LEARNING FROM HISTORY, MASTERING METHODS, SEEKING OPTIMIZATION AND CONSTANTLY INNOVATING—REVIEW OF 《NEW PROGRESS IN ICM METHOD FOR STRUCTURAL TOPOLOGY OPTIMIZATION》

Review of 《New Progress of ICM Methods for Structural Topological Optimization: Conceptual Deepening and Theoretical Expansion》by Prof. Sui Yunkang and Peng Xirong. This monograph provides a comprehensive review of recent advancements in independent, continuous, and ICM (independent continuous and mapping) method, a leading approach in structural topology optimization. The book summarizes the achievements of the ICM method since 2014 by referencing histories of mechanics and mastering methodologies. The book delves into the discrete nature of the step function and the smoothed and continuous nature of its approximation function, as well as the characteristics of the speed of approximation and various mapping strategies. The book also introduces pioneering achievements in the mathematical foundation, solution algorithms, and theories of the ICM method, including the transformation of separable convex programming into the DP-EM (dual programming-explicit model) method, reciprocal programming theory, and its optimization applications. The issue of rational modeling for structural topology optimization—an often overlooked chanllenge in the field, is discussed. A solution of structural topology optimization with local performance constraints, such as fatigue life, has been developed. The evolution of the fail-safe design principles has been summarized, and the modeling and solution of the fail-safe topology optimization with displacement, stress, and frequency constraints have been presented. The ICM method has been transplanted into the widely used variable density method. The book is an invaluable reference for researchers and practitioners in the field of structural optimization.