BACKGROUND - Tapio Westerlund, Chairman of the OSE group
New algorithmic and theoretical techniques in optimization, mathematical statistics and systems theory are constantly being developed and the diffusion of the theoretical results into many applied areas is proceeding very rapidly.
The research performed in the theoretical fields of the OSE group make up corner-stones of new methods. On the other hand, applications form demanding directions for creating advanced theories and methods. Therefore, it is of crucial importance that research in this field is performed in close connection with various fields of science where the theoretical models can be applied. This is a two-way conduit of knowledge: Theoretical breakthroughs allows for the understanding and ability to solve difficult applied problems, and relevant, challenging applications allows for theoretical and methodological advances.
Some of the applications studied by the OSE group, can be found in scientific areas such as systems biology, computational neuroimaging, genetic disease mapping and predictive modeling of cancer therapies. In physics and material science the problem finding electron configurations with low energies for disordered materials is an exciting application closely linked to global optimization. Design and operational issues connected to time-periodic systems as well as large scale industrial scheduling problems are further examples of complex engineering applications considered in the group.
The group was appointed a Center of Excellence within research at the university for the time-period 2010-2014.