"The calculus of variations is a classical area of mathematical analysis - 300 years old - yet its myriad applications in science and technology continue to hold great interest and keep it an active area of research. This volume contains the refereed proceedings of the international conference on Calculus of Variations and Related Topics held at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in March 1998. The conference commemorated 300 years of work in the field and brought together many of its leading experts."--BOOK JACKET. "This volume focuses on critical point theory and optimal control."--BOOK JACKET. "This book should be of interest to applied and pure mathematicians, electrical and mechanical engineers, and graduate students."--BOOK JACKET.