We study a class of hyperbolic partial differential equations on a one dimensional spatial domain with control and observation at the boundary. Using the idea of feedback we show these systems are well-posed in the sense of Weiss and Salamon if and only if the state operator generates a C 0-semigroup. Furthermore, we show that the corresponding transfer function is regular, i.e., has a limit for s going to infinity.

Since the 1970s, contact geometry has been recognized as an appropriate framework for the geometric formulation of thermodynamic systems, and in particular their state properties. More recently it has been shown how the symplectization of contact manifolds provides a new vantage point; enabling, among other things, to switch easily between the energy and entropy representations of a thermodynamic system. In the present paper, this is continued towards the global geometric definition of a degenerate Riemannian metric on the homogeneous Lagrangian submanifold describing the state properties, which is overarching the locally-defined metrics of Weinhold and Ruppeiner. Next, a geometric formulation is given of non-equilibrium thermodynamic processes, in terms of Hamiltonian dynamics defined by Hamiltonian functions that are homogeneous of degree one in the co-extensive variables and zero on the homogeneous Lagrangian submanifold. The correspondence between objects in contact geometry and their homogeneous counterparts in symplectic geometry, is extended to the definition of port-thermodynamic systems and the formulation of interconnection ports. The resulting geometric framework is illustrated on a number of simple examples, already indicating its potential for analysis and control.

This technical note addresses the structure preserving stabilization by output feedback of conservative input-output contact systems, a class of input-output Hamiltonian systems defined on contact manifolds. In the first instance, achievable contact forms in closed-loop and the associated Legendre submanifolds are analysed. In the second instance the stability properties of a hyperbolic equilibrium point of a strict contact vector field are analysed and it is shown that the stable and unstable manifolds are Legendre submanifolds. In the third instance the consequences for the design of stable structure preserving output feedback are derived: in closed-loop one may achieve stability only relatively to some invariant Legendre submanifold of the closed-loop contact form and furthermore this Legendre submanifold may be used as a control design parameter. The results are illustrated along the technical note on the example of heat transfer between two compartments and a controlled thermostat.