Bifurcation control: Theories, methods, and applications

Bifurcation control deals with modification of bifurcation characteristics of a parameterized nonlinear system by a designed control input. Typical bifurcation control objectives include delaying the onset of an inherent bifurcation, stabilizing a bifurcated solution or branch, changing the parameter value of an existing bifurcation point, modifying the shape or type of a bifurcation chain, introducing a new bifurcation at a preferable parameter value, monitoring the multiplicity, amplitude, and/or frequency of some limit cycles emerging from bifurcation, optimizing the system performance near a bifurcation point, or a combination of some of these objectives. This article offers an overview of this emerging, challenging, stimulating, and yet promising field of research, putting the main subject of bifurcation control into perspective.