With the advancement of technology, engineers need the systems they design not only to work, but to be the absolute best possible given the requirements and available tools. In this environment, an understanding of a system's limitations acquires added importance. Without such knowledge, one might unknowingly attempt to design an impossible system. Thus, a thorough investigation of all of a system's properties is essential. In fact, many design procedures have evolved from such investigations. For use at the senior-graduate level in courses on linear systems and multivariable system design, this highly successful text is devoted to this study and the design procedures developed thereof. It is not a control text, per se --since it does not cover performance criteria, physical constraints, cost, optimization, and sensitivity problems. Chen develops major results and design procedures using simple and efficient methods. Thus, the presentation is not exhaustive; only those concepts which are essential in the development are introduced. Problem sets--following each chapter--help students understand and utilize the concepts and results covered.