Algebraic And Geometric Methods In Nonlinear Control Theory

Algebraic and Geometric Methods in Nonlinear Control Theory

Algebraic and Geometric Methods in Nonlinear Control Theory

Approach your problems from the right end It isn't that they can't see the solution. It is and begin with the answers. Then one day, that they can't see the problem. perhaps you will find the final question. G. K. Chesterton. The Scandal of Father 'The Hermit Clad in Crane Feathers' in R. Brown 'The point"of a Pin'. van GuIik's The Chinese Maze Murders. Growing specialization and diversification have brought a host of monographs and textbooks on increasingly specialized topics. However, the "tree" of knowledge of mathematics and related fields does not grow only by putting forth new branches. It also happens, quite often in fact, that branches which were thought to be completely disparate are suddenly seen to be related. Further, the kind and level of sophistication of mathematics applied in various sciences has changed drastically in recent years: measure theory is used (non trivially) in regional and theoretical economics; algebraic geometry interacts with physics; ihe Minkowsky lemma, coding theory and the structure of water meet one another in packing and covering theory; quantum fields, crystal defects and mathematical programming profit from homotopy theory; Lie algebras ·are relevant to filtering; and prediction and electrical engineering can use Stein spaces. And in addition to this there are such new emerging subdisciplines as "experimental mathematics", "CFD", "completely integrable systems", "chaos, synergetics and large-scale order", which are almost impossible to fit into the existing classification schemes. They draw upon widely different sections of mathematics.

Control Theory from the Geometric Viewpoint

This book presents some facts and methods of Mathematical Control Theory treated from the geometric viewpoint. It is devoted to finite-dimensional deterministic control systems governed by smooth ordinary differential equations. The problems of controllability, state and feedback equivalence, and optimal control are studied. Some of the topics treated by the authors are covered in monographic or textbook literature for the first time while others are presented in a more general and flexible setting than elsewhere. Although being fundamentally written for mathematicians, the authors make an attempt to reach both the practitioner and the theoretician by blending the theory with applications. They maintain a good balance between the mathematical integrity of the text and the conceptual simplicity that might be required by engineers. It can be used as a text for graduate courses and will become most valuable as a reference work for graduate students and researchers.