Optimal Robust Decentralized Control of Large‐Scale Nonlinear Systems: Tracking on the Infinite Time Horizon

ABSTRACT The article focuses on the approximation of large‐scale nonlinear systems by families of nearly independent systems, subject to a specified decentralization error bound. This creates an approximation of the original large‐scale system by a decentralized system, where the deviation between the original system and the decentralized system does not exceed a specified error bound. The approximation is then used to design decentralized optimal robust controllers that control the original large‐scale nonlinear system. The optimization objective is tracking, that is, maintaining the system's response as close as possible to a specified target state. Implementable controllers that approximate optimal performance are presented.