This book offers a systematic introduction to the optimal stochastic control theory via the dynamic programming principle, which is a powerful tool to analyze control problems. First we consider completely observable control problems with finite horizons. Using a time discretization we construct a nonlinear semigroup related to the dynamic programming principle (DPP), whose generator provides the Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman (HJB) equation, and we characterize the value function via the nonlinear semigroup, besides the viscosity solution theory. When we control not only the dynamics of a system but also the terminal time of its evolution, control-stopping problems arise. This problem is treated in the same frameworks, via the nonlinear semigroup. Its results are applicable to the American option price problem. Zero-sum two-player time-homogeneous stochastic differential games and viscosity solutions of the Isaacs equations arising from such games are studied via a nonlinear semigroup related to DPP (the min-max principle, to be precise). Using semi-discretization arguments, we construct the nonlinear semigroups whose generators provide lower and upper Isaacs equations. Concerning partially observable control problems, we refer to stochastic parabolic equations driven by colored Wiener noises, in particular, the Zakai equation. The existence and uniqueness of solutions and regularities as well as Itô's formula are stated. A control problem for the Zakai equations has a nonlinear semigroup whose generator provides the HJB equation on a Banach space. The value function turns out to be a unique viscosity solution for the HJB equation under mild conditions. This edition provides a more generalized treatment of the topic than does the earlier book Lectures on Stochastic Control Theory (ISI Lecture Notes 9), where time-homogeneous cases are dealt with. Here, for finite time-horizon control problems, DPP was formulated as a one-parameter nonlinear semigroup, whose generator provides the HJB equation, by using a time-discretization method. The semigroup corresponds to the value function and is characterized as the envelope of Markovian transition semigroups of responses for constant control processes. Besides finite time-horizon controls, the book discusses control-stopping problems in the same frameworks.

Graduate-level text provides introduction to optimal control theory for stochastic systems, emphasizing application of basic concepts to real problems. "Invaluable as a reference for those already familiar with the subject." — Automatica.

Yet again, here is a Springer volume that offers readers something completely new. Until now, solved examples of the application of stochastic control to actuarial problems could only be found in journals. Not any more: this is the first book to systematically present these methods in one volume. The author starts with a short introduction to stochastic control techniques, then applies the principles to several problems. These examples show how verification theorems and existence theorems may be proved, and that the non-diffusion case is simpler than the diffusion case. Schmidli’s brilliant text also includes a number of appendices, a vital resource for those in both academic and professional settings.

This book contains an introduction to three topics in stochastic control: discrete time stochastic control, i. e. , stochastic dynamic programming (Chapter 1), piecewise - terministic control problems (Chapter 3), and control of Ito diffusions (Chapter 4). The chapters include treatments of optimal stopping problems. An Appendix - calls material from elementary probability theory and gives heuristic explanations of certain more advanced tools in probability theory. The book will hopefully be of interest to students in several ?elds: economics, engineering, operations research, ?nance, business, mathematics. In economics and business administration, graduate students should readily be able to read it, and the mathematical level can be suitable for advanced undergraduates in mathem- ics and science. The prerequisites for reading the book are only a calculus course and a course in elementary probability. (Certain technical comments may demand a slightly better background. ) As this book perhaps (and hopefully) will be read by readers with widely diff- ing backgrounds, some general advice may be useful: Don’t be put off if paragraphs, comments, or remarks contain material of a seemingly more technical nature that you don’t understand. Just skip such material and continue reading, it will surely not be needed in order to understand the main ideas and results. The presentation avoids the use of measure theory.

This book helps students, researchers, and practicing engineers to understand the theoretical framework of control and system theory for discrete-time stochastic systems so that they can then apply its principles to their own stochastic control systems and to the solution of control, filtering, and realization problems for such systems. Applications of the theory in the book include the control of ships, shock absorbers, traffic and communications networks, and power systems with fluctuating power flows. The focus of the book is a stochastic control system defined for a spectrum of probability distributions including Bernoulli, finite, Poisson, beta, gamma, and Gaussian distributions. The concepts of observability and controllability of a stochastic control system are defined and characterized. Each output process considered is, with respect to conditions, represented by a stochastic system called a stochastic realization. The existence of a control law is related to stochastic controllability while the existence of a filter system is related to stochastic observability. Stochastic control with partial observations is based on the existence of a stochastic realization of the filtration of the observed process.​

This book is a result of many years of author's research and teaching on random vibration and control. It was used as lecture notes for a graduate course. It provides a systematic review of theory of probability, stochastic processes, and stochastic calculus. The feedback control is also reviewed in the book. Random vibration analyses of SDOF, MDOF and continuous structural systems are presented in a pedagogical order. The application of the random vibration theory to reliability and fatigue analysis is also discussed. Recent research results on fatigue analysis of non-Gaussian stress processes are also presented. Classical feedback control, active damping, covariance control, optimal control, sliding control of stochastic systems, feedback control of stochastic time-delayed systems, and probability density tracking control are studied. Many control results are new in the literature and included in this book for the first time. The book serves as a reference to the engineers who design and maintain structures subject to harsh random excitations including earthquakes, sea waves, wind gusts, and aerodynamic forces, and would like to reduce the damages of structural systems due to random excitations.· Comprehensive review of probability theory, and stochastic processes· Random vibrations· Structural reliability and fatigue, Non-Gaussian fatigue· Monte Carlo methods· Stochastic calculus and engineering applications· Stochastic feedback controls and optimal controls· Stochastic sliding mode controls· Feedback control of stochastic time-delayed systems· Probability density tracking control

As is well known, Pontryagin's maximum principle and Bellman's dynamic programming are the two principal and most commonly used approaches in solving stochastic optimal control problems. * An interesting phenomenon one can observe from the literature is that these two approaches have been developed separately and independently. Since both methods are used to investigate the same problems, a natural question one will ask is the fol lowing: (Q) What is the relationship betwccn the maximum principlc and dy namic programming in stochastic optimal controls? There did exist some researches (prior to the 1980s) on the relationship between these two. Nevertheless, the results usually werestated in heuristic terms and proved under rather restrictive assumptions, which were not satisfied in most cases. In the statement of a Pontryagin-type maximum principle there is an adjoint equation, which is an ordinary differential equation (ODE) in the (finite-dimensional) deterministic case and a stochastic differential equation (SDE) in the stochastic case. The system consisting of the adjoint equa tion, the original state equation, and the maximum condition is referred to as an (extended) Hamiltonian system. On the other hand, in Bellman's dynamic programming, there is a partial differential equation (PDE), of first order in the (finite-dimensional) deterministic case and of second or der in the stochastic case. This is known as a Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) equation.