Minimax controller design using rate feedback (Q1306172)

A complete analytical characterization and solution construction (explicit or recursive) for the minimax control problem using optimal rate feedback is given. The plant is assumed to be a known set of coupled oscillators whose number does not exceed three. The plant is described as \[ F(s)= 1/m(s),\quad m(s)= \prod^n_{i= 1} (s^2+\beta^2_i),\quad 0<\beta_i< \beta_{i+1}. \] Then it is asked to find from the family of odd polynomials \[ n_i(s)= k_is \prod^{n-1}_{j=1} (s^2+ \gamma_{ij}) \] one member so that the new characteristic polynomial \(m(s)+ n_i(s)\) is strictly Hurwitz and its rightmost roots are the farthest to the left of the imaginary axis in comparison with any other similar polynomial. Some examples are given and for \(n= 3\) numerical methods are discussed. Apart from the control design interpretation, the paper gives the solution for a nice problem of zero placement of polynomials.