Abstract: The constructive role of temporal disorder (random noise) in facilitating responses of nonlinear systems will be explored through a combination of experimental and numerical investigations. In particular, nonlinear oscillators and arrays of nonlinear oscillators will be considered. These oscillator systems represent models of micro-scale and macro-scale systems. Prof. Balachandran will discuss how noise can be used to transition from one dynamical state to another, including transition from a chaotic state to a periodic state, and how such transitions influence energy localization, and realize synchronization.

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Bio: Prof. Balakumar Balachandran received his M.S. (Aerospace Engineering) and Ph.D (Engineering Mechanics) from Virginia Tech. Currently, he is a Distinguished Professor and Minta Martin Professor at the University of Maryland, where he has been since 1993. His research interests include applied physics, applied mechanics, applied mathematics, nonlinear phenomena, dynamics and vibrations, and control. He holds four U.S. patents and one Japanese patent, three related to fiber optic sensors and two related to atomic force microscopy. He has served as the Editor of the ASME Journal of Computational and Nonlinear Dynamics, a Contributing Editor of the International Journal of Non-Linear Mechanics, and a Deputy Editor of the AIAA Journal. He is a Fellow of ASME and AIAA, an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, an ASA full member, and an IEEE Senior Member. He is a recipient of the ASME Melville Medal, the Thomas Caughey Dynamics Medal, the Den Hartog Award, ASME Lyapunov Award, the ASCE Engineering Mechanics Institute Robert Scanlan Medal, and the AIAA Pendray Aerospace Literature Award.