The control of linear systems and the Schubert calculus

Frank Sottile
Graduate Student Seminar

Algebraic geometry enjoys many applications outside
of mathematics.  One old(er) application is in the theory
of linear systems, where a fundamental object is naturally
a rational curve in a Grassmannian, and a fundamental
problem, that of pole-assignability, has a natural 
formulation in terms of the Schubert calculus.  This
link has been very productive for systems theory.

  My talk will explain why the geometry of Grassmannians
is relevant to systems theory, and it will mention some 
open problems in algebraic geometry that have recently 
arisen from this interaction.