Cooperative control of networked systems with constraints. This project aims to address the challenge of networked systems in deploying teams of robotic agents. Control of the networked system is extremely difficult due to real world constraints imposed on each agent. This project will focus on motion constraints, equipment/capability constraints, and spatial constraints. In addition to theoretical advances, the wider scientific community will benefit directly, because the control algorithms dev ....Cooperative control of networked systems with constraints. This project aims to address the challenge of networked systems in deploying teams of robotic agents. Control of the networked system is extremely difficult due to real world constraints imposed on each agent. This project will focus on motion constraints, equipment/capability constraints, and spatial constraints. In addition to theoretical advances, the wider scientific community will benefit directly, because the control algorithms developed are expected to allow straightforward deployment of robotic teams. There are myriad applications for cooperative robotic agents, ranging from surveillance, to environmental monitoring using underwater and aerial drone formations – with an array of benefits and impacts including economic, commercial and societal. The results are intended to ensure and cement Australia’s front-line position in the current technological revolution known as “Industry 4.0”.Read moreRead less
Two-price quantitative finance. This project aims to establish a novel field, namely two-price quantitative finance, and explore its applications. The new field will integrate two major schools for modelling and explain the presence of two prices, the buying and selling prices, widely observed in the real-world markets, and the equilibrium approach from the fundamental law of one price. The outcomes would deepen our understanding of the fundamental relationship among liquidity, prices, risk and ....Two-price quantitative finance. This project aims to establish a novel field, namely two-price quantitative finance, and explore its applications. The new field will integrate two major schools for modelling and explain the presence of two prices, the buying and selling prices, widely observed in the real-world markets, and the equilibrium approach from the fundamental law of one price. The outcomes would deepen our understanding of the fundamental relationship among liquidity, prices, risk and the economy. This project expects to bring about long-term impact on quantitative finance and related applications through providing a deep understanding of, and a new perspective for, the design, risk and fairness of the finance, property and insurance markets.Read moreRead less
Guiding principles and guardrails for genetic association studies. This project aims to investigate deep connections between genetic structure (population genetic processes, linkage disequilibrium and population structure) and the ability to statistically detect genetic variants responsible for variation in traits. The project expects to generate new knowledge in the areas of statistics, mathematics and biology through an innovative, multidisciplinary approach that synthesises and extends founda ....Guiding principles and guardrails for genetic association studies. This project aims to investigate deep connections between genetic structure (population genetic processes, linkage disequilibrium and population structure) and the ability to statistically detect genetic variants responsible for variation in traits. The project expects to generate new knowledge in the areas of statistics, mathematics and biology through an innovative, multidisciplinary approach that synthesises and extends foundational disciplinary results. Expected outcomes of this project include principles and methodology that underpin future genetic association studies by supplying a framework for interpreting results. This should provide significant benefits by reducing false conclusions and their associated costs.Read moreRead less
The mathematics of stochastic transport and signalling in cells. The project aims to develop new stochastic mathematical models of the dynamics of protein transport and cell signalling. The mathematics will link macro scale biological observations to micro scale molecular movements to characterise the relative role that different components and processes play. Expected outcomes are robust mathematical analyses of the transient dynamics of closed, finite capacity queueing networks and biological ....The mathematics of stochastic transport and signalling in cells. The project aims to develop new stochastic mathematical models of the dynamics of protein transport and cell signalling. The mathematics will link macro scale biological observations to micro scale molecular movements to characterise the relative role that different components and processes play. Expected outcomes are robust mathematical analyses of the transient dynamics of closed, finite capacity queueing networks and biological insight into the major control mechanisms in cellular insulin signalling. The project should provide significant benefits via the delivery of new mathematical tools and analysis for stochastic networks, impacting our understanding of metabolic transport, and providing interdisciplinary research training.Read moreRead less
Sinusoidal voltage protocols for characterisation of ion channel kinetics. This project aims to implement an innovative approach to modelling ion channel behaviour that employs short, information-rich datasets and parameter inference. Using the hERG potassium channel as a test case, the project will show that this approach is more efficient than current methods and outperforms all published models in independent validations. The project aims to extend on initial implementation to probe the therm ....Sinusoidal voltage protocols for characterisation of ion channel kinetics. This project aims to implement an innovative approach to modelling ion channel behaviour that employs short, information-rich datasets and parameter inference. Using the hERG potassium channel as a test case, the project will show that this approach is more efficient than current methods and outperforms all published models in independent validations. The project aims to extend on initial implementation to probe the thermodynamics and pharmacology of ion channel gating. The anticipated outcomes are to grow fundamental knowledge of ion channel biophysics and ability to probe ion channel function in silico. The project will build on an emerging collaboration between international leaders in physiology, pharmacology, mathematics and computer modelling. The methodology and fundamental knowledge generated will significantly advance our understanding of the physiology and biophysics of ion channels, while the application of the method will have direct impact in the pharmaceutical industry and regulatory science.Read moreRead less
Root-to-shoot: modeling the salt stress response of a plant vascular system. Salt and drought are the two major abiotic stresses affecting crop plant health, growth and development. We aim to understand salt and water transport in plants and the physiological effects of soil salinity. Using biophysical models, we will quantify the movement of salt through plant organs, tissues and cells, from root to leaf. We aim to answer the question of how salt moves across the different tissues and major org ....Root-to-shoot: modeling the salt stress response of a plant vascular system. Salt and drought are the two major abiotic stresses affecting crop plant health, growth and development. We aim to understand salt and water transport in plants and the physiological effects of soil salinity. Using biophysical models, we will quantify the movement of salt through plant organs, tissues and cells, from root to leaf. We aim to answer the question of how salt moves across the different tissues and major organs, how salt accumulates in root, leaf and shoot cells, and how movement and accumulation is controlled by the diversity of transport mechanisms operating in plants. We aim to quantify tissue tolerance, osmotic tolerance and ionic tolerance and discover new mechanisms by which plants can stave off the effect of salt stress.Read moreRead less
Mathematical modelling unravels the impact of social dynamics on evolution. This project aims to mathematically model human evolution as a dynamical process. The anticipated goal is to quantitatively analyse theories of human origins. The project expects to develop innovative mathematical models, improve our understanding of the evolutionary process, and advance a unique area of interdisciplinary collaboration: applied mathematics and anthropology. Expected outcomes include refined methods fo ....Mathematical modelling unravels the impact of social dynamics on evolution. This project aims to mathematically model human evolution as a dynamical process. The anticipated goal is to quantitatively analyse theories of human origins. The project expects to develop innovative mathematical models, improve our understanding of the evolutionary process, and advance a unique area of interdisciplinary collaboration: applied mathematics and anthropology. Expected outcomes include refined methods for mathematical modelling of human evolution and improved techniques for analysing such models. It should provide benefits, such as increasing research in mathematical biology, an important growth area of science in Australia, and advancing mathematical approaches to engaging questions arising from anthropology.Read moreRead less
Creating subject-specific mathematical models to understand the brain. This project aims to develop a mathematical framework that bridges the different scales of brain activities to provide a new tool for understanding the brain. Methods will be developed that unify individual neural activity with large scale brain activity. The approach will be validated by comparing predictions of interconnected models of neural populations (called mean-field models) to experimental data. The creation of subje ....Creating subject-specific mathematical models to understand the brain. This project aims to develop a mathematical framework that bridges the different scales of brain activities to provide a new tool for understanding the brain. Methods will be developed that unify individual neural activity with large scale brain activity. The approach will be validated by comparing predictions of interconnected models of neural populations (called mean-field models) to experimental data. The creation of subject-specific models from data is important, as there is large variability in neural circuits between individuals despite seemingly similar network activity. The intended outcome is new insights into the processes that govern brain function and methods for improving functional imaging of, and interfacing to, the brain.Read moreRead less
Design of Real-time Optimisation Methods with Guaranteed Performance. The project aim is the development of a framework for the advancement of optimisation algorithms operating in real-time applications. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of systems theory and optimisation, and its application to time-varying problems. Expected outcomes of this project should lead to a new theoretical and practical framework that aims to ameliorate the shortcomings of the existing approac ....Design of Real-time Optimisation Methods with Guaranteed Performance. The project aim is the development of a framework for the advancement of optimisation algorithms operating in real-time applications. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of systems theory and optimisation, and its application to time-varying problems. Expected outcomes of this project should lead to a new theoretical and practical framework that aims to ameliorate the shortcomings of the existing approaches that struggle to rapidly respond to new information. This should provide significant benefits. Specifically, this project aims to facilitate a technological leap that generates smaller, faster, and more powerful embedded systems such as broadband services, mobile phones, medical imagining, radar and avionics.Read moreRead less
Digitally networked dynamical systems: Performance and robustness analysis. The project aim is to advance mathematical and computational tools for analyzing collections of dynamical systems that interact with each other by the digital exchange of information. The significance of this aim stems from the emergence and growing complexity and scale of such cyber-physical networks in diverse domains, including agriculture, manufacturing, transport, and infrastructure management. The expected outcomes ....Digitally networked dynamical systems: Performance and robustness analysis. The project aim is to advance mathematical and computational tools for analyzing collections of dynamical systems that interact with each other by the digital exchange of information. The significance of this aim stems from the emergence and growing complexity and scale of such cyber-physical networks in diverse domains, including agriculture, manufacturing, transport, and infrastructure management. The expected outcomes will broaden the scope for exploring achievable performance in the design and deployment of systems that leverage networked interaction for operational gains. Beyond the technical advances, benefits will include sustaining Australia's strong reputation in systems engineering research and researcher training in this area.Read moreRead less