René's URL Explorer Experiment

{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"DiscussionForumPosting","headline":"Simulation Function Names Poorly Chosen...","articleBody":"Hi,\r\n\r\nGenerally, the forced response is also known as the zero state response and is the response due to the forcing function (the input) alone (zero initial conditions).  The control.forced_response() is a linear simulation for a linear system, and it can give the response due to the input and the initial condition all at once, not just the forced response.  You just put in the input and initial condition.  It is similar to lsim in Matlab. \r\n\r\nThis is made more confusing because you have a control.initial_response(), where the input parameter is actually there, but the docs say it is ignored!  This is also known as the zero input response, or natural response. \r\n\r\nThe control.input_output_response() is a nonlinear simulation of the system, and could use a name that says that.  In [this location in the docs](https://python-control.readthedocs.io/en/0.9.3.post2/generated/control.input_output_response.html#control.input_output_response), it has no mention of it being a nonlinear simulation.\r\n\r\nThere are probably other similar issues.  These are just the ones that caused me grief in the last couple of weeks.\r\n\r\nThis may be a hard thing to change, given the president already set, but you could depreciate the present function names, and make the option of using some more descriptive ones. Eventually, everyone will use the more descriptive function calls and you can remove the poorly named ones.\r\n\r\nThanks for this helpful package!\r\n\r\nRob","author":{"url":"https://github.com/frohro","@type":"Person","name":"frohro"},"datePublished":"2023-05-22T04:44:17.000Z","interactionStatistic":{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":"https://schema.org/CommentAction","userInteractionCount":0},"url":"https://github.com/893/python-control/issues/893"}