ANS is committed to advancing, fostering, and promoting the development and application of nuclear sciences and technologies to benefit society.
Explore the many uses for nuclear science and its impact on energy, the environment, healthcare, food, and more.
Explore membership for yourself or for your organization.
Conference Spotlight
2026 ANS Annual Conference
May 31–June 3, 2026
Denver, CO|Sheraton Denver
Latest Magazine Issues
Feb 2026
Jul 2025
Latest Journal Issues
Nuclear Science and Engineering
February 2026
Nuclear Technology
January 2026
Fusion Science and Technology
Latest News
ANS Congressional Fellowship program seeks 2027 applicants
Earlier this week, ANS opened the application process for the 2027 Glenn T. Seaborg Congressional Science and Engineering Fellowship, offering ANS members an opportunity to contribute directly to federal policymaking in Washington, D.C. Applications are due June 6.
Joseph A. Naser, Paul L. Chambré
Nuclear Science and Engineering | Volume 79 | Number 1 | September 1981 | Pages 99-109
Technical Paper | doi.org/10.13182/NSE81-A19045
Articles are hosted by Taylor and Francis Online.
A technique for solving systems of coupled ordinary differential equations with initial, boundary, and/or intermediate conditions is given. This method has a number of inherent advantages over existing techniques as well as being efficient in terms of computer time and space requirements. Optimal control problems can be solved by this technique by using Pontryagin's Maximum Principle to transform the state equations and their associated performance index into a system of coupled differential equations. An example of computing the optimal control for a spatially dependent reactor model with and without temperature feedback is given.