MAE Seminar: “Nonlinear Oscillators: Information, Dynamics, & Music”

Abstract:

Nonlinear oscillation is one of the most prolific physical phenomena in the universe. Nonlinear oscillators are capable of useful and strange behavior, such as stochastic resonance, energy localizations, information processing, and chaos. Several aspects of nonlinear oscillators will be discussed in this talk. Adaptive oscillators are capable of learning and storing information in their dynamic states. These plastic states make them ideal candidates for smart systems. Even without adaption, nonlinear oscillators can be used as physical reservoir computers, in which they can be used to replace a neural network. Further, benefits stemming from the complex dynamics of nonlinear oscillators can be unlocked in continuous systems through topology optimization. As a natural extension, music is information that is encoded in vibrations. Music can be studied through the same lens as other vibratory systems, and the tools of nonlinear dynamics can be used to engineer better instruments.

Zoom Link: https://ncsu.zoom.us/j/99473312541?pwd=S0JkVEQ3UEMyTFBpYTVFdnhtS1RxQT09 

Bio:

Edmon Perkins is an assistant professor in the Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering Department and an affiliate faculty in the Music Department at North Carolina State University. Previously, he was an assistant professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Auburn University. He received a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland, as well as a BS and MS in Mathematics from the University of Oklahoma. His research interests include nonlinear/stochastic systems, topology optimization, biomimetic systems, and music. Currently, he advises 6 PhD students and 6 undergraduates. He was awarded an Office of Naval Research Young Investigator Award in Nonlinear Physics (2019), a DARPA Young Faculty Award (2020), an Air Force Summer Faculty Fellowship (2019), and the ASME’s Haythornthwaite Research Initiation Grant (2017).