Well Matched Systems
Vladimir Zakian · IMA Journal of Mathematical Control and Information · 1991
A new principle of design, called matching, is introduced. A system is tolerant to a given input (disturbance) if that input does not disturb the system beyond an acceptable level. Ideally, a system is designed so that the set of inputs to which it may be subjected is the same as the set to which it is tolerant. Such a system is perfectly well matched to its environment. This idea is used to construct a framework that yields design objectives which may be used to design the system so that it is well matched to its environment. The design objectives express quantitatively the amount of stability required from the system to ensure that it is well matched. The framework is applied to classical systems and is used to shed light on conventional design objectives.