Leonardo Bettini
I am a doctoral candidate at the Institute of Mechanical Systems at the Department of Mechanical and Process Engineering at ETH Zürich, working under the mentorship of Prof. George Haller.
Prior to joining ETH, I received my Bachelor’s in Aerospace Engineering from Politecnico di Milano and my Master’s in Aeronautical Engineering from Politecnico di Milano and Politecnico di Torino through the honours program Alta Scuola Politecnica (ASP). During this time, I developed theoretical and numerical tools in the context of nonlinear optimal perturbations in a boundary layer.
Current Research
My current research sits at the intersection of nonlinear dynamical systems, scientific computing, and data-driven modeling. I develop interpretable reduced-order models that extract low-dimensional governing dynamics from complex time-series data while preserving the nonlinear structure needed for analysis, prediction, and control. I have applied these methods to complex multiscale systems such as soft robotic muscles, materials with memory and time-delay effects and mechanical structures with friction. The methods I developed are grounded on the geometric theory of spectral submanifolds, which are low-dimensional attractors in the phase space.
CV
Publications