Advances in computer technology have pointed out the next important area of computer applications: solution of non-numerical problems. It is hardly necessary to emphasize the importance of these kind of problems. First of all most of the decisions one has to make in real-life situations are non-numerical in the first instance and can be represented as numerical problems only as approximations which are often only partially valid. Second, to use the computer to its full potential it should be employed as a logical machine, capable of deduction, and not just as a numerical calculating machine. Thus the computer would extend man's capability for logical reasoning and not just for his capability to do fast and accurate calculation. It is not a new area; indeed non-numerical problems are central in fields such as artificial intelligence, heuristic programming, pattern recognition, classification and information-processing (and retrival) etc. However, it is fair to assess that progress in the area has not been quite as expected. One of the reasons was a lack of conceptual and theoretical framework in which to investigate different classes of non-numerical problems to improve understanding of various types of problems and methods for their solutions and furthermore to enable the methods which have been proven as effective in one situation to be used in another situation with appropriately similar structure.

Computer Aided Design of Control Systems focuses on the use of computers to analyze and design the control of various processes, as well as the development of program packages with different algorithms for digital computers. The selection first takes a look at the computer aided design of minimal order controllers, including design of interacting and noninteracting dynamic controllers of minimal order and basic algorithm. The book then discusses an accelerated Newton process to solve Riccati equation through matrix sign function; suboptimal direct digital control of a trickle-bed absorption column; and structural design of large systems employing a geometric approach. The text underscores the computer as an aid for the implementation of advanced control algorithms on physical processes and analysis of direct control algorithms and their parallel realization. Topics include hardware influences on the control, process influence, and interactive structure design of direct control systems. The book also takes a look at the optimal control of randomly sampled linear stochastic systems; computer aided design of suboptimal test signals for system identification; and computer aided design of multi-level systems with prescribed structure and control constraints. The selection is a dependable source of data for readers interested in the uses of computers.