Announcements

We are pleased to announce that Prof. Dr. Yangquan Chen has been appointed Section Editor-in-Chief of the Section “Optimization, Big Data, and AI/ML” in Fractal and Fractional (ISSN: 2504-3110).

Prof. Dr. Yangquan Chen earned his Ph.D. from the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, in 1998. He had been a faculty member of Electrical Engineering at Utah State University (USU) from 2000 to 2012. He then joined the School of Engineering, University of California, Merced (UCM) in the summer of 2012, teaching “Mechatronics”, “Engineering Service Learning”, and “Unmanned Aerial Systems” to undergraduates and “Fractional Order Mechanics”, “Nonlinear Controls”, and “Advanced Controls: Optimality and Robustness” to graduates. His research interests include mechatronics for sustainability, cognitive process control, small multi-UAV-based cooperative multi-spectral “personal remote sensing”, applied fractional calculus in controls, modeling, and complex signal processing, as well as the distributed measurement and control of distributed parameter systems with mobile actuator and sensor networks. He is listed as a Highly Cited Researcher by Clarivate Analytics from the period of 2018 to 2021. He received Research of the Year awards from USU (2012) and UCM (2020).

Profile:

Name	Prof. Dr. Yangquan Chen
Email	ychen53@ucmerced.edu
Affiliation	Department of Mechanical Engineering (ME), University of California, Merced, CA 95343, USA
Interests	mechatronics for sustainability; cognitive process control (smart control engineering via digital twins); small multi-UAV-based cooperative multi-spectral “personal remote sensing”; applied fractional calculus in controls, modeling, and complex signal processing; distributed measurements; control of distributed parameter systems with mobile actuators and sensor networks
Homepage	https://me.ucmerced.edu/content/yangquan-chen
Photo

The following is a short Q&A with Prof. Dr. Yangquan Chen, who shared his vision for the journal with us, as well as his views of the research area and open access publishing:

1. What about the journal appealed to you that made you want to take on the role as its Section Editor-in-Chief?
I firmly believe in the triangle of “fractional calculus–complexity–inverse power law (FC-C-IPL)”. Fractal and Fractional is a top platform for advocating and promoting the new notion of gaining a better understanding of complexity via applying fractional calculus (AFC). I am interested in the role as I want to make more happen.

2. What is your vision for the journal?
Fractal and Fractional has been a leading journal and will remain a leading journal because we are facing more and more complex systems and behaviors that demand the use of the notions of fractals and fractional calculus for a better understanding.

3. What does the future of this field of research look like?
Big data, machine learning, and artificial intelligence (BD/AI/ML) are leading us towards more emphasis on originality, creativity, and influence. Addressing complexity and variabilities will become a must, and fractional calculus will be the mathematical vehicle. We will see more and more work on applying fractional calculations in BD/AI/ML optimization.

4. What do you think of the development of open access in the publishing field?
Knowledge should be like air and sunshine—free for all. Open access in the AI/ML era has a strong reason to thrive.

The editorial team warmly welcomes Prof. Dr. Yangquan Chen as the Section Editor-in-Chief of the “Optimization, Big Data, and AI/ML” Section and looks forward to his contribution to the continued success of Fractal and Fractional. For further information on the journal Sections, please check here.