Sir Alistair MacFarlane CBE FREng FRS

After getting a first class degree in electrical engineering at Glasgow, Alistair MacFarlane spent five years on electronic research at Metropolitan-Vickers. He then became a lecturer in Electrical Engineering at Queen Mary College, London where he started research on network theory and linear feedback circuits later extending this to the state space evaluation of non-linear networks. He was appointed Professor of Control Engineering at UMIST in 1969 and turned his attention to the design of multivariable control systems developing a brilliant and highly original generalisation of the circle method for multivariable regulator design. His later work on the analysis of non-linear networks and control systems was acclaimed as of the very highest quality by most control engineers and theorists throughout the world and resulted in his being elected Vice-chairman of the Theory Committee of the International Federation of Automatic Control.


Sir Alistair MacFarlane CBE FREng FRS died on 2 November 2021.

Subject groups

  • Engineering and Materials Science

    Engineering, control (incl robotics)

  • Other

    Other interests

Sir Alistair MacFarlane CBE FREng FRS
Elected 1984
Committees Participated Role
Council December 1997 - November 1999 Member
Education Committee January 1995 - December 2004 Chair