This paper surveys the control theoretic literature on decentralized and hierarchical control, and methods of analysis of large scale systems.

Survey of decentralized control methods for large scale systems

This tutorial-survey paper introduces the problems of decentralized statistical decision making (team theory) where the decision makers have access to different information concerning the underlying uncertainties. Using a simple thematic example with variations, the paper introduces and explains various concepts and results of team theory as applied to economics, information theory, and decentralized control.

Team decision theory and information structures

Classes of large scale dynamic systems were discussed in the context of modern control theory. Specific examples discussed were in the technical fields of aeronautics, water resources and electric power.

https://ntrs.nasa.gov/api/citations/19750021772/downloads/19750021772.pdf

Large scale dynamic systems

Situations in which strategies of various decision makers are designed using different models of the same system are a characteristic of large-scale system practice. For interconnected systems with slow and fast dynamics we develop a design algorithm which takes into account such multimodel situations. Conditions for the validity of this approximate design are formulated and illustrated by a power system example.

Control strategies for decision makers using different models of the same system

The computational burden associated with controlling a plant modeled as a Markov chain with a large number of states is addressed by proposing a two-layer feedback control structure. At the lower layer a regulator continuously monitors the plant. When the state of the plant reaches an extreme value, the supervisor at the higher layer intervenes to reset the regulator. It is shown that the plant dynamics and cost originally defined at the lower layer can be "lifted" to the supervisor layer and that the supervisor's control task can be defined in a way that permits wide flexibility in the design of the regulator.

Chee-Yee Chong

Papers

Paper: On the periodic coordination of linear stochastic systems

On the periodic coordination of linear stochastic systems