Timed automata and robust control: can we now control complex dynamical systems?

Two different approaches have emerged in recent years for the analysis and synthesis of hybrid control systems. One approach views the hybrid system as a set of concurrent computer processes whose execution is controlled by continuous variables generated by an external environment. The other approach studies hybrid systems as dynamical systems using familiar concepts of stability and robust performance. The development of a systematic framework for the analysis and synthesis of hybrid systems will require the integration of these two perspectives. The objective of this tutorial paper is to highlight some of the recent developments in computer science and control that provide insight into the integration of these two methods