Faculty Distinguished Lecture: Synchronization in Engineering and Biological Systems

Abstract:
Even though cyclic Processes are ubiquitous in natural and man-made systems such as those involving communication, power distribution and even supply chains, there has been rather little work on the identification and analysis of the feedback mechanisms used for achieving satisfactory operation of such processes. In many cases synchronization of subsystems is essential for satisfactory performance and, as we will show, achieving synchronization involves an especially interesting set of challenges. In this talk we will discuss the mathematics and applications ranging from Huygens' clocks to eukaryotic cell division.