The series Advances in Industrial Control aims to report and encourage
technology transfer in control engineering. The rapid development of
control technology has an impact on all areas of the control discipline.
New theory, new controllers, actuators, sensors, new industrial
processes, computer methods, new applications, new philosophies . . .,
new challenges. Much of this development work resides in industrial
reports, feasibility study papers and the reports of advanced
collaborative projects. The series otTers an opportunity for researchers
to present an extended exposition of such new work in all aspects of
industrial control for wider and rapid dissemination. The time for
nonlinear control to enter routine application seems to be approaching.
Nonlinear control has had a long gestation period but much ofthe past
has been concerned with methods that involve formal nonlinear functional
model representations. It seems more likely that the breakthough will
come through the use of other more flexible and amenable nonlinear
system modelling tools. This Advances in Industrial Control monograph by
Guoping Liu gives an excellent introduction to the type of new nonlinear
system modelling methods currently being developed and used. Neural
networks appear prominent in these new modelling directions. The
monograph presents a systematic development of this exciting subject. It
opens with a useful tutorial introductory chapter on the various tools
to be used. In subsequent chapters Doctor Liu leads the reader through
identification, and then onto nonlinear control using nonlinear system
neural network representations.