Alessandra Gragnani

Alessandra Gragnani is a tenured researcher (Ricercatrice confermata) at the Department of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering (DEIB) of the Polytechnic University of Milan since March 2004. Her academic career began with a Laurea in Electronic Engineering (1994) followed by a PhD in Informatics and Automatics (1998), both from Politecnico di Milano. She has held visiting research positions at prestigious institutions including Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Wageningen Agricultural University, and International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis.

Professor Gragnani's research focuses on nonlinear mathematical modeling applied to environmental problems, with expertise in bifurcation analysis, control of nonlinear dynamic systems, and discontinuous dynamical systems. Her work bridges theoretical mathematics with practical applications in ecology, environmental management, and social systems. She has developed methodologies for analyzing complex system behaviors including slow-fast dynamics, peak-to-peak dynamics for predicting insect outbreaks, and sliding bifurcations in discontinuous systems.

Her recent publications (2020-2024) demonstrate continued active research in mathematical ecology, environmental modeling, and control systems, with applications ranging from lake ecosystem management to forest pest control. The publications reveal a consistent focus on applying nonlinear dynamics to understand and manage complex environmental systems.

Professor Gragnani teaches Fundamentals of Automatic Control for mathematicians, covering linear dynamic systems, stability analysis, and control theory. Her teaching approach integrates theoretical concepts with practical MATLAB-based laboratory exercises.

Her research has been supported through multiple national projects including PRIN-MIUR grants on nonlinear dynamic networks and chaos applications in information engineering. She has also organized scientific events, including specialized courses on nonlinear dynamics for researchers and doctoral students.