Optimization, the area of mathematics concerned with finding the "best" points, curves, surfaces, etc., has many uses in engineering research and applications. Optimal Control Theory for Applications teaches analytical optimization at the graduate level. To make the material accessible to a wide audience, the prerequisites are limited to calculus and differential equations. Example problems are not tied to any engineering discipline. This material will benefit and interest both beginning engineering graduate students, as well as practicing engineers with the same background.

From the reviews:

"It presents a unified approach to the conversion of nonlinear optimal control problems into parameter optimizations for numerical solutions. the book is written in a way that is very accessible to the audience. The selection of topics is useful and coherent, and the book is well organized. is highly effective in explaining basic ideas of optimal control. It can also be a useful reference to engineers and researchers who want to use applied optimal control theories for solving engineering problems ." (Yiyuan J. Zhao, International Journal of Robust and Nonlinear Control, Vol. 15 (17), 2005)

Autorentext
Optimization, the area of mathematics concerned with finding the "best" points, curves, surfaces, etc., has many uses in engineering research and applications. Optimal Control Theory for Applications teaches analytical optimization at the graduate level. To make the material accessible to a wide audience, the prerequisites are limited to calculus and differential equations. Example problems are not tied to any engineering discipline. This material will benefit and interest both beginning engineering graduate students, as well as practicing engineers with the same background.

Inhalt
1 Introduction to Optimization.- I. Parameter Optimization.- 2 Unconstrained Minimization.- 3 Constrained Minimization: Equality Constraints.- 4 Constrained Minimization: Inequality Constraints.- 5 Minimization Using Matrix Notation.- II. Optimal Control Theory.- 6 Differentials in Optimal Control.- 7 Controllability.- 8 Simplest Optimal Control Problem.- 9 Fixed Final Time: First Differential.- 10 Fixed Final Time: Tests for a Minimum.- 11 Fixed Final Time: Second Differential.- 12 Fixed Final Time Guidance.- 13 Free Final Time.- 14 Parameters.- 15 Free Initial Time and States.- 16 Control Discontinuities.- 17 Path Constraints.- III. Approximate Solutions.- 18 Approximate Solutions of Algebraic Equations.- 19 Approximate Solutions of Differential Equations.- 20 Approximate Solutions of Optimal Control Problems.- 21 Conversion into a Parameter Optimization Problem.- Appendix: A First and Second Differentials by Taylor Series Expansion.- References.