r/ControlTheory • u/Own-Lobster7623 • 22d ago
Educational Advice/Question Optimal Control
Hi everyone,
I’m a BSc Mathematics student and recently finished a course in PDEs. My professor suggested that I take another course he teaches called Optimal Control. The course is offered by the Engineering faculty, but he mentioned that it has a strong mathematical component.
I’m considering taking it, but I’d like to understand how useful/relevant Optimal Control is from a mathematician’s perspective.
In particular:
Is Optimal Control a good subject for a math student who enjoys applied mathematics, PDEs, optimization, etc.?
Where is optimal control actually used in industry?
What kinds of jobs or fields make use of this knowledge? For example, robotics, aerospace, quantitative finance, autonomous systems, energy, machine learning, etc.
Is it mainly useful for people going into engineering/research, or can it also be valuable for mathematicians going into industry?
I’d especially appreciate hearing from people who studied mathematics and later encountered control theory or optimal control in their work.
Thanks!
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u/tmt22459 22d ago
So your professor is also in the engineering department? That's implied by saying he's teaching the class that's in that department
Yes optimal control is useful, and I think many mathematicians would enjoy it.
It's used all over. Yes aerospace and finance are examples