Thales - Optimisation of complex processing systems

The behaviour of complex processing systems is often controlled by large numbers of parameters.  For example, one Thales radar processor has over 2000 adjustable parameters.  Evaluating the performance for each set of parameters is typically time-consuming, involving either simulation or processing of large recorded data sets (or both).  In processing recorded data, the optimum parameters for one data set are unlikely to be optimal for another.

We would be interested in discussing mathematical techniques that could make the process of optimisation more efficient and effective, and what we might learn from a more mathematical approach.