The development of inexpensive and fast computers, coupled with the discovery of efficient algorithms for dealing with polynomial equations, has enabled exciting new applications of algebraic geometry and commutative algebra. Algebraic Geometry for Robotics and Control Theory shows how tools borrowed from these two fields can be efficiently employed to solve relevant problem arising in robotics and control theory.After a brief introduction to various algebraic objects and techniques, the book first covers a wide variety of topics concerning control theory, robotics, and their applications. Specifically this book shows how these computational and theoretical methods can be coupled with classical control techniques to: solve the inverse kinematics of robotic arms; design observers for nonlinear systems; solve systems of polynomial equalities and inequalities; plan the motion of mobile robots; analyze Boolean networks; solve (possibly, multi-objective) optimization problems; characterize the robustness of linear; time-invariant plants; and certify positivity of polynomials.

This book details the analysis of continuous- and discrete-time dynamical systems described by differential and difference equations respectively. Differential geometry provides the tools for this, such as first-integrals or orbital symmetries, together with normal forms of vector fields and of maps. A crucial point of the analysis is linearization by state immersion. The theory is developed for general nonlinear systems and specialized for the class of Hamiltonian systems. By using the strong geometric structure of Hamiltonian systems, the results proposed are stated in a different, less complex and more easily comprehensible manner. They are applied to physically motivated systems, to demonstrate how much insight into known properties is gained using these techniques. Various control systems applications of the techniques are characterized including: computation of the flow of nonlinear systems; computation of semi-invariants; computation of Lyapunov functions for stability analysis and observer design.

"Symmetries and Semi-invariants in the Analysis of Nonlinear Systems" details the analysis of continuous- and discrete-time dynamical systems described by differential and difference equations respectively. Differential geometry provides the essential tools for the analysis, tools such as first-integrals or orbital symmetries, together with normal forms of vector fields and of maps. The use of such tools allows the solution of some important problems, studied in detail in the text, which includelinearization by state immersionand the computation of nonlinear superposition formulae for nonlinear systems described by solvable Lie algebras.

The theory is developed for general nonlinear systems and, in view of their importance for modeling physical systems, specialized for the class of Hamiltonian systems. By using the strong geometric structure of Hamiltonian systems, the results proposed are stated in a quite different, less complex and more easily comprehensible manner. Throughout the text the results are illustrated by many examples, some of them being physically motivated systems, so that the reader can appreciate how much insight is gained by means of these techniques. Various control systems applications of the techniques are characterized including:

. computation of the flow of nonlinear systems;

. computation of semi-invariants;

. computation of Lyapunov functions for stability analysis.

"Symmetries and Semi-invariants in the Analysis of Nonlinear Systems" will be of interest to researchers and graduate students studying control theory, particularly with respect to nonlinear systems. All the necessary background and mathematical derivations are related in detail but in a simple writing style that makes the book accessible in depth to readers having a standard knowledge of real analysis, linear algebra and systems theory. "