Anyone seeking a gentle introduction to the methods of modern control theory and engineering, written at the level of a first-year graduate course, should consider this book seriously. It contains:

• A generous historical overview of automatic control, from Ancient Greece to the 1970s, when this discipline matured into an essential field for electrical, mechanical, aerospace, chemical, and biomedical engineers, as well as mathematicians, and more recently, computer scientists;
• A balanced presentation of the relevant theory: the main state-space methods for description, analysis, and design of linear control systems are derived, without overwhelming theoretical arguments;
• Over 250 solved and exercise problems for both continuous- and discrete-time systems, often including MATLAB simulations; and
• Appendixes on MATLAB, advanced matrix theory, and the history of mathematical tools such as differential calculus, transform methods, and linear algebra.

Another noteworthy feature is the frequent use of an inverted pendulum on a cart to illustrate the most important concepts of automatic control, such as:

• Linearization and discretization;
• Stability, controllability, and observability;
• State feedback, controller design, and optimal control; and
• Observer design, reduced order observers, and Kalman filtering.

Most of the problems are given with solutions or MATLAB simulations. Whether the book is used as a textbook or as a self-study guide, the knowledge gained from it will be an excellent platform for students and practising engineers to explore further the recent developments and applications of control theory.

任何寻求现代控制理论和工程方法的温和介绍的人，以一年级研究生课程的水平编写，都应该认真考虑这本书。它包括

对自动控制的慷慨历史概述，从古希腊到20世纪70年代，当时这门学科已经成熟，成为电气、机械、航空航天、化学和生物医学工程师以及数学家和最近的计算机科学家的一个重要领域。

对相关理论的平衡介绍：推导出描述、分析和设计线性控制系统的主要状态空间方法，没有压倒性的理论论证。

超过250个连续和离散时间系统的已解决和练习问题，通常包括MATLAB模拟；和

关于MATLAB、高级矩阵理论和数学工具的历史的附录，如微分计算、变换方法和线性代数。

另一个值得注意的特点是经常使用小车上的倒立摆来说明自动控制的最重要的概念，例如。

线性化和离散化。

稳定性、可控性和可观测性。

状态反馈、控制器设计和最优控制；以及

观测器设计、减序观测器和卡尔曼滤波。

大多数问题都给出了解决方案或MATLAB模拟。无论本书是作为教科书还是作为自学指南，从中获得的知识将成为学生和执业工程师进一步探索控制理论的最新发展和应用的绝佳平台。