MEEN 655 P.

Hur
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TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING
MEEN 655 Design of Nonlinear Control Systems
Section 600
Spring 2016
GENERAL INFORMATION

General Description (3 credits):

This is a first year graduate course in nonlinear systems and control. Nonlinear phenomena such as
multiple equilibria, limit cycles, and complex behavior will be introduced. Planar dynamical
systems will be considered and theorems characterizing their behavior will be discussed.
Foundational theorems for nonlinear systems such as existence and uniqueness will be proven.
Stability of nonlinear systems will be considered in great detail, introducing Lyapunovs theorem
as well as the converse stability theorems. Mechanical systems will be used as a prime example of
nonlinear systems. Finally, more advanced concepts from control (e.g., geometric control) will be
discussed together with the needed mathematical backgrounds.
Prerequisites:
MEEN 651 or equivalent
Instructors:

Teaching Assistants:

Dr. Pilwon Hur

Assistant Professor
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
222 Mechanical Engineering Office Bldg.
Ph. 979-862-4461
e-mail: pilwonhur@tamu.edu

Yitsen Pan
Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
422 James J. Cain 51 Building (HUR Group)
Ph. 979-845-3081
e-mail: yitsenpan@tamu.edu

Time and Place:

Lectures:
Monday, Wednesday, Friday 10:20 AM - 11:10 AM
ENPH 206
Office Hours:
Dr. Hur MWF 11:20 AM - 12:00 PM (MEOB 222)
Yitsen Pan TR 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM (HUR Group)

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Additional help is available by scheduling an appointment with instructors or with TA. The easiest
way to reach us is via e-mail.

Textbook:
Required Text:
Hassan Khalil, Nonlinear Systems, 3rd Edition, Prentice Hall, 2002.
Recommended (parts of the course will be taught from these texts):
Shankar Sastry, Nonlinear Systems: Analysis, Stability and Control, Springer, 1999.
Lawrence Perko, Differential Equations and Dynamical Systems, 3rd Edition, Springer,
2001
Other Textbooks that might be useful:
Francesco Bullo, Andrew D. Lewis, Geometric Control of Mechanical Systems. Modeling,
Analysis, and Design for Simple Mechanical Control Systems, Springer, 2004.
Hassan Khalil, Nonlinear Control, 3rd Edition, Prentice Hall, 2015.
Alberto Isidori, Nonlinear Control Systems, 3rd Edition, Springer, 1995
Jean-Jacques Slotine, Weiping Li, Applied Nonlinear Control, Prentice Hall, 1991
Randy Freeman, Petar Kokotovic, Robust Nonlinear Control Design: State-Space and
Lyapunov Techniques, Birkhauser, 1996
Wilson Rugh, Linear System Theory, 2nd Edition, Prentice Hall, 1996
Velimir Jurdjevic, Geometric Control Theory, Cambridge University Press, 1997
Harry Kwatny, Gilmer Blankenship, Nonlinear Control and Analytical Mechanics: a
Computational Approach, 2nd Edition, Birkhauser, 2014
Steven Stogatz, Nonlinear Dynamics and Chaos: With Applications to Physics, Biology,
Chemistry, and Engineering, 2nd Edition, Westview Press, 2014
Bet Mendelson, Introduction to Topology, 3rd Edition, Allyn and Bacon Inc., 1975
Yitzhak Katznelson, Yonatan R. Katznelson, A (Terse) Introduction to Linear Algebra,
AMS, 2008
I.M. Gelfand and S.V. Fomin, Calculus of Variations, Dover, 1991
Donald Kirk, Optimal Control Theory An Introduction, Dover, 2004
Dimitri Bertsekas, Dynamic Programming and Optimal Control, 3rd Edition, Athena
Scientific, 2005
Daniel Liberzon, Calculus of Variations and Optimal Control Theory: A Concise
Introduction, Princeton University Press, 2012

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On-line Course Material:

All course material will be available through eCampus at http://ecampus.tamu.edu/. Please, check
the site frequently, e.g. at least weekly.

Course Outline: This is subject to change, but will give you a fell for the topics being covered.
Week1 (2): Overview and Review of Set Theory, Metric Space, Topology
Week2 (3): Linear Algebra- Fundamental Subspaces, Projection, Least Squares and Min Norm,
Pseudo Inverse, Dual Space
Week3 (3): Dynamical Systems of Linear System
Week4 (3): Dynamical Systems of Nonlinear Systems- Phase Portrait, Limit Cycle, Fixed Point
Week5 (3): Project idea due, Stability, class K-functions, Lyapunovs theorem.
Week6 (3): Stability, converse Lyapunov theorem, Lasalles theorem
Week7 (3): Nonlinear Control- Sliding Mode Control, Back Stepping,
Week8 (3): Nonlinear Control- Control Lyapunov Function
Week9: Spring break
Week10 (2): Geometric Control for Linear System. Project proposal due.
Week11 (3): Introduction to differential geometry
Week12 (3): Input-output feedback linearization, zero dynamics
Week13 (3): MIMO feedback linearization
Week14 (3): Optimal Control- Calculus of Variation, Pontryagins Maximal Principle
Week15 (3): Optimal Control- HJB Equation, LQR/LQG
Week16 (2): Project presentation
Final Exam: Take-Home Exam
Grading:
Student grades will be computed as follows:
Homework
Project Presentations & Reports
Final Exam - Comprehensive

30 %
30 %
40 %

Total

100 %

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Absences:
Attendance to lecture is not tracked. However, if you skip lectures, you will have a very hard time
making up the materials. Since this class is a graduate level nonlinear control course, the course
moves at very fact pace. You may read textbook to follow up the materials. However, I usually try
to convey the meanings behind mathematics. Therefore, it will be beneficial to attend the lectures.

Projects:
There will be one project for this course. The goal is for you to use the material from this course in
a topic related to your research interests. If you do not have an advisor yet, or are not sure about
your research interests, talk to me for help deciding a project. The projects will be carried out in
teams of at most three people (exceptions are possible for members in a research group). There
will be two components to the projects: a presentation and a report. The presentation should be 20
min and be conference quality. This will give you valuable experience in giving a presentation
on your research. The project report should be of conference quality as well, meaning that it
should be written as though you were submitting it to a conference. The report should have an
introduction with references, background, sections on theory and methods, results and discussion.
Simulations and/or experiments should be used to verify the presented idea.

Homework Assignments:
There will be weekly homework assignments. Homework will be posted on eCampus. They will
be due 5pm one week after the assignment. Late homework will not be accepted. All written work
must be clear and professionally done with the necessary steps leading to the solution clearly
marked.
Homework is intended to show your individual work. Each student is required to turn-in his or her
solutions to the homework assignments. However, you are allowed to form groups or join each
other on discussions regarding the problems. Please, read the section on plagiarism below.
Weekly Recitation Session:
Use of e-mail:
You are required to check your e-mail regularly (at least daily) and stay in touch with the
announcements that appear on the class web site. You must make available to the instructor the
most reliable e-mail address you have, and/or any changes to it, as soon as possible.

Policy on Grading Complaints:

If you feel a mistake was made in grading any material involving (1) points not added or not
recorded properly, (2) points taken-off for an answer that is not 100% correct, or (3) for giving
partial credit, please, first talk to person doing the grading within a week after the graded paper
was distributed. If you are not satisfied with the resolution of the matter then talk to the instructor.
Please, make your complaint to the instructor is in writing and via e-mail. Please, be specific about
your complaints.

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Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Policy Statement:

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides
comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this
legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that
provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability
requiring an accommodation, please contact Disability Services, currently located in the Disability
Services building at the Student Services at White Creek complex on west campus or call 979-8451637. For additional information, visit http://disability.tamu.edu.

Academic Integrity Statement:

Plagiarism consists of passing off as yours the work that belongs to someone else. As such, you
will be committing plagiarism if you present someone else's work as your own, even with the other
person's consent. Be aware that such conduct is against University rules and could have serious
consequences. If you have questions about this subject, please consult the Texas A&M University
Student Rules, under the section "Scholastic Dishonesty."
Aggie Honor Code: "An Aggie does not lie, cheat, or steal, or tolerate those who do."
It is the responsibility of students and instructors to help maintain scholastic integrity at the
university by refusing to participate in or tolerate scholastic dishonesty (Student Rule 20.
Scholastic Dishonesty, http://student-rules.tamu.edu). New procedures and policies have been
adopted effective September 1, 2004. Details are available through the Office of the Aggie Honor
System (http://www.tamu.edu/aggiehonor/). An excerpt from the Philosophy & Rationale section
states:
"Apathy or acquiescence in the presence of academic dishonesty is not a neutral act -- failure to
confront and deter it will reinforce, perpetuate, and enlarge the scope of such misconduct.
Academic dishonesty is the most corrosive force in the academic life of a university."