Numerical simulation promises new insight in science and engineering. In ad dition to the traditional ways to perform research in science, that is laboratory experiments and theoretical work, a third way is being established: numerical simulation. It is based on both mathematical models and experiments con ducted on a computer. The discipline of scientific computing combines all aspects of numerical simulation. The typical approach in scientific computing includes modelling, numerics and simulation, see Figure l. Quite a lot of phenomena in science and engineering can be modelled by partial...

Christian Kirches develops a fast numerical algorithm of wide applicability that efficiently solves mixed-integer nonlinear optimal control problems. He uses convexification and relaxation techniques to obtain computationally tractable reformulations for which feasibility and optimality certificates can be given even after discretization and rounding.