A reference providing analyses of the influences and relation of nonlinear partial differential equations to control systems. It covers topics including control laws, stability and optimization, and feedback syntheses for systems defined by partial differential equations; advances in "smart" materials; the effects of chaotic behavior on linear wave equations; and modeling, synthesis, and simulation techniques for static buckling and optimal control of beams, rods, and nonlinear infinite dimensional systems. The editors are mathematicians at Texas A&M U. and the U. of Virginia. The work has no index. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)