The joint NOVA Math–UNIDEMI seminar took place on 21 October 2026 at NOVA FCT, bringing together approximately 15 participants for a session dedicated to Axiomatic Design and its applications in automatic flight control.
The session opened with a welcome address and introductory remarks by Professor Marta Lopes, followed by two scientific presentations exploring different perspectives on Axiomatic Design.
Professor João V. Fradinho, from the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering and the UNIDEMI research unit, presented Independence in Axiomatic Design, discussing the principles of Axiomatic Design and their relevance to system design.
This was followed by the presentation Automatic Flight Control via Stochastic Axiomatic Design, delivered by Professor Manuel L. Esquível, from the Department of Mathematics at NOVA FCT and the NOVA Math research unit. His presentation focused on a proposed model for flight control devices based on the general principles of Axiomatic Design. To this end, an extension of classical Axiomatic Design theory was introduced to account for noise affecting design parameters, providing a framework for exploring this approach under conditions of uncertainty.
This research is the result of a collaboration with Nadezhda P. Krasii, from the Department of Higher Mathematics at Don State Technical University and the NOVA Math research unit at NOVA University Lisbon.
Following the presentations, participants had the opportunity to engage in discussion and exchange ideas on the topics covered. The seminar concluded on a positive note, with both speakers and attendees expressing satisfaction with the session.
The event highlighted the importance of collaboration between NOVA Math and UNIDEMI, fostering dialogue between Mathematics and Engineering and promoting the exchange of research with potential applications in complex systems, such as automatic flight control.