Uncertainty Modeling and Stochastic Optimization of Networked Cyber-Physical Infrastructures

Hamsa Balakrishnan, MIT

Abstract: The efficient operation of cyber-physical infrastructure systems requires the effective handling of uncertainties. This need is particularly acute in the case of networked systems, where cascading failures or widespread propagation of disruptions are a concern. In this talk, I will present some recent results on the data-driven modeling of uncertainties in networked infrastructure systems (including the uncertainties associated with human decision processes), and large-scale stochastic optimization algorithms for managing operational uncertainties and building resilient safety-critical infrastructures. These approaches will be illustrated using a range of examples drawn from air transportation systems.


Hamsa Balakrishnan is an Associate Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT. She received a B.Tech in Aerospace Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras and a PhD in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford University. Prior to joining MIT, she was a researcher at the NASA Ames Research Center. Her research is in the design, analysis, and implementation of control and optimization algorithms for large-scale cyber-physical infrastructures, with an emphasis on air transportation systems. She was a recipient of the NSF CAREER Award in 2008, the Kevin Corker Award for Best Paper of ATM-2011, the AIAA Lawrence Sperry Award in 2012, the inaugural CNA Award for Operational Analysis in 2012, and the Donald P. Eckman Award from the AACC in 2014. She is an Associate Fellow of the AIAA.