Understanding Neighborhood of Linearization in Undergraduate Control Education [Focus on Education]

The first undergraduate control course is usually on automatic control theory. Correctly understanding the concepts in that course has far-reaching implications for students. Linearization is a standard topic covered in this introductory course. A nonlinear measurement-based approach is presented here to aid in the teaching of linearization. The pedagogical objective is to help students understand the concept of the neighborhood of linearization. The pedagogical approach is illustrated by measuring the nonlinearity of the cart-pole system, an example commonly used in control education. Drawing on student surveys in two consecutive academic years, we recommend combining demonstration software visualization with relevant mathematic introduction.