Book excerpt: This book introduces a student to Pontryagin's "Maximum" Principle in a tutorial style. How to formulate an optimal control problem and how to apply Pontryagin's theory are the main topics. Numerous examples are used to discuss pitfalls in problem formulation. Figures are used extensively to complement the ideas. An entire chapter is dedicated to solved example problems: from the classical Brachistochrone problem to modern space vehicle guidance. These examples are also used to show how to obtain optimal nonlinear feedback control. Students in engineering and mathematics will find this book to be a useful complement to their lecture notes. Table of Contents: 1 Problem Formulation 1.1 The Brachistochrone Paradigm 1.1.1 Development of a Problem Formulation 1.1.2 Scaling Equations 1.1.3 Alternative Problem Formulations 1.1.4 The Target Set 1.2 A Fundamental Control Problem 1.2.1 Problem Statement 1.2.2 Trajectory Optimization and Feedback Control 2 Pontryagin's Principle 2.1 A Fundamental Control Problem 2.2 Necessary Conditions 2.3 Minimizing the Hamiltonian 2.3.1 Brief History 2.3.2 KKT Conditions for Problem HMC 2.3.3 Time-Varying Control Space 3 Example Problems 3.1 The Brachistochrone Problem Redux 3.2 A Linear-Quadratic Problem 3.3 A Time-Optimal Control Problem 3.4 A Space Guidance Problem 4 Exercise Problems 4.1 One-Dimensional Problems 4.1.1 Linear-Quadratic Problems 4.1.2 A Control-Constrained Problem 4.2 Double Integrator Problems 4.2.1 L1-Optimal Control 4.2.2 Fuller's Problem 4.3 Orbital Maneuvering Problems 4.3.1 Velocity Steering 4.3.2 Max-Energy Orbit Transfer 4.3.3 Min-Time Orbit Transfer References Index