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Panos Y. Papalambros, PhD PE

Donald C. Graham Professor of Engineering
Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Professor of Architecture; Professor of Art and Design
Director, Optimal Design (ODE) Laboratory
Executive Director, Interdisciplinary and Professional Engineering

Editor, ASME Journal of Mechanical Design

2250 GG Brown Building
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104-2125, USA
Tel: (734) 647-8401 FAX: (734) 647-8403
e-mail:pyp at umich.edu

All artifacts surrounding us are the results of designing. Creating these artifacts involves making a great many decisions, which suggests that designing can be viewed as a decision-making process. An abstract description of the artifact using mathematical expressions of relevant natural laws, experience, and geometry is the mathematical model of the artifact. This model may contain many alternative designs, so criteria for comparing these alternatives can be introduced in the model. Within the limitations of such a model, the best, or optimum, design can be identified with the aid of mathematical methods.

Principles of Optimal Design: Modeling and Computation
Panos Y. Papalambros and Douglass J. Wilde,  Cambridge University Press, New York, 1988, 2000.

Research and Education Interests

Design science, decision modeling and optimization
Linking engineering design with art, business, and psychology
Optimal design of complex engineered systems
Sustainable design

Application domains
Automotive systems, hybrid and electric vehicles
Product design and development
Structures and mechanical systems
Architecture


Current Courses

Analytical Product Design (ME455/DESCI501/ARTDES 300) Design of artifacts is addressed from a multidisciplinary perspective that includes engineering, art, psychology, ergonomics, marketing, and economics. Using a decision-making framework, emphasis is placed on understanding basic quantitative methods employed by the different disciplines for making design decisions, building mathematical models, and accounting for interdisciplinary interactions throughout the design development process. Students work in teams to apply the methods on a design project from concept generation to prototyping and design verification. Open to seniors and graduate students. Usually offerred in Fall Term. Class Nbr: 26634

Design Optimization (ME 555/MFG 555) Mathematical modeling of engineering design problems for optimization. Boundedness and monotonicity analysis of models. Differential optimization theory for unconstrained and constrained problems, and selected numerical algorithms for continuous nonlinear models. Emphasis on the interaction between proper modeling and computation. Students propose design term projects from various disciplines and apply course methodology to optimize designs. Open to graduate students and seniors by permission. Usually offerred in Winter Term. Class Nbr: 11032

Design Process Models (DESCI 502) Interaction and coordination of decisions based on multi-discipline design analyses is studied in the context of a newly developed artifact. Innovation and creativity are addressed as elements of the design process. Enterprise design decisions made on functionality and business criteria are analyzed within organizational, cultural and social models. Students propose and test novel analysis methods and design process models. Open to graduate students and seniors. Usually offerred in the Winter Term. Class Nbr: 23805

Design Primer (ENGIN 490) A joint offering of the Center for Entrepreneurship, Multidisciplinary Design Program, and the Design Science Program, this 1.5 credit, 7 week course is designed to augment current offerings across departments in the College of Engineering. Offerred in Winter 2011. Class Nbr: 33158

Design Science Colloquium (DESCI 790) Topics on Design Science are presented by doctoral candidates and by invited speakers across campus and from outside the University. The course is open to seniors (permission of instructor) and graduate students in the University. Class Nbr: 26635

 

 

 
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