Frequently Asked Questions about MATH 7390-1 with Answers:

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Q: The Spring 2014 academic calendar says there are 28 class meetings
for classes that meet Tuesdays and Thursdays, but LSU closed on 
January 28th due to the inclement weather. Will there be a make-up class
for that missed class day, and if so, when is that make-up class?

A: So far LSU hasn't announced anything about a make-up day for classes 
that got cancelled because of the weather. If we will have a make-up 
class, its time and location will be announced on our class web page.

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Q: I was in ME 7673 Advanced Mechanical Systems Control, but my adviser 
asked me to switch into MATH 7390-1, because ME 7673 got canceled. The 
course descriptions for MATH 7390-1 and ME 7673 look different. Will 
MATH 7390-1 cover the topics I need that are normally taught in ME 7673?

A: Yes. Since ME 7673 got canceled, students who enrolled in ME 7673 
were advised to take MATH 7390. MATH 7390 will cover control theory, and 
worked out examples illustrating the theory. The examples will come from 
engineering, so we will cover the relevant material from ME 7673.

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Q: I haven't taken any 4000-level mathematics courses, but I did really 
well in undergraduate calculus, linear algebra, and differential 
equations, and I was able to follow the proofs in those courses. I'm a 
PhD student in engineering. Could this course be good for me?

A: Yes. You definitely seem to have a strong enough background to 
understand this course. This course provides very useful background for 
engineering PhD students, because controls is a central topic throughout 
engineering. This course could significantly enhance your education.

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Q: I'm a math student who has never taken any engineering courses, but I 
did very well in differential equations, linear algebra and advanced 
calculus. I heard that controls is about engineering. I'm considering 
entering a PhD program in engineering. Could this course be good for me?

A: Yes. You do not need to have taken any engineering courses to do well 
in this course. Although we may use some models from engineering in the 
examples in this course, the course will not test your ability to derive 
mathematical models for engineering systems.

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Q: This course is listed as a seminar on the registrar's office website. 
I've never taken a seminar course before. How does a seminar graduate 
course differ from a regular graduate course?

A: For the purposes of this course, the only effect of the course being 
classified as a seminar is that students may take the course for 
variable credit, meaning 1, 2, or 3 credits. Normally students take my 
courses for 3 credits. Students taking the course for only 1 or 2 
credits will not be required to turn in as many written assignments.

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Q: I'm an engineering PhD student looking for a dissertation advisor, 
and a topic for my dissertation. I saw from your web site that you're a 
senior faculty member with 90 publications and many awards. Will this 
course prepare me to do research for my dissertation, and if so, are you 
available as a potential PhD advisor for an engineering PhD student?

A: This course is an introduction to nonlinear controls at the graduate 
level for a general audience of applied mathematics or engineering PhD 
students, or for advanced undergraduates, so it won't cover any research 
problems that you can work on for your dissertation. However, after you 
take this course, you can take a reading course about possible research 
problems in controls that you can eventually work on for your PhD.