Abstract: A method is provided for steering and controlling a functional unit with a steering and control device. The steering and control device includes a plurality of normalizing units, each unit having an input for receiving a respective input variable and being operative for generating a normalized input variable. An analytic controller has a plurality of inputs being equal to at least the plurality of normalizing units, for receiving the normalized input variables, the analytic controller being operative for analytically combining the normalized input variables in accordance with a plurality of knowledge-based control rules to form an actuating variable. A function unit has an input receiving the actuating variable, the function unit being operative for generating a process-controlled variable.