Control Theory Is Not For Control Freaks

Control theory is a field of mathematics and engineering concerned with manipulating the output of dynamical systems. This might sound like the perfect field of study for a control freak, however, the reader from a pure mathematical background, who is familiar with calculating exact solutions and rigorous proofs, should beware. It is only very rarely that the systems studied in Control Theory can be controlled perfectly. One of the most important tasks in this subject is deciding what can’t be controlled, or what is impractical to control, and focusing on what can. This article aims to high-light these kinds of necessary compromises in the level of control a control theorist must make. Before we do this though, some background must be covered