This book provides, in a unified framework, an updated and rather
comprehensive treatment contered on the theory of ot- pimal control with
quadratic cost functional for abstract linear systems with application
to boundary/point control problems for partial differential equations
(distributed pa- rameter systems). The book culminates with the
analysisof differential and algebraic Riccati equations which arise in
the pointwisefe- edback synthesis of the optimal pair. It incorporates
the critical topics of optimal irregularity of solutions to mi- xed
problems for partial differential equations, exact con- trollability,
and uniform feedback stabilization. It covers the main results of the
theory - which has reached a consi- derable degree of maturity over the
last few years - as well asthe authors' basic philosophy behind it.
Moreover, it provides numerous illustrative examples of boundary/point
control problems for partial differential equations, where the abstract
theory applies. However, in line with the purpose of the manuscript,
many technical pro- ofs are referred to in the literature. Thus, the
manuscript should prove useful not only to mathematicians and theoreti-
cal scientists with expertise in partial differential equa- tions,
operator theory, numerical analysis, control theory, etc., but also to
those who simple wish to orient themselves with the scope and status of
the theory presently available. Both continuous theory and numerical
approximation theory thereof are included.