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.