IACS is pleased to announce the first IACS Computational Challenge.

As part of the second IACS ComputeFest, during Harvard's winter recess in January 2012, student teams will compete to solve a real-world humanitarian problem by applying modeling and other computational tools.

The exercise will feature a type of problem, optimization, that is found across many fields of science, engineering and design and many spheres of economic activity.

"In an optimization problem, one is struggling to balance limited resources and to minimize a cost function in achieving a desired return--for example, balancing investment return with environmental impact," said Pavlos Protopapas, an IACS Lecturer who suggested organizing a student competition during the winter recess. "In my own field, one optimization problem is how to allocate telescope time quickly for maximum data gathering when an event is detected."

Registration for the challenge will be open through the fall reading period. For more information, see this page.