This comprehensive overview is based on real-time applications and procedures used by NASA, and includes a wide range of examples based on actual flight-test and wind tunnel data. Klein (engineering emeritus, The George Washington U.) and Morelli, a research engineer at NASA, describe the elements of system theory, including modeling and parameter estimation, a mathematical model and the ways interconnecting and separate systems are assessed with it, estimation theory, regression methods, maximum likelihood methods, frequency domain methods, experiment design, data compatibility, data analysis, and applications of MATLAB software. Appendices give the mathematical background, information on probability and statistics as well as random variables, reference information, and material on an F-16 nonlinear simulation. Annotation ©2006 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)