Stability and time-optimal control of hereditary systems (Q1189559)

This monograph introduces the theory of stability and time-optimal control of hereditary systems. Examples from biology, from economics and from engineering are used to study the stability and the time-optimal control of hereditary systems. Within this theory the problem of minimum energy and effort control of systems are also explored. Conditions for stability for both linear and nonlinear systems are given. Questions of controllability are posed and answered. For the problem of finding some control to use in order to reach, in minimum time, and equilibrium point from any initial point and any initial state, existence theorems are given. Some efforts is made to construct an optimal control strategy for the simple linear systems cited in the examples. For finite-dimensional linear systems, time-optimal, and minimum effort feedback controls are constructed.