This chapter introduces optimal control with the help of several examples taken from chemical engineering applications. The examples elucidate the use of control functions to achieve what is desired in those applications. The mathematical underpinnings illustrate the formulation of optimal control problems. The examples help build up the notion of objective functionals to be optimized using control functions.
1.1 Definition
An optimal controlis a function that optimizes the performance of a system changing with time, space, or any other independent variable. That function is a relation between a selected system input or property and an independent variable. The appellation “control” signifies the use of a function ...
