THE INSTITUTE OF MATHEMATICS
AND ITS APPLICATIONS

Systems and Control Theory Group

Chairman: Professor N. Karcanias (Electrical, City University)
Secretary: Dr. G. Halikias (Electrical, City University)

Committee
Dr. A. Astolfi (Electrical, Imperial College)
Professor S. Banks (Control, University of Sheffield)
Professor B. Kouvaritakis (Engineering Science, University of Oxford)
Professor A. C. Pugh (Mathematics, Loughborough University)
Professor E. Rogers (Electronics & Computer Science, University of Southampton)
Dr. M.C. Smith (Engineering, University of Cambridge)

Theme of the Group and Objectives
The systems and control discipline is at the core of all modern technologies. It plays a crucial role in many other disciplines by providing a generic conceptual framework and tools, as well as being pivotal in the study and development of solutions to problems with clear multidisciplinary character. Systems and control is linked to subject areas such as modelling, measurement, signals and information and has a special relationship with mathematics. Control engineering is a well established discipline within engineering and systems and control theory is placed between engineering and mathematics. The special relationship of systems and control theory to mathematics is that it is probably one of the few areas that uses almost every branch of mathematics; on the other hand, its development poses a multitude of new mathematical problems.

Systems and control theory is an active area within the Institute with many conferences and the publication of the IMA Journal of Mathematical Control and Information. A reorganisation of the activities of the group is being undertaken at the moment. The IMA Systems and Control Theory Group (IMA-SCTG) is made up of IMA members from academia and industry with interest in the wider area of systems, control theory, mathematical modelling, computation and related mathematical methods. The aims of the group are to:

• Improve the visibility and emphasise the significance of the field;

• Contribute to the further development of the systems and control theory area as the unifying interface between different engineering disciplines and mathematics;

• Promote general interest in the field in collaboration with related professional bodies.

Among the envisaged activities are the organisation of workshops and conferences, as well as the establishment of a forum at which research students in control theory and systems can present their work and liaise with researchers in a similar field. All Institute members with an interest in the above activities may join the Group. For further information please email the Chairman, Professor N. Karcanias or phone 020 7477 8125.