Optimal control theory for the damping of vibrations of simple elastic systems (Q2553162)

In his preface the author declares his intention to present a ``self-contained exposition of the basic principles of optimal damping of vibration of simple elastic systems''. The monograph is deliberately limited in scope, considering the control of beams and plates using the Pontryagin maximum principle. Within this scope, it succeeds, providing primarily a unified summary of results, principally due to the author, which have appeared previously in the literature. The book will probably be more successful as an introduction to control theory for those working in mechanics than in the reverse role; the mathematical demands made upon the reader are quite modest, but most of the mechanics is introduced with little or no background material. The first chapter is an introduction to aspects of optimal control theory, using the theory for symmetric hyperbolic systems as the prototype. Optimal controls for a fixed time interval, time optimal controls, and instantly optimal controls are introduced here and the maximum principle is proved. The second chapter contains results in the optimal control of vibrations of beams. The author considers both the classical transverse oscillation problem and the problem of coupled transverse and torsional oscillations. By far the largest part of the book (almost one hundred pages out of two hundred and forty) is devoted to the control problems for thin plates, found in chapter III. These problems are formulated in the classical linear theory of small transverse deflections of thin plates. A short final chapter discusses classification of the boundary conditions in plate and beam theory. In addition to the material on control theory, the rigorous modern mathematical formulation of boundary value problems in these theories is of interest in itself. In general the organization is excellent, though in some places the text seems repetitious, particularly in the definitions of the various types of controls. There are quite a few typographical errors as is to be expected in an informal work, but they seem primarily to be misspelled words and do not mar the mathematical character of the exposition. All in all an excellent work, and an illustration of the beneficial application of modern mathematics to classical engineering theories.