Preface

This volume of the Proceedings of the Centre for Mathematical Analysis contains papers by participants in the Workshop/Miniconference on Functional Analysis/Optimization held in Canberra in August, 1988. Some of the papers were prepared beforehand and were presented at the Miniconference. But importantly, some have resulted from collaboration which occurred there in response to problems raised in the sessions; this is the special return from the prolonged Workshop experience.

The theme of the Workshop/Miniconference was Functional Analysis/Optimization and although most participants worked in one or other of the two areas, a small group worked in both. The pervasive influence of Rockafellar and Clarke meant that in many cases we all had some familiarity with the tools used by each other so there was more unity than might have been expected. Although the papers in this volume are easily identified as being in one of the two areas, a commonality of background is often evident.

We wish to thank the Centre for Mathematical Analysis for making all its facilites available for the August period and for processing these proceedings for publication. In particular we would like to thank the Director, Professor Neil Trudinger for suggesting the conference and for facilitating the visits of our overseas participants. The Workshop/Miniconference attracted participants from Bulgaria, Canada, England, France, Greece, Israel and the United States of America as well as members from ten Australasian universities.

Especially we wish to thank Mrs Marilyn Gray the Secretary of the Centre, who so efficiently handled the administration of the Workshop/Miniconference from early in 1987 when visitor arrangements were being made, up to the end of 1988 when the proceedings were being put to press.

We also thank Mrs Jan Garnsey, secretary to the Department of Mathematics at the University of Newcastle for her assistance with correspondence and Mrs Dorothy Nash for her support during the August meeting.

And, of course, our thanks to our colleagues who made August 1988 in Canberra such a pleasant and productive time.

Simon Fitzpatrick and John Giles
(Editors)

First published in Australia 1988

© Centre for Mathematics and Its Applications
Mathematical Sciences Institute
The Australian National University
CANBERRA ACT 0200
AUSTRALIA

This book is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without permission. Inquiries should be made to the publisher.

Edited by

Simon Fitzpatrick, John Giles

Conference on Automatic Continuity and Banach

ISBN 0 7315 0430 5