The problem of the optimal control that brings the state distribution from
an initial state to a desired equilibrium condition for a system that descr
ibes the neutron dynamics is considered. A maximum principle is developed f
or the problem that facilitates the determination of the optimal control wh
ich minimizes a given performance index. The implementation of the theory i
s presented and the effectiveness of the control is investigated by a numer
ical example. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. Ail rights reserved.