Control: A perspective

Feedback is an ancient idea, but feedback control is a young field. Nature long ago discovered feedback since it is essential for homeostasis and life. It was the key for harnessing power in the industrial revolution and is today found everywhere around us. Its development as a field involved contributions from engineers, mathematicians, economists and physicists. It is the first systems discipline; it represented a paradigm shift because it cut across the traditional engineering disciplines of aeronautical, chemical, civil, electrical and mechanical engineering, as well as economics and operations research. The scope of control makes it the quintessential multidisciplinary field. Its complex story of evolution is fascinating, and a perspective on its growth is presented in this paper. The interplay of industry, applications, technology, theory and research is discussed.