Numerical methods for singular optimal control

Methods are described for the numerical solution of singular optimal control problems. A simple method is given for solving a class of problems which form a transition from nonsingular to singular cases. A procedure is given for determining the structure of a singular problem if it is initially unknown. Several numerical examples are presented.This work is based on the author's PhD Dissertation at The Hatfield Polytechnic, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, England.     

On the order of singular optimal control problems

In singular optimal control problems, the functional form of the optimal control function is usually determined by solving the algebraic equation which results by successively differentiating the switching function until the control appears explicitly. This process defines the order of the singular problem. Order-related results are developed for singular linear-quadratic problems and for a bilinear example which gives new insights into the relationship between singular problem order and singular are order.Dedicated to R. BellmanThis work was supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. ENG-77-16660.     

On Necessary Optimality Conditions for Singular Controls in Dynamical Systems with a Delay in Control

Abstract

In this article, an optimal control problem with a delay in control is considered. The second-order necessary condition is obtained for the optimality of singular (in the sense of the maximum principle) control. Also, the notion of degenerate singular control of order k (k?≥?1) is introduced and for optimality of this, the high-order necessary condition is obtained. Moreover, while studying the problem, one of the strengthened version of an analog of the maximum principle is shown. Finally, the rich content of the obtained results is illustrated by specific examples.     

奇异脉冲系统的奇异H_∞控制

主要研究奇异脉冲系统的奇异H∞控制问题.当系统不满足正则条件时,给出奇异脉冲系统的奇异H∞控制问题可解的充分条件,控制律使得闭环系统在保证内稳定的条件下达到干扰衰减.     

Singular mean-field control games

This article studies singular mean field control problems and singular mean field two-players stochastic differential games. Both sufficient and necessary conditions for the optimal controls and for the Nash equilibrium are obtained. Under some assumptions the optimality conditions for singular mean-field control are reduced to a reflected Skorohod problem, whose solution is proved to exist uniquely. Motivations are given as optimal harvesting of stochastic mean-field systems, optimal irreversible investments under uncertainty and mean-field singular investment games. In particular, a simple singular mean-field investment game is studied, where the Nash equilibrium exists but is not unique.     

A unified approach to portfolio optimization with linear transaction costs

In this paper we study the continuous time optimal portfolio selection problem for an investor with a finite horizon who maximizes expected utility of terminal wealth and faces transaction costs in the capital market. It is well known that, depending on a particular structure of transaction costs, such a problem is formulated and solved within either stochastic singular control or stochastic impulse control framework. In this paper we propose a unified framework, which generalizes the contemporary approaches and is capable to deal with any problem where transaction costs are a linear/piecewise-linear function of the volume of trade. We also discuss some methods for solving numerically the problem within our unified framework.     

On harvesting two competing populations

The problem of harvesting two competing populations is formulated in an optimal control setting. The maximum sustained rent (MSR) solution is introduced and is shown to be not only totally singular, but also to play a central role in solutions to the harvesting problem. It is further shown that nonsingular extremal subarcs must in general approach and leave the MSR along partially singular curves. A numerical example is introduced to demonstrate this phenomenon. In the case where the populations are driven onto the MSR in minimum time, however, the optimal control is shown to be bang-bang with at most one switch.The author is indebted to Professor D. H. Jacobson and Dr. D. H. Martin for helpful discussions during the preparation of this paper.     

Bio-economics of a renewable resource subjected to strong Allee effect

In this article bio-economics of a renewable resource that is subjected to strong Allee effect (multiplicative Allee effect) is investigated from sole owner perspective. The considered optimal harvesting problem has been solved using Pontryagin maximum principle. The control problem admits multiple singular equilibrium solutions in contrast to the case where the growth of the resource is of compensatory nature. Thus the choice of optimal singular solution and the nature of associated approach paths make the problem pertinent and interesting.     

奇异双线性系统二次型微分博弈的鞍点均衡

研究了有限时间段内的奇异双线性二次型性能指标的鞍点均衡问题. 针对问题求解的复杂性,引入降阶变换将问题分解为快、慢两个子系统,然后利用极大值原理求得了系统的最优控制策略.最后给出了数值算例的仿真以验证算法的正确性和有效性.     

时滞广义时变系统的容许性分析与镇定

研究了时滞广义时变系统的容许性与镇定性问题.首先,基于广义Lyapunov不等式、线性矩阵不等式和受限等价方法,建立时滞广义时变系统的Lyapunov不等式,将时滞广义时变系统的容许性问题转化为求解时滞广义时变系统的Lyapunov不等式问题,得到了系统容许的充分条件.然后,根据充分条件进一步研究了时滞广义时变系统的镇定问题,给出了状态反馈镇定器的设计方法.最后,通过数值算例验证了所得结论的有效性.     

Approximate Solution of Optimization Problems for Infinite-Dimensional Singular Systems

An optimal control problem is considered for a system described by a singular equation of parabolic type. The study bases on a special regularization method. We establish existence of a solution to the regularized problem, as well as the corresponding necessary optimality conditions. The results enable us to find an approximate solution to the original problem even in the absence of solvability.     

Piecewise-Linear Pathways to the Optimal Solution Set in Linear Programming

An optimal control problem with four linear controls describing a sophisticated concern model is investigated. The numerical solution of this problem by combination of a direct collocation and an indirect multiple shooting method is presented and discussed. The approximation provided by the direct method is used to estimate the switching structure caused by the four controls occurring linearly. The optimal controls have bang-bang subarcs as well as constrained and singular subarcs. The derivation of necessary conditions from optimal control theory is aimed at the subsequent application of an indirect multiple shooting method but is also interesting from a mathematical point of view. Due to the linear occurrence of the controls, the minimum principle leads to a linear programming problem. Therefore, the Karush–Kuhn–Tucker conditions can be used for an optimality check of the solution obtained by the indirect method.     

二维非稳态对流扩散边界控制问题的简化算法

针对二维非稳态对流扩散边界控制问题计算量大的问题,提出了基于降阶模型的最优实时控制方法.利用POD(the Proper Orthogonal Decomposition)和奇异值分解以及Galerkin投影方法得到了具有高精度离散形式的状态空间降阶模型.在所得的降阶状态空间模型中,利用离散时间线性二次调节器方法设计出了最优控制器.对流-扩散过程的控制模拟结果说明了所提方法的有效性和准确性.     

Necessary optimality conditions for a singular surface in the form of synthesis

For a linear control problem using the traditional open-loop approach, a new representation for the singular control and generalized, invariant conditions for optimality are found. The phase portrait of a nonlinear control problem is considered in the neighborhood of singular trajectories. The singular paths form a hypersurface, approached by regular paths from both sides. The Bellman function for this problem is a classical (smooth) solution to a first-order PDE with nonsmooth Hamiltonian over two smooth (regular) branches, related to the halfneighborhoods of the surface. These solutions are at least twice differentiable and have first discontinuous derivatives of odd order. The invariant form for these necessary conditions is found in terms of Jacobi (Poisson) brackets, consisting of several equalities and inequalities. The latter relations guarantee the validity of the Kelley condition as well as the geometrical constraints for the singular control variables. Thus, the Kelley condition appears to be just a certain property of a smooth solution to a first-order PDE with nonsmooth Hamiltonian. All the relations, including the Hamiltonian equations of singular motion, do not use singular controls; they are based on regular Hamiltonians depending only upon the state vector and the gradient of the Bellman function (adjoint vector).This work was suported by Grant No. 93-013-16285 of the Russian Fund for Fundamental Research.     

Maximum principle for optimal control of distributed-parameter systems with singular mass matrix

A maximum principle for the open-loop optimal control of a vibrating system relative to a given convex index of performance is investigated. Though maximum principles have been studied by many people (see, e.g., Refs. 1–5), the principle derived in this paper is of particular use for control problems involving mechanical structures. The state variable satisfies general initial conditions as well as a self-adjoint system of partial differential equations together with a homogeneous system of boundary conditions. The mass matrix is diagonal, constant, and singular, and the viscous damping matrix is diagonal. The maximum principle relates the optimal control with the solution of the homogeneous adjoint equation in which terminal conditions are prescribed in terms of the terminal values of the optimal state variable. An application of this theory to a structural vibrating system is given in a companion paper (Ref. 6).     

Riccati equations for generalized singular estimate control systems

We consider the Bolza problem associated with boundary/point control systems governed by strongly continuous semigroups. In continuation of our work in Lasiecka and Tuffaha [I. Lasiecka and A. Tuffaha, Riccati equations for the Bolza problem arising in boundary/point control problems governed by C ₀–semigroups satisfying a singular estimate, J. Optim. Theory Appl. 136 (2008), pp. 229–246; I. Lasiecka and A. Tuffaha, A Bolza optimal synthesis problem for singular estimate control systems, Control Cybernet 38(4B) (2009), pp. 1429–1460], we yet extend the theory to a more general class of control problems that are not analytic providing sharp blow-up rates for the regularity. Solvability of the associated Riccati equations and an optimal feedback synthesis are established. The presence of unbounded control actions, such as boundary/point controls, naturally lead to a singularity at the terminal point t?=?T of the optimal control and of the corresponding feedback operator as before. The class of control systems considered in this article is a generalization to the class usually referred to in the literature as ‘Singular Estimate Control Systems’. The prototype is still that of a PDE system consisting of coupled hyperbolic parabolic dynamics interacting on an interface with point/boundary control. The distinct feature of the class considered in this article is that the degree of unboundedness in the control is stronger than that allowed in the usual singular estimate control system configuration, giving rise to less regular optimal state trajectories.     

Optimization of bifunctional catalysts in tubular reactors

A number of chemical reactions of industrial importance, especially reforming reactions, are most effectively promoted by bifunctional catalysts in tubular reactors. For the determination of the optimal catalyst blend, a mathematical model for a general first-order kinetic reaction scheme is developed. The introduction of state-space definitions leads to a model described by a bilinear system. Based on that system and a suitably defined performance index, necessary conditions for the optimal catalyst blend are derived by means of the maximum principle. Special attention is directed to the singular solution of the optimization problem.This paper was presented at the 14th Joint Automatic Control Conference, Columbus, Ohio, 1973.     

Equivalent models for finite-fuel stochastic control

A stochastic control problem with finite-fuel constraint, of the type studied by Bene?, Shepp and Witsenhausen (1980), is solved explicitly. It is shown to be reducible to “simpler” stochastic optimization problems, such as optimal stopping and singular control for Brownian motion with unlimited fuel.     

Optimal institutional advertising: Minimum-time problem

This paper considers the problem of optimizing the institutional advertising expenditure for a firm which produces two products. The problem is formulated as a minimum-time control problem for the dynamics of an extended Vidale-Wolfe advertising model, the optimal control being the rate of institutional advertising that minimizes the time to attain the specified target market shares for the two products. The attainable set and the optimal control are obtained by applying the recent theory developed by Hermes and Haynes extending the Green's theorem approach to higher dimensions. It is shown that the optimal control is a strict bang-bang control. An interesting side result is that the singular arc obtained by the Green's theorem application turns out to be a maximum-time solution over the set of all feasible controls. The result clarifies the connection between the Green's theorem approach and the maximum principle approach.