Optimal impulsive control of compartment models,II: Algorithm

The optimal impulsive control of systems arising from linear compartment models for drug distribution in the human body is considered. A system of linear, time-invariant, homogeneous differential equations is given along with a set of continuous constraints on state and control. The object is to develop a constructive algorithm for the computation of the optimal control relative to a convex cost functional. Under suitable hypotheses, satisfying the continuous constraints is equivalent to satisfying the constraints at a finite set of abstractly definedcritical points. Once these critical points have been determined, the solution of the optimal control problem is found as the solution of an ordinary finite-dimensional convex programming problem. An iterative algorithm is given for the situation in which the critical points cannot all be determineda priori.This work was supported in part by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. MPS-74-13332.