When M. Vidyasagar wrote the first edition of this book, most control theorists considered the subject of nonlinear systems a mystery. Since then, advances in the application of differential geometric methods to nonlinear analysis have matured to a stage where every control theorist needs to possess knowledge of the basic techniques because virtually all physical systems are nonlinear in nature.The second edition, now republished in SIAM’s Classics in Applied Mathematics series, provides a rigorous mathematical analysis of the behavior of nonlinear control systems under a variety of situations. It develops nonlinear generalizations of a large number of techniques and methods widely used in linear control theory. The book contains three extensive chapters devoted to the key topics of Lyapunov stability, input-output stability, and the treatment of differential geometric control theory. In addition, it includes valuable reference material in these chapters that is unavailable elsewhere. The text also features a large number of problems that allow readers to test their understanding of the subject matter and self-contained sections and chapters that allow readers to focus easily on a particular topic.
