Optimal Control and the Calculus of Variations

Rating:
Summary: Superb
Review: I have read a large number of books on this field. This is by far the most comprehensive book on the subject. It is suitable for self study, and gives a true jist for optimal control

Rating:
Summary: Not enough words
Review: If you have a good professor to guide your through, this book may be ok. If you're on your own - forget about it.

Rating:
Summary: A genuinely readable introdution for the applied scientist
Review: This is an excellent introduction to the calculus of variations and Pontryagin's Maximum Principle. It is written exceptionally clearly and gives the reader access to the calculus without becoming bogged down in lengthy diffcult proofs (which are left to the end).

I recommend this book to any student or scientist who is not a pure mathematician but wishes to understand and apply analytic tools of optimization.