Urbana Campus Research Calendar (OVCRI)

Speaker: Al Holder (Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology)

Abstract: We consider systems of linear differential equations for which the model's data is uncertain and for which there are numerous trusted sample observations. We address the problem through the lens of uncertainty, and in particular, we draw from the sentiment of ellipsoidal uncertainty that is common to the contemporary optimization literature. We establish optimal conditions under which a model's realizations deviate minimally from a nominal model to satisfy the observed data, and we illustrate the technique with a few examples in the life sciences.

Bio: Al Holder is fortunate to have had a career in teaching and advancing mathematics and its applications.  He earned his Ph.D. in applied mathematics from the University of Colorado at Denver in 1998, and most of his professional service has been at two outstanding undergraduate schools, those being Trinity University and the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.  His biggest professional joy is guiding undergraduates into the world of research, and he has co-authored articles with dozens of students. He won the 2000 Pierskalla Award for his research on optimizing radiotherapy treatments, and the 2015 Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology's Board of Trustees' Outstanding Scholar Award.