CONTROL SYSTEMS ENGINEERING, I. J . Nagrath Laplace transforms, some elementary matrix
and M. Gopal, Wiley, New York, 1983. algebra and techniques for the determination of Price: f 11.40 roots of algebraic equations constitute the material in the appendices. This textbook offers a comprehensive, traditional The problems, for which answers are given, introduction to control engineering at a very and the illustrative examples have been drawn modest cost. The book covers a wide range of from various engineering applications making the topics including modelling, a discussion of feed- book suitable for engineering students of any back and sensitivity, control system components discipline. and hardware (excluding computers), classical A minor complaint concerns the reference lists analysis and design techniques, state variable given at the end of each chapter: only a very few analysis and design, optimal control and non-l of these references cite work published after 1975. linear systems. In this (second) edition, the It is unfortunate that the authors did not use the authors have added new chapters on sampled data opportunity of revising the text to direct readers’ systems and optimal control, and extended attention to the many excellent books which have several chapters, notably those on state variable appeared more recently. analysis and non-linear systems. The approach is Nevertheless I can confidently recommend the very practical, the emphasis being on applications book as a text for use in teaching control options rather than theory. Many results are stated in undergraduate engineering courses or as an without proof and thus only modest demands are introductory text for postgraduate students. made on the reader’s mathematical knowledge. R. G. CAMERON Standard results in the theory of Fourier and University of Bradford