Minimax Control and Dynamic Games

This project is aimed at developing a time-domain based theory for derivation of minimax (worst-case) identifiers and controllers for nonlinear systems with norm-bounded and partially stochastic uncertainties, and analyzing their robustness with respect to modeling inaccuracies and model reduction. Robustness is imposed here on the top of minimaxity, and introduces a further classification of minimax estimators and controllers according to their admissibility, or sensitivity to inaccuracies in plant modeling. Of particular emphasis here is the inaccuracy that results from model simplifications due to time-scale separation (such as presence of unmodeled fast dynamics) or weak coupling of several subsystems. A further topic of study is the characterization of robust controllers for parametrized families of plants and under multiple criteria. The general approach adopted is that of dynamic or differential game theory.