Computer Science 
    Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology  
    Department of Engineering 
    
    We are seeking to appoint a Post-Doctoral Fellow or Research Fellow to an 
    Australian Research Council-funded project under the direction of Professors 
    Matthew James (Australian National University) and Ian Petersen (University of 
    New South Wales). The project aims to develop new methods for designing 
    feedback controllers based on uncertain systems models for quantum systems. 
    The research will concentrate on classes of quantum system models for which 
    computationally tractable controller design methodologies can be obtained 
    building on ideas from standard robust control theory. The theoretical 
    research will be conducted in parallel with quantum robust feedback control 
    case studies involving applications in quantum technology. The appointee 
    will also have the opportunity to carry out independent research on related 
    topics, depending on the interests of the appointee, and to interact and 
    collaborate with a team of Canberra-based quantum control researchers.
    
    Applicants are expected to have a PhD in engineering, mathematics, or physics. 
    A relevant background in control engineering or quantum physics or mathematics 
    is also required. The level of appointment will depend on the experience of 
    the successful applicant. While no expertise in quantum physics is required, 
    it is expected that the appointee will have a keen interest in quantum 
    control.
    
    We are also seeking PhD students to work in this research field. 
    
    Selection Criteria: http://info.anu.edu.au/hr/jobs/ 
    or from Reception RSISE, T: 61 2 6125 8821, E: reception.rsise@anu.edu.au. 
    
    Enquiries: 
    Matthew James, T: +61 2 6125 4889, E: matthew.james@anu.edu.au    
    Ian Petersen, T +61 2 6268 8446, E: i.petersen@adfa.edu.au
    
    Further information: http://engn.anu.edu.au
              http://engnet.anu.edu.au/DEpeople/Matthew.James
    
    Application procedure and closing date: Selection criteria are available upon
    request.  The closing date is June 15, 2006; however, consideration of
    applications will be on going until the position is filled.
    
    
    
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    8.9 Research Engr: Smart Fields Consortium USA
    Research Engr: Smart Fields Consortium, USA
    
    Contributed by: Louis Durlofsky, lou@stanford.edu
    
    Smart Fields Consortium is seeking a scientist or engineer with a strong 
    background in optimization and numerical modeling of large, highly complex 
    systems. The individual selected will work on and coordinate research programs 
    on the development and application of optimization, model updating and 
    uncertainty propagation techniques for optimizing production from petroleum 
    reservoirs. Techniques suitable for optimizing related processes such as the 
    geological sequestration of carbon dioxide will also be considered. The 
    candidate must have a Ph.D. degree from a recognized university in engineering, 
    computer sciences, or a related science. Previous experience on the development 
    and use of optimization codes for large systems and strong computational skills 
    will be an asset.
    
    
    
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    8.10 Research Faculty: University of Newcastle Australia
    Research Faculty: University of Newcastle, Australia
    
    Contributed by: Reza Moheimani, Reza.Moheimani@newcastle.edu.au
    
    Applications are invited from suitable and qualified researchers for a
    fixed-term research faculty position at the University of Newcastle. 
    Applicants should possess, or be close to completion of, a Ph.D. in a relevant
    area and have a proven background in some aspect of control of hard disk
    drives. The successful applicant will join a multidisciplinary team, and will
    have the opportunity to collaborate with other Ph.D. students and postdocs.
    The project is funded by an Australian Research Council Discovery Project
    Grant that is aimed at developing new control design methodologies for
    Dual-Stage Hard Disk Drives. The position is initially for two years, and can
    be further extended subject to mutual agreement. Interested persons should
    contact Reza Moheimani before the end of May 2006 for salary and other
    conditions of employment.
    
    
    
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    8.11 Research Position: University of California Santa Barbara USA
    Research Position: University of California, Santa Barbara, USA
    
    Contributed by: Joao P. Hespanha, hespanha@ece.ucsb.edu
    
    A research position is available in the area of coordination and control of 
    Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs) at the University of California, Santa Barbara.
    
    This position is part of a joint project between UCSB, Toyon Research 
    Corporation, and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR). 
    
    The goal of this project is to develop algorithms for cooperative path 
    planning of groups of UAVs to track ground targets. This project has both 
    research and development components: the algorithms developed need to be 
    formally analyzed and simulated using Toyon's software environment and 
    tested on real UAVs.
    
    The ideal candidate should have expertise in optimization and control, and 
    be familiar with MATLAB and C++ programming languages. We are open to hiring 
    someone with either an MS or a PhD degree in Control or Computer Science. US 
    citizenship is required.
    
    If you are interested, please contact one of us for more details
    
    Joao Hespanha
    hespanha@ece.ucsb.edu
    http://www.ece.ucsb.edu/~hespanha
    
    or
    
    Bassam Bamieh
    bamieh@engineering.ucsb.edu
    http://www.engineering.ucsb.edu/~bamieh/
    
    
    
    
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