Abstract: Optimization problems are omnipresent arising in a wide variety of scientific and engineering applications. It is computationally challenging when optimization procedures have to be performed in real time to optimize the performance of dynamical systems. For such applications, classical optimization techniques may not be competent due to the problem dimensionality and stringent requirement on computational time. One very promising approach to dynamic optimization is to apply artificial neural networks. Because of the inherent nature of parallel and distributed information processing in neural networks, the convergence rate of the solution process is not decreasing as the size of the problem increases. Neural networks can be implemented physically in designated hardware such as ASICs where optimization is carried out in a truly parallel and distributed manner. This feature is particularly desirable for dynamic optimization in decentralized decision-making situations. In this talk, we will present the historic review and the state of the art of neurodynamic optimization models and selected applications. Specifically, starting from the motivation of neurodynamic optimization, we will review various recurrent neural network models for optimization and present the brand new ones. Theoretical results about the stability and optimality of the neurodynamic optimization models will be given along with illustrative examples and simulation results. It will be highlighted that many computational problems can be readily solved by means of neurodynamic optimization.
Biography: Jun Wang is a Professor and the Director of the Computational Intelligence Laboratory in the Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Prior to this position, he held various academic positions at Dalian University of Technology, Case Western Reserve University, and University of North Dakota. He also held various short-term visiting positions at USAF Armstrong Laboratory (1995), RIKEN Brain Science Institute (2001), Universite Catholique de Louvain (2001), Chinese Academy of Sciences (2002), Huazhong University of Science and Technology (2006-2007), and Shanghai Jiao Tong University (2008-2011) as a Changjiang Chair Professor in computer science and engineering. He received a B.S. degree in electrical engineering and an M.S. degree in systems engineering from Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, China. He received his Ph.D. degree in systems engineering from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA. His current research interests include neural networks and their applications. He published about 150 journal papers, 12 book chapters, 10 edited books, and numerous conference papers in these areas. He has been an Associate Editor of the IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics - Part B since 2003 and a member of the Editorial Advisory Board of the International Journal of Neural System since 2006. He also served as an Associate Editor of the IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks (1999-2009) and IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics - Part C (2002-2005), as a guest editor of special issues of European Journal of Operational Research (1996), International Journal of Neural Systems (2007), and Neurocomputing (2008). He was an organizer of several international conferences such as the General Chair of the 13th International Conference on Neural Information Processing (2006) and the 2008 IEEE World Congress on Computational Intelligence. He served as the President of the Asia Pacific Neural Network Assembly in 2006. He is an IEEE Fellow, an IEEE Distinguished Lecturer (2011-2012), and a recipient of the Research Excellence Award from the Chinese University of Hong Kong for 2008-2009 and Shanghai Natural Science Award (first class) in 2009.