I was very happy to receive the invitation
to guest-edit an issue of `Directions' devoted to the exciting field of
Optimization. Along with the excitement, I realized it would not be a simple
task particularly after the publication of a number of successful issues
of Directions, including the past two entitled `Biological sciences and
bioengineering' and `Nanoscience and nonotechnology'. Fortunately, my initial
apprehensions disappeared quickly by the overwhelming interest and response
from my colleagues to contribute to this issue.
Although the earlier issues of Directions
gave a glorious overview of new and emerging activities of IIT Kanpur, this
issue on Optimization is significant due to the contributions from past
and present. I was told by my senior colleagues that the teaching and research
on optimization in India started since the birth of this institute and IIT
Kanpur was the pioneer in starting and promoting this field in India. With
a pioneering past, IIT Kanpur has, over the years and leading to the present,
maintained and continued its interest in teaching, research, and publications
on optimization. Thus, this issue on Optimization is pertinent to the activities
of IIT Kanpur and I am glad that the advisory board of Directions has chosen
this as a topic.
Articles
of this issue reflect a wide spectrum
of optimization methods available today. Starting from the derivative-based
methods, articles cover state-of-the-art optimization methods, such as genetic
algorithms, differential evolution, neural networks, etc. For a better feel
of the importance of optimization in
practice, the articles cover a wide
variety of engineering application areas. However, the
nature and domain of optimization
