This volume presents state-of-the-art reports on the theory, and current and future applications of control of distributed parameter systems. The papers cover the progress not only in traditional methodology and pure research in control theory, but also the rapid growth of its importance for different applications. This title will be of interest to researchers working in the areas of mathematics, automatic control, computer science and engineering.

The increasing requirements for active control of large aerospace, chemical and mechanical systems have focused attention on recent research into the control of distributed parameter systems. The increasing capabilities in computation, instrumentation and actuators have made possible implementation of sophisticated control schemes based on this research. This volume represents state of the art reports on the theory and current and future applications, and should be considered essential reading for all those involved in the production of such systems.

Research in control and estimation of distributed parameter systems encompasses a wide range of applications including both fundamental science and emerging technologies. The latter include smart materials (piezoceramics, shape memory alloys, magnetostrictives, electrorheological fluids) fabrication and testing, design of high-pressure chemical vapor deposition (CVD) reactors for production of microelectronic surfaces (e.g., semiconductors), while the former include groundwater contamination cleanup and other environmental modeling questions, climatology, flow control, and fluid-structure interactions as well as more traditional topics in biology, mechanics, and acoustics. These expository papers provide substantial stimulus to both young researchers and experienced investigators in control theory. Includes a comprehensive and lucid presentation that relates frequency domain techniques to state-space or time domain approaches for infinite-dimensional systems including design of robust stabilizing and finite-dimensional controllers for infinite-dimensional systems. It focuses on these two approaches to control design in an integrated system theoretic framework. This is excellent reading for researchers in both the frequency domain and time domain control communities. In other articles, topics considered include pointwise control of distributed parameter systems, bounded and unbounded sensors and actuators, stabilization issues for large flexible structures, and an overview discussion of damping models for flexible structures.

This seventh IFAC workshop on distributed control systems (DCCS) discusses the ideas of real-time synchronization and data consistency in industry, with emphasis on the Manufacturing Automation Protocol (MAP). The volume also debates the gulf between the computer scientist's approach to language and the needs of the application programmer. In addition to treating relevant topics, each session has an introductory paper and a panel discussion, to give a complete picture of the progress and research in this computer field today.

This volume investigates developments in, and management of, transportation systems, future trends and what effects these will have on society. The book studies transportation systems planning; traffic problems and the issue of conservation; the use of logistics, and the role of computers and robotics in traffic control.

The focus of the workshop was on recent advances in the theory, applications and techniques for distributed computer control systems. Topics included: tools and methods for inner layers of DCCS; application papers presenting operational DCCS; the infiltration of true real-time or "time critical" concepts and the emergence of artificial intelligence methods in DCCS applications, leading to novel computer architectures being integrated in computer networks. The book will be of interest not only to those involved in DCCS but also software engineers and distributed computing scientists.

Distributed computer control is at the intersection between control engineering and computer science. Containing 22 papers, this book provides an up-to-date reference source of important issues in the design and implementation of distributed real-time computer systems.