Dr. Marek Balcerzak, Eng., from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, has received the prestigious Award from the Polish Academy of Sciences' Łódź Branch and the Conference of Rectors of Public Universities in Łódź for outstanding achievements contributing to the advancement of science. Five young scientists working in the Łódź Voivodeship received the award for 2024.
We are pleased to announce that Dr. Marek Balcerzak, Eng., from our Department, has been awarded the prestigious Award of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Łódź and the Conference of Rectors of Łódź Public Universities for outstanding achievements contributing to the development of science. Five young scholars working in the Łódź Voivodeship received the award for 2024.
In the field of engineering, the award was received by Dr. Marek Balcerzak, Eng., from the Department of Machine Dynamics. His research interests include nonlinear dynamics, analytical mechanics, and control theory – fields that underlie modern engineering and automation.
In an interview with the Promotion Department of Lodz University of Technology, he says:
"I am interested in analytical mechanics, the mathematical description of motion and forces in mechanical systems. I am also fascinated by nonlinear dynamics – the study of situations in which a small change can produce enormous and surprising effects, such as the famous 'butterfly effect.'" Then there's control theory – in other words, how to make a system do what we want it to do,
The laureate works on the use of modern computational methods and machine learning in the analysis and control of complex mechanical systems. He invented a new method for optimizing control in discontinuous systems, such as those with impacts or friction. This method became the basis for several scientific articles and a doctoral dissertation, for which Dr. Balcerzak served as an assistant supervisor.
In his research, he also explored new methods for estimating Lyapunov exponents – parameters that describe the degree of chaos in dynamic systems and how difficult it is to predict its future. His work covered a wide range of topics – from the dynamics of lasers, through compressors, to… bells.
Congratulations!