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6, 611-613 (1992)
BOOK REVIEW
MODERN SIGNALS AND S Y S T E M S , Huibert Kwakernaak and Raphael Sivan, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ, 1990, ISBN 0-13-809252-4,
v + 791 pp. plus Software Disk SIGSYS by Rens
C. W. Strijbos, 18.55 (softback).
OVERVIEW
Modern Signals and Systems is a new text aimed
at providing a concise and rigorous account of
the mathematical background needed for
undergraduate courses in signal processing,
control theory and telecommunications. In this
respect Kwakernaak and Sivan appear to have
met their objectives. It is a fresh and innovative
text ideal for teaching students who wish to
continue on and d o theoretical research. It
justifies its use of the word modern in the title
by exploiting the recent systems formalism of Jan
Willems. The text represents a considerable
challenge for the average electrical engineering
student, since many of the concepts tend to be
abstract and not easily absorbed. A lot of the
unique material in the text, particularly the
axiomatic manner of presentation, can be
classified as desirable but not necessary. The
book comes with professional quality PC
software SIGSYS written by Rens Strijbos.
The order of presentation of the material in the
text could create some difficulties, since notions
such as the Fourier and Laplace transforms are
introduced very late in the book. Specifically,
these transforms are dealt with after state space
ideas and only before the final three chapters
which treat applications (see the contents list
below). This may make the text difficult to
incorporate in a standard electrical engineering
curriculum, especially if the material from the
book is taught over two semesters and other
courses require these transforms after the first
semester. The text is more ideally suited to
students of applied mathematics or students
doing combined mathematics and engineering
courses and taking a course in signals and
systems.
REVIEW
ContenI S
Technical aspects
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BOOK REVIEW
SYNOPSIS
My opinion is that any student who masters this
text is well placed to understand what the text
purports to teach, i.e. modern signals and
systems - at least modern in the sense of
developments which have been taking place in. the
late 1980s and early 1990s. If it were possible to
identify future research engineers (and mathematicians working in the engineering field) at
such an early stage of their development, then the
book superbly fits the bill for their undergraduate
education. This forte of the text tends to come at
the expense of the average students who are
encouraged to learn concepts strictly not needed
nor crucial for their early engineering education.
On the other hand, anything less than what
Kwakernaak and Sivan have produced would
compromise their primary objective, which is to
create a text which emphasizes the modern trend
towards more concise, rigorous mathematical
expression in engineering education. At the least
the book should be on the reading list of every
course on signals and systems, and in those cases
where the curriculum allows it should be
considered a strong candidate for the main text.
R. A. KENNEDY
Department of Systems Engineering
RS Phys SE and the Interdisciplinary Engineering
Program
Faculty of Science
Australian National University
GPO Box 4, Canberra ACT 2601
Australia