Variational and Hamiltonian control systems (Q1100123)

This monograph is a well-written, remarkable contribution to realization theory of Hamiltonian control systems. The problem dealt with is: Within the class of affine control systems, how can one characterize the Hamiltonian ones? The characterization delivered is twofold. Firstly (Theorem 4.1), for an affine system to be Hamiltonian it is necessary and sufficient that the input-output maps coincide of the associated variational and adjoint systems along every piecewise constant control. Secondly (Theorem 5.11), the external behaviour of an affine systems has a Hamiltonian realization if and only if every pair of admissible variations \((\delta_ 1u,\delta_ 1y)\), \((\delta_ 2u,\delta_ 2y)\) of the external behaviour satisfies the condition \[ \int^{\infty}_{0}((\delta_ 2y(t))\quad T\delta_ 1u(t)-(\delta_ 1y(t))\quad T\delta_ 2u(t))dt=0. \] Several ``variations'' on these results are included, as well as sound physical interpretation. The monograph may serve as a paradigmatic example of promising cross- fertilization between system theory and physics.