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Feedback for physicists: A tutorial essay on control

John Bechhoefer*

John Bechhoefer*

  • Department of Physics, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia V5A 1S6, Canada

  • *Electronic address: johnb@sfu.ca
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Rev. Mod. Phys. 77, 783 – Published 31 August, 2005

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/RevModPhys.77.783

Abstract

Feedback and control theory are important ideas that should form part of the education of a physicist but rarely do. This tutorial essay aims to give enough of the formal elements of control theory to satisfy the experimentalist designing or running a typical physics experiment and enough to satisfy the theorist wishing to understand its broader intellectual context. The level is generally simple, although more advanced methods are also introduced. Several types of applications are discussed, as the practical uses of feedback extend far beyond the simple regulation problems where it is most often employed. Sketches are then provided of some of the broader implications and applications of control theory, especially in biology, which are topics of active research.

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Rev. Mod. Phys. 77, 783– Published 31 August, 2005

    © 2005 American Physical Society

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