Symbolic Methods in Control System Analysis and Design

Symbolic computing has made a significant impact in the field of control engineering. This book, which brings together contributions from leading international experts in the field, provides an up-to-date treatment of various issues in system modelling, analysis, design and synthesis methods.

Coverage includes:

• the application of multidimensional Laplace transforms to the modelling of nonlinear elements
• a survey of customised computer algebra modelling programs for multibody dynamical systems
• central results for the analysis and robust control of single-input single-output linear systems using a new linear programming approach
• differential and real algebra for dealing with systems of polynomial equations and inequalities for nonlinear systems, and the computational aspects of algebraic and geometric invariants for both certain and uncertain systems
• the dynamic sliding mode approach to the robust control of both linear and nonlinear systems, and robust pole assignment for parametric uncertain linear systems
• the development and testing of a new branch-and-bound algorithm for global optimisation, using symbolic algebra techniques
• an overview and assessment of the use of symbolic computation programs in the analysis and design of control systems.

The book will be of interest to postgraduate students and researchers in control engineering.

Neil Munro (1936-2004) received his B.Sc. in electrical engineering from Strathclyde University in 1962, his Ph.D. from UMIST in 1969, and a D.Sc. in control engineering from the University of Manchester in 1983. He was appointed professor of applied control engineering at UMIST in 1979 and was head of the Control Systems Centre for over 30 years. He was chairman of SERC's Control and Instrumentation Subcommittee (1983-1985), Director of Control and Instrumentation for the SERC and DTI Joint Framework for Information Technology (1991-1992), and the National Consultant on Control and Instrumentation for EPSRC (1994-1997). Professor Munro was a Fellow of the IEE, IEEE and Institute of Measurement and Control, and a recipient of the Sir Harold Hartley Medal (1982) and the Honeywell International Medal (1997) for contributions to control engineering.