Bang-bang optimal control for the dam problem

The dam problem with general geometry is considered. Fluid is drawn from the bottomS ₁ at a ratek where 0 k N, _{S 1} k M; the objective is to minimize the total pressure of the fluid in the dam. A bang-bang principle is established for any optimal controlk ₀, that is,k ₀ = 0 on a setA andk ₀ =N on the complement setS ₁ A. In the case of a rectangular dam the structure ofA is determined and the uniqueness of the minimizerk ₀ is established.This work is partially supported by National Science Foundation Grants DMS-8501397 and DMS-8420896.