This special issue of Optimization Methods & Software contains selected papers that were presented at the International Conference on Engineering Optimization, ‘EngOpt 2008’, held in Rio de Janeiro in June 2008.
The main aim of EngOpt conferences is to bring together at regular intervals engineers, applied mathematicians, and computer scientists working on research, development, and practical applications of optimization methods applied to all engineering disciplines.
Engineering Design Optimization uses the latest design techniques to find the best design that can perform the desired tasks. Engineering optimization deals with the optimal design of elements and systems in all engineering fields. Design optimization techniques are largely employed in most engineering disciplines, such as automotive, aeronautical, mechanical, civil, nuclear, naval, mechanical, electrical, energy, and off-shore engineering. This is due to the increase of technological competition and the development of powerful and efficient techniques for practical applications.
Modern Engineering Optimization is strongly interdisciplinary in two directions. The need for integration of basic and applied techniques to solve real engineering problems requires the cooperation of engineers, mathematicians, and computer scientists, working on research and practical applications. A fundamental need of Multidisciplinary Optimization is also the establishment of strong communication between scientists and practitioners acting in different engineering disciplines. The EngOpt conferences are intended to be a forum to expose and share current and future research and innovation in all techniques involved in engineering optimization as well as in the relationships among them.
The main focus of the six papers selected for publication is more towards mathematical optimization and related theoretical aspects than towards engineering applications.