Optimal Control Theory for Applications (Mechanical Engineering Series) [Hardcover]

David G. Hull (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0387400702 | ISBN-13: 978-0387400709 | Publication Date: July 30, 2003 | Edition: 1

The published material represents the outgrowth of teaching analytical optimization to aerospace engineering graduate students. To make the material available to the widest audience, the prerequisites are limited to calculus and differential equations. It is also a book about the mathematical aspects of optimal control theory. It was developed in an engineering environment from material learned by the author while applying it to the solution of engineering problems. One goal of the book is to help engineering graduate students learn the fundamentals which are needed to apply the methods to engineering problems. The examples are from geometry and elementary dynamical systems so that they can be understood by all engineering students. Another goal of this text is to unify optimization by using the differential of calculus to create the Taylor series expansions needed to derive the optimality conditions of optimal control theory.

Editorial Reviews

Review

From the reviews:

"It presents a unified approach to the conversion of nonlinear optimal control problems into parameter optimizations for numerical solutions. … the book is written in a way that is very accessible to the audience. The selection of topics is useful and coherent, and the book is well organized. … is highly effective in explaining basic ideas of optimal control. … It can also be a useful reference to engineers and researchers who want to use applied optimal control theories for solving engineering problems … ." (Yiyuan J. Zhao, International Journal of Robust and Nonlinear Control, Vol. 15 (17), 2005)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 324 pages
• Publisher: Springer; 1 edition (July 30, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0387400702
• ISBN-13: 978-0387400709
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,183,693 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent book, April 6, 2011

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emp - See all my reviews

This review is from: Optimal Control Theory for Applications (Mechanical Engineering Series) (Paperback)

"Optimal Control Theory for Applications" by D. Hull builds the optimal control theory starting from basic concepts. The use of differentials allow a deeper understanding of what the term "variation" means. Difficult concepts are explained with high clarity. As an example, one could compare the explanation of controllability in Hull's book and in the classical Bryson's book "Applied Optimal Control". In this book, controllability and the more advanced concepts on 2nd order optimality conditions are deduced in an extremely rigorous, clear fashion. The chapter on guidance is also valuable. The last three chapters cover approximation methods and a comprehensive treatment of the methods for transcribing optimal control problems into parameter optimization problems. I recommend this book to undergraduate students as well as to scientists that work in the field of applied optimization.

3.0 out of 5 stars A good book but not self contained. You will need an instructor to fill in gaps, January 19, 2011

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kumar_userspride - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Optimal Control Theory for Applications (Mechanical Engineering Series) (Hardcover)

My instructor for this course was the author Dr. David Hull himself.
This book is very systematic in its approach and gradually increases the complexity of the parameter optimization/optimal control problem. It is very rigourous in the derivation of results. There aren't many solved examples but that is not a show stopper in my opinion, as the solutions to all the problems in this subject are algorithmic in nature (ie first start with augmented performance index, then apply 1st differential condition, get the optimal control, then apply 2nd differential condition, solve the boundary valued problem...etc..the steps are the same in every problem. Owing to this nature, I don't think too many examples are required). The exercises are also well graded, starting from easy ones building on to difficult ones. These are the positives.

The only bad thing about this book is, it doesn't follow a separate notation for matrices. So as you proceed after chapter 5, it becomes difficult to keep track of which is a scalar, which is a vector, which is a matrix. Also, I feel the derivation of 2nd differential condition for optimal control problems (chapter 11 onwards)could have been made more simpler. The derivation skips too many intermediate steps. So these are the parts that are not self contained and the instructor has to fill in the gaps.

On the whole a good book. Would definitely recommend it.