As part of the celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the IEEE Antennas and Propagation Society, the May 2026 issue of the IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation features a Special Section of invited papers authored by internationally recognized leaders in the field. Among these distinguished contributions is a commemorative article co-authored by Professor Yahya Rahmat-Samii of UCLA and Professor Douglas H. Werner of Pennsylvania State University, reflecting on the major milestones, transformative advances, and future directions of optimization methodologies in electromagnetics. The comprehensive 15-page article, supported by more than 100 references, is: Y. Rahmat-Samii and D. H. Werner, “A Comprehensive Review of Optimization Techniques in Electromagnetics: Past, Present, and Future,” IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, May 2026, doi: 10.1109/TAP.2025.3570515.
Rahmat-Samii and Werner present a definitive and authoritative review of the evolution of optimization techniques, tracing their development from classical gradient-based methods and evolutionary algorithms to emerging machine-learning-driven and artificial-intelligence-assisted approaches. Beyond providing a comprehensive educational and archival resource, the article establishes a strategic vision for future research and innovation across a broad spectrum of electromagnetic technologies, including antenna engineering, frequency-selective surfaces, metamaterials, metasurfaces, absorbers, and other advanced electromagnetic systems. By synthesizing decades of progress while identifying emerging opportunities and challenges, the article serves as both a historical perspective and a forward-looking roadmap for the field. Its breadth, depth, and visionary outlook position it to become a lasting reference that will educate, inspire, and guide future generations of researchers and engineers as they advance the frontiers of electromagnetic design, optimization, and intelligent engineering systems.
