This book introduces the fundamental tools and methods of nonlinear control theory. It begins with illustrative examples of nonlinear dynamical systems and their characteristic behaviors, followed by a systematic presentation of core analytical techniques and control strategies, including stability theory, passivity and the passivity theorem, input-to-state stability, and the nonlinear small-gain theorem.

The discussion then addresses how to exploit system structures in controller design and introduces several powerful tools for control synthesis. Covering both classical results and recent advances in nonlinear control, this book emphasizes intuitive understanding and engineering-oriented language, supported by practical examples throughout.

It serves as an ideal textbook or reference for advanced undergraduate and graduate students in automation-related disciplines, as well as a valuable resource for researchers and practitioners interested in nonlinear control.

LIU Tengfei, Ph.D. Supervisor at Northeastern University. He conducts fundamental and applied research in nonlinear control and serves as an Associate Editor for several international journals, including IEEE Transactions on Automatic Control. He has received support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) Excellent Young Scholars Fund and the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars.

JIANG Zhongping, Professor at New York University. He is a Fellow of the European Academy of Sciences, IEEE, IFAC, CAA, and AAIA, and a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher. His research interests include stability theory, nonlinear control, distributed optimization, reinforcement learning, adaptive dynamic programming, and their applications.