Multiple-Input Describing Functions and Nonlinear System Design

The practicing control engineer should find the book valuable as a complete reference work in the subject area. If his background in mathematics is not sufficient to enable him to follow the theoretical development of ~ h a ~ t e rc.o1mfort- ably, he can omit that chapter and will still find a complete presentation in every chapter except Chapters Seven and Eight, based on the physically motivated concept of harmonic analysis of the nonlinearity output. Chapter Seven, which includes random processes at the nonlinearity input, requires a statistical approach. But this too reduces to a rather simple matter in the very important class of problems involving static single-valued nonlinearities. Chapter Eight treats transient responses by related forms of quasi-linearization which are developed completely within that chapter. Thus it is hoped that every control engineer will find the principal ideas presented in a manner which is meaningful and appealing to him.