The use of symbolic computation in nonlinear control: is it viable?

To help along the analysis and design of nonlinear control systems the NONLINCON package, an acronym for nonlinear control, was developed. This note addresses the usefulness of symbolic computation, and of the NONLINCON package in particular, for the symbolic analysis and design of nonlinear control systems. The symbolic computation program MAPLE is used as computing substratum. Textbook problems show that the NONLINCON package can be used successfully. A larger scale problem is too complex, however, to be solved with the current versions of NONLINCON and MAPLE. The conclusion is that symbolic computation is a viable approach for textbook problems, but not yet for more complex ones.>