Abstract: Research project with this name has been started at LANL in Oct of 2009. In this talk I will report on the first results derived under the auspecies of the project. In particular, I will discuss algorithms and phase transition analysis for switching over a distribution power grid, optimization of reactive flow in a feeder line, analysis of distance to failure in the space of fluctuating loads, and if time permits, queuing scheme for scheduling of plug-in-electric vehicle charging. Bio: Dr. Chertkov's areas of interest include statistical and mathematical physics applied to information theory, computer science, hydrodynamics, optics, communication and infrastructure networks. Dr. Chertkov received his Ph.D. in physics from the Weizmann Institute of Science in 1996, and his M.Sc. in physics from Novosibirsk State University in 1990. After his Ph.D., Dr. Chertkov spent three years at Princeton University as a R.H. Dicke Fellow in the Department of Physics. He joined Los Alamos National Lab in 1999, initially as a J.R. Oppenheimer Fellow in the Theoretical Division. He is now a technical staff member in the same division. Dr. Chertkov has published more than 90 papers in these research areas and is currently leading ``Physics of Algorithms" and ``Optimization and Control Theory for Smart Grids" projects at LANL. Host: Francesco Bullo