EAGER: Analyzing Multi-scale and Multi-unit Methodologies

University Of California-Irvine, Irvine CA

Investigators

Abstract

The objective of this Early-Concept Grant for Exploratory Research (EAGER) project is to create new methodologies and approaches that will uncover the source of difficulties that plague a wide spectrum of engineering projects including multiscale and multilevel projects and to create ways that will provide relief for the difficulties. The discovered answers will identify how and why crucial information needed for convergence of, say, multidisciplinary optimization (MDO) projects, or computer simulations, or even industrial production can be hampered by inefficiencies and even failure of projects. Once the answers of these standard engineering approaches are identified, ways will be explored to circumvent the difficulties (that have proved to be costly in many areas of engineering). While the focus of this research is directed toward questions and difficulties caused by hidden structural defects of commonly used engineering methodologies (such as those characterized by multiscale and multilevel approaches), these divide-and-conquer approaches also are being used to "tame complexity" in many other disciplines ranging from engineering to physics to the biological sciences and even to economics and social sciences. As a result, fundamental results found by this research are expected to have an impact on all of these areas. As an example, the question of dark matter in astronomy appears to be a natural area outside of engineering in which results developed in this project can be tested.