Nonholonomic Mechanics and Control [Paperback]

This book explores connections between control theory and geometric mechanics. The author links control theory with a geometric view of classical mechanics in both its Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formulations, and in particular with the theory of mechanical systems subject to motion constraints. The synthesis is appropriate as there is a rich connection between mechanics and nonlinear control theory. The book provides a unified treatment of nonlinear control theory and constrained mechanical systems that incorporates material not available in other recent texts. The book benefits graduate students and researchers in the area who want to enhance their understanding and enhance their techniques.

This book explores connections between control theory and geometric mechanics. The author links control theory with a geometric view of classical mechanics in both its Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formulations, and in particular with the theory of mechanical systems subject to motion constraints.

Our goal in this book is to explore some of the connections between control theory and geometric mechanics; that is, we link control theory with a g- metric view of classical mechanics in both its Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formulations and in particular with the theory of mechanical systems s- ject to motion constraints. This synthesis of topics is appropriate, since there is a particularly rich connection between mechanics and nonlinear control theory. While an introduction to many important aspects of the mechanics of nonholonomically constrained systems may be found in such sources as the monograph of Neimark and Fufaev [1972], the geometric view as well as the control theory of such systems remains largely sc- tered through various research journals. Our aim is to provide a uni?ed treatment of nonlinear control theory and constrained mechanical systems that will incorporate material that has not yet made its way into texts and monographs. Mechanicl£t