Instructor

N. D. Ebrahimi

Room 405, ME Bldg.

Phone: 277-6294

E-mail: ebrahimi at unm dot edu

Office Hours

MWF 12-1

Announcements

Course updates, announcements, etc. will be sent to you via your UNM e-mail account. If you prefer to receive e-mail through other accounts (addresses), you would need to forward your UNM e-mail to your preferred address. Instructions are available at "How to forward your electronic mail?"

Assignments

Homeworks will be given regularly; each set of assignments will be due one week from the date it is assigned, unless otherwise specified. No late homework will be accepted under any circumstances. Important note: Homeworks are inspected (and “graded”) for the level of effort exhibited by the student, not for the correctness of work and answers. Working diligently on assignments constitutes the best path toward doing well in exams (and, therefore, receiving a good grade in the course). It is the responsibility of the students to make sure that they gain a high level of competency with the subject through homeworks.

Pre-requisites

Topical pre-requisites: Undergraduate Controls; Introductory Linear Algebra

Exams Dates

All "semester” exams will be taken during the class time (subject to change with advance notice by your instructor):

Exam I: Friday, September 26, 2008

Exam II: Friday, October 31, 2008

Exam III: TBD

Note: To accommodate exam preparation by students, every effort will be made to avoid introducing new subjects during the last week of classes (approximately three class sessions before Exam III). The available class time during this particular period will be spent on activities such as resolving homeworks, one-on-one (or small-group) discussions of course topics, etc.

Exams Logistics

·         Non cumulative

·         Quantitative as well as concept type

·         Range of coverage: all home works (and their supporting material) that are due before the day of exam

·         One sheet of notes (8.5 × 11.0 in., only one side) and calculators are allowed

·         Cell phones and laptops are not allowed

Point Accumulation

 5%: Home-works

 95%: Three (3) Semester Exams (equally weighted)

Note: Lively class participation (including appropriate humor that is shared by all) is strongly encouraged and (indirectly) rewarded (e.g., citations in letters of recommendation, etc.).

Grades (“Curve”)

Grades (based on total numerical score) will be assigned as follows: 

If your numerical score is equal to100, your Course Grade will be an A+.

If your numerical score is smaller than 45, your Course Grade will be an F.

Optional References

Software

It is very appropriate (and in many cases, necessary) to make use of your scientific calculator and/or commercially available software (such as Matlab) in carrying out complex or tedious calculations. Examples of this type of calculations include (but not limited to): Plots, Eigen-problems, Matrix Inversions, Systems of Algebraic Equations, Differential Equations, Integration, etc.  If you do make use of such resources, be certain to mention the source (e.g., Matlab) in your work. (You may attach a printout of your code, numerical results, etc.) Matlab is available at CIRT pods as well as ME Department's computer room. For a tutorial on Matlab please visit The MathWorks.

Web-based Instructional Support

ME 480/580 Not-for-Public Web directory: This directory is available only to registered students; access will be provided at the beginning of the semester (see your UNM e-mail “Inbox” when the semester starts). In this directory, you are provided with course e-handouts as well as supplemental material (such as Answers, Exam Keys, etc.).

Outline of Contents

1. Writing Differential Equations for Engineering Systems such as Mechanical, Hydraulic, Electric, Electromechanical, Thermal, and Ecological Systems.

2. Standard Signals: Unit Step, Unit Ramp, and Unit Parabola. Mathematical Descriptions of Continuous-Time Systems: Input-Output Descriptions of Single Variable Systems (Convolution); Computation of the Impulse Response; Graphical Convolution; Transfer Functions; “Simulation” Diagrams; Concept of State; Continuous Dynamical Systems; Deriving State-Space Descriptions; Linear Transformation of State Variables; Obtaining the Transfer Function from the State-Space Description.

3. Analysis of the State Equations for Continuous-Time Systems: Time-Varying Homogeneous Case, Fundamental Matrices, and the State Transition Matrix; Time-Invariant Homogeneous Case; Time-Invariant Forced Case; System Modes and Modal Decomposition.

4. System Controllability and Observability: Controllability and Observability of Time-Invariant Systems with Distinct Eigenvalues; Direct Criteria.

5. System Stability: Equilibrium States; Stability Concepts; Stability Criteria for Zero-Input and Nonzero-Input Systems; Total Stability; Lyapunov's Direct Method.

Time permitting, the following topics will also be covered:

6. Mathematical Descriptions of Discrete-Time Systems: Difference Operators; Representing Discrete Systems by Difference Equations; Classical Solution of Difference Equations; Introduction to Stability of Discrete Systems; Superposition Summations; Weighting Sequence; Practical Applications of Difference Equations; Z-transforms; Simulation Diagrams; State-Space Descriptions; Transformation of State Variables and System Representations; Solution to Homogeneous Equations.

7. Analysis of the State Equations for Discrete-Time Systems: Time-Varying Homogeneous Case, Fundamental Matrices, and the State Transition Matrix; Time-Invariant, Homogeneous Case; Time-Invariant Forced Case. Controllability, Observability, and Stability.

Additional Comments

Use of cell phones (voice, text, games, etc.) is not allowed in the classroom. Turn off and conceal your cell phone before entering the classroom.