Introduction

This textbook presents an in-depth introductory survey of several fundamental advanced control concepts and techniques all ranging from modern ideas. The book emphasizes ideas, an understanding of key concepts, methodologies, and results. In line with this, the book addresses master’s students in the overlap of engineering and computer science as well as engineers working in various application fields and interested in useful control techniques and less in system theories appealing from a mathematical point of view. The book aims to show what methods and results learned for single-variable systems are also applicable to multivariable systems, what is different and why.

Content and Methods

The structured text covers a broad spectrum of topics from decentralized control to the use of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). Methods and results are illustrated by many examples and using free, open source mathematical software, predominately GNU Octave. In some cases, the free mathematical software package Scilab is also used. The book features exercises and examples throughout.