System Theory in a Unified Curriculum

Abstract

The incessant search for unifying concepts in engineering education has, in recent times, stepped up its pace to match the tempo of our scientific and technological progress. Although a single unified curriculum for all engineering problems would indeed be a utopia, there is hope, nevertheless, that certain apparently diverse areas of engineering can be regrouped with emphasis on the basic disciplines underlying them. System theory, which is briefly exposed here, is one such fundamental discipline with its mainsprings in the mathematical model of linear-graph theory. The chief assertion of this paper is that system theory could very well serve as a basis for unifying the areas of 1) circuit theory, 2) circuit aspects of electronics, 3) rotating machinery, 4) elementary statics and dynamics, and 5) system analysis. The ideas presented here are sufficiently supported by the authors' classroom experiences. In the light of the curriculum proposed, certain of the inevitable implications for Canadian electrical engineering are discussed.