Curriculum Vitae

I received my Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Tuzla in 2015 and my Master's degree in Electrical Engineering and Information Technology from the Technical University of Munich in 2018. I received a DAAD scholarship for my master's studies. My PhD was supervised by Prof. Moritz Diehl. I started my PhD in 2018 as an external industrial PhD student at Siemens Technology Munich, in the Autonomous Systems and Control research group. In October 2021, I moved to the University of Freiburg. Together with my co-authors, I received the IEEE Control Systems Letters Outstanding Paper Award for 2022. I successfully defended my PhD (summa cum laude) in November 2023 and was a finalist for the 2024 European Systems & Control PhD Thesis Award. A brief overview of my research can be found in my interview published in the IEEE Control Systems Magazine. In the summer semester of 2025, I served as an interim professor at the Institute for Mathematical Optimization at TU Braunschweig.

Research Interest 

My current research focuses on developing numerical methods for the optimal control of hybrid and nonsmooth dynamical systems. This includes systems described by ODEs with discontinuous vector fields (e.g., Filippov systems, switched systems, and dynamic complementarity systems), as well as systems exhibiting state jumps, systems with discrete actuators (mixed-integer MPC). I am particularly interested in real-time optimization methods applicable to broad classes of such systems, which are essential for model predictive control. In addition, I am involved in applying these methods to real-world systems, with a particular focus on robotics and renewable energy systems.

For more details about my work see the lecture slides of the Summer School on Direct Methods for Optimal Control of Nonsmooth Systems or the Winter School on Numerical Methods for Optimal Control of Nonsmooth Systems. 

Preprints

• An Efficient Mixed-Integer Formulation and an Iterative Method for Optimal Control of Switched Systems Under Dwell Time Constraints - Ramin Abbasi-Esfeden, Armin Nurkanović, Moritz Diehl, Panagiotis Patrinos, Jan Swevers
• A Globally Convergent Method for Computing B-stationary Points of Mathematical Programs with Equilibrium Constraints - Armin Nurkanović, Sven Leyffer 
• A Comparative Study of MINLP and MPVC Formulations for Solving Complex Nonlinear Decision-Making Problems in Aerospace Applications - Andrea Ghezzi, Armin Nurkanović, Avishai Weiss, Moritz Diehl, Stefano Di Cairano

• An Augmented Lagrangian Method on GPU for Security-Constrained AC Optimal Power Flow
  - François Pacaud, Armin Nurkanović, Anton Pozharskiy, Alexis Montoison, Sungho Shin

  For publications, check out the list below or my Google Scholar page. 

   

Teaching

Winter Semester 2025/2026

• Numerical Optimal Control (exercises)

Summer semester 2025

• Dynamic Optimization (at TU Braunschweig)
• Computerlab Optimization (in Julia)  (at TU Braunschweig)

Winter semester 2024/2025

• Winter School on Numerical Methods for Optimal Control of Nonsmooth Systems

Winter semester 2023/2024

• Numerical optimization (exercises)

Summer semester 2023 

• Summer School on Direct Methods for Optimal Control of Nonsmooth Systems 

• Numerical optimal control (exercises)

   

Software

The implementation of all of my methods and reformulations are publicly available. For an overview see the nosnoc page.

For students 

I am open to supervising talented and ambitious Bachelor's and Master's students in mathematics, engineering, or computer science for their theses. You are welcome to propose a topic, or I can help identify one that aligns with our mutual interests. You should have a strong background in at least one of the following areas: applied mathematics (optimization or simulation), software engineering, control theory. If you are interested in working with me, please send a short email outlining your area of interest and attach your CV and a recent transcript of records.

Currently available master's theses (for more info on specific topics, send me an email):

• Solving linear and quadratic programs with complementarity constraints
• Machine learning accelerated numerical model predictive control
• Solving robotic manipulation tasks via projected dynamical systems 

• The time-freezing reformulation for contact-rich optimal control

   

For collaborators 

If you are from industry or academia and interested in collaboration, please feel free to contact me. I am always open to engaging in exciting academic or application-oriented collaborations.