A recursively feasible and convergent Sequential Convex Programming procedure to solve non-convex problems with linear equality constraints

A computationally efficient method to solve non-convex programming problems with linear equality constraints is presented. The proposed method is based on a recursively feasible and descending sequential convex programming procedure proven to converge to a locally optimal solution. Assuming that the first convex problem in the sequence is feasible, these properties are obtained by convexifying the non-convex cost and inequality constraints with inner-convex approximations. Additionally, a computationally efficient method is introduced to obtain inner-convex approximations based on Taylor series expansions. These Taylor-based inner-convex approximations provide the overall algorithm with a quadratic rate of convergence. The proposed method is capable of solving problems of practical interest in real-time. This is illustrated with a numerical simulation of an aerial vehicle trajectory optimization problem on commercial-of-the-shelf embedded computers

Universidad: servicio público frente a mercantilización

Se denuncian intentos de “privatización encubierta” de la universidad, esto es, de sometimiento de su docencia e investigación a los requerimientos de los demandantes privados, concretado por ejemplo en la planificación docente, las tasas académicas y los sistemas de gobierno. Tal mercantilización responde a una consideración, más o menos explícita, de la educación superior como una mercancía frente a la concepción de servicio público, al alcance de toda la sociedad. Se argumentan los principios básicos de este modelo social (autonomía universitaria, compromiso social, rendición de cuentas, financiación pública, gobierno participativo y democrático,…), y se alerta sobre diversas vías de penetración del modelo neoliberal (competitividad, jerarquización, gerencialización,…) y en particular sobre las campañas de desprestigio contra la universidad pública.The paper denounces the covert privatisation of university; in other words, the submission of its teaching and research to private interests. For example, concerning the teaching plan, the academic fees and the governance system. This commercialisation stems from considering higher education, more or less explicitly, as merchandise instead of as a public service made available to all levels of society. The basic principles of this social model (university autonomy, social commitment, accountability, public funding, participative and democratic governance…) are discussed in the paper. It also warns about the penetration of the neoliberal governance model (competitivity, hierarchisation, management…) and the systematic campaigns aimed at discrediting public university

Prólogo

Prólogo del Informe "La educación superior en el mundo 2006: La financiación de las universidades"Peer Reviewe

Bifurcation diagram for saddle/source bimodal linear dynamical systems

We continue the study of the structural stability and the bifurcations of planar bimodal linear dynamical systems (BLDS) (that is, systems consisting of two linear dynamics acting on each side of a straight line, assuming continuity along the separating line). Here, we enlarge the study of the bifurcation diagram of saddle/spiral BLDS to saddle/source BLDS and in particular we study the position of the homoclinic bifurcation with regard to the new improper node bifurcationPostprint (published version