Van Valkenburg’s text is not a light read; it is a rigorous mathematical treatment. However, for the serious RF engineer, analog filter designer, or power electronics engineer, understanding separates the "component assemblers" from the true circuit designers.
Introduction to Modern Network Synthesis (often abbreviated as IMNS) was his masterwork. Unlike earlier texts that focused on circuit analysis, Van Valkenburg emphasized synthesis : the art of designing a network to achieve a desired performance characteristic, such as a specific frequency response or transfer function. introduction to modern network synthesis van valkenburgpdf
If you open the Van Valkenburg PDF, here are the 5 core sections you must master: Van Valkenburg’s text is not a light read;
The book breaks down exactly how to synthesize a one-port network (two terminals) based on the location of poles and zeros: for the serious RF engineer