An elementary proof of the maximum principle for optimal control problems governed by a Volterra integral equation

An elementary proof of the maximum principle for optimal control problems whose states are governed by Volterra integral equations is given. Our proof is motivated by the work of Michel (Ref. 7) and utilizes only elementary results from analysis and mathematical programming. By appealing to Pontryagin-type perturbations of the controls, the above optimal control problem is effectively reduced to a mathematical programming problem. The results are then obtained by appealing to well-known mathematical programming results.     

Control of substance solidification in a complex-geometry mold

The control of metal solidification in a mold of complex geometry is studied. The underlying mathematical model is based on a three-dimensional two-phase initial-boundary value problem of the Stefan type. The mathematical formulation of the optimal control problem for the solidification process is presented. This problem was solved numerically using gradient optimization methods. The gradient of the cost function was computed by applying the fast automatic differentiation technique, which yields the exact value of the cost function gradient for the chosen discrete version of the optimal control problem. The results of the study are described and analyzed. Some of the results are illustrated as plots.     

Finite Element Analysis of an Optimal Control Problem in the Coefficients of Time-Harmonic Eddy Current Equations

This paper is concerned with an optimal control problem governed by time-harmonic eddy current equations on a Lipschitz polyhedral domain. The controls are given by scalar functions entering in the coefficients of the curl-curl differential operator in the state equation. We present a mathematical analysis of the optimal control problem, including sensitivity analysis, regularity results, existence of an optimal control, and optimality conditions. Based on these results, we study the finite element analysis of the optimal control problem. Here, the state is discretized by the lowest order edge elements of Nédélec??s first family, and the control is discretized by continuous piecewise linear elements. Our main findings are convergence results of the finite element discretization (without a rate).     

Flow regulation for water quality restoration in a river section: Modeling and control

This work is devoted to the numerical resolution of an optimal control problem that arises in the management of a reservoir for the remediation of a polluted river section. By using mathematical modeling and optimal control techniques we set the mathematical formulation of the problem (as a hyperbolic optimal control problem with control constraints), and obtain a fully discretized problem. Finally, we propose a gradient-free method to solve it, and present realistic numerical results.     

Investigation of the optimal control problem for metal solidification in a new formulation

New formulations of the optimal control problem for metal solidification in a furnace are proposed and studied. The underlying mathematical model of the process is based on a three-dimensional two-phase initial-boundary value problem of the Stefan type. The formulated problems are solved numerically with the help of gradient optimization methods. The gradient of the cost function is computed by applying the fast automatic differentiation technique, which yields the exact value of the cost function gradient for a chosen discrete version of the optimal control problem. The research results are described and analyzed. Some of the results are illustrated.     

Choosing a cost functional and a difference scheme in the optimal control of metal solidification

The optimal control of solidification in metal casting is considered. The underlying mathematical model is based on a three-dimensional two-phase initial-boundary value problem of the Stefan type. The study is focused on choosing a cost functional in the optimal control of solidification and choosing a difference scheme for solving the direct problem. The results of the study are described and analyzed.     

单输入多时滞离散系统的线性二次调节问题

研究了单输入多时滞的离散时间系统的线性二次调节问题(LQR问题),给出了求解最优控制输入序列的一种简单有效而又新颖的方法.将该动态的离散时滞系统的LQR最优控制问题最终转化成了一个静态的、不带时滞的数学规划模型——带等式线性约束的严格凸二次规划问题,并利用两种方法解这个二次规划问题,均成功地导出了系统的最优控制输入序列.仿真结果验证了我们的方法的正确有效性.     

On the influence of setup parameters on the control of solidification in metal casting

The optimal control of metal solidification in a mold of complex geometry is studied. The underlying mathematical model is based on a three-dimensional two-phase initial-boundary value problem of the Stefan type. The influence exerted on the solidification process and its optimal control by the furnace temperature and the maximum depth to which the mold is immersed in the coolant is examined. The research results are described and analyzed. Some of the results are illustrated.     

Decentralized optimal control of a group of dynamical objects

The problem of optimal control of a group of coupled dynamical objects is considered. The cases are examined in which the centralized control of a group of objects is impossible. Fast real-time optimal control algorithms of each of the dynamical systems are described that use information exchanged between group members in the course of control. The proposed methods supplement the earlier developed real-time optimal control methods for an individual dynamical system. The results are illustrated using optimal control of two coupled mathematical pendulums as an example.     

Realtime control of robots with initial value perturbations via nonlinear programming methods

The mathematical model of an industrial robot with initial value perturbations is considered as a parametric nonlinear control problem subject to control and state constraints. Based on recent stability results for parametric control problems, a robust nonlinear programming method is proposed for computing the sensitivity derivatives of optimal solutions. Real-time control approximations of perturbed optimal solutions are obtained by evaluating a first order Taylor expansion of the perturbed solution. The efficiency of the real-time approximation is demonstrated for the robot model     

A finite difference technique for solving optimization problems governed by linear functional differential equations

Aspects of the approximation and optimal control of systems governed by linear retarded nonautonomous functional differential equations (FDE) are considered. First, certain FDE are shown to be equivalent to corresponding abstract ordinary differential equations (ODE). Next, it is demonstrated that these abstract ODE may be approximated by difference equations in finite dimensional spaces. The optimal control problem for systems governed by FDE is then reduced to a sequence of mathematical programming problems. Finally, numerical results for two examples are presented and discussed.     

Control of phase boundary evolution in metal solidification for new thermodynamic parameters of the metal

The problem of controlling the phase boundary evolution in the course of solidification of metals with different thermodynamic properties is studied. The underlying mathematical model of the process is based on a three-dimensional nonstationary two-phase initial–boundary value problem of the Stefan type. The control functions are determined by optimal control problems, which are solved numerically with the help of gradient optimization methods. The gradient of the cost function is exactly computed by applying the fast automatic differentiation technique. The research results are described and analyzed. Some of them are illustrated.     

Optimal Control Problem for Cancer Invasion Reaction–Diffusion System

Abstract

An optimal control problem constrained by a reaction–diffusion mathematical model which incorporates the cancer invasion and its treatment is considered. The state equations consisting of three unknown variables namely tumor cell density, normal cell density, and drug concentration. The main goal of the considered optimal control problem is to minimize the density of cancer cells and decreasing the side effects of treatment. Moreover, existence of a weak solution of brain tumor reaction–diffusion system and the corresponding adjoint system of optimal control problem is also investigated. Further, existence of minimizer for the optimal control problem is established and also the first-order optimality conditions are derived.     

Optimal control of a signorini contact problem

We are interested in finding the coefficient of friction which leads us to a given displacement on the contact surface between an elastic solid body and a rigid foundation. The mathematical formulation of the problem is an optimal control problem governed by a quasivariational inequality. We obtain an approximative caracterization, by using two families of penalized and regularized problems, for a given optimal control.     

一类四阶偏微分方程系统的控制问题

讨论由一类四阶偏微分方程所支配的系统的控制问题 ,证明了系统解的存在惟一性和最优控制的存在性 ,得到了控制为最优的必要条件 .这些结果可为种群系统控制问题的实际研究提供数学理论基础 .     

A class of nondifferentiable control problems

Optimality conditions and duality results are obtained for a class of control problems having a nondifferentiable term in the integrand of the objective functional. These results generalize many well-known results in optimal control theory involving differentiable functions, and also provide a relationship with certain nondifferentiable mathematical programming problems. Some extensions concerning the unified treatment of optimal control theory and continuous programming are also mentioned. Finally, a control problem containing an arbitrary norm, along with its appropriate norm, is given.     

A control-theoretic approach to the plasma confinement problem

The problem of confining a collisionless plasma by means of external electromagnetic fields is formulated as an optimal control or variational problem. The paper begins with a formal development of the equations governing the plasma motion. Then, various mathematical formulations of the confinement problem are discussed. Specific results are obtained for the simplified case where confinement is achieved by means of a spatially uniform, time-varying magnetic field. Physical interpretations of these results are also given.This work was supported by the Office of Scientific Research of the United States Air Force under Grant No. AFOSR-68-1547.     

Optimal Control and Applications to Aerospace: Some Results and Challenges

This article surveys the usual techniques of nonlinear optimal control such as the Pontryagin Maximum Principle and the conjugate point theory, and how they can be implemented numerically, with a special focus on applications to aerospace problems. In practice the knowledge resulting from the maximum principle is often insufficient for solving the problem, in particular because of the well-known problem of initializing adequately the shooting method. In this survey article it is explained how the usual tools of optimal control can be combined with other mathematical techniques to improve significantly their performances and widen their domain of application. The focus is put onto three important issues. The first is geometric optimal control, which is a theory that has emerged in the 1980s and is combining optimal control with various concepts of differential geometry, the ultimate objective being to derive optimal synthesis results for general classes of control systems. Its applicability and relevance is demonstrated on the problem of atmospheric reentry of a space shuttle. The second is the powerful continuation or homotopy method, consisting of deforming continuously a problem toward a simpler one and then of solving a series of parameterized problems to end up with the solution of the initial problem. After having recalled its mathematical foundations, it is shown how to combine successfully this method with the shooting method on several aerospace problems such as the orbit transfer problem. The third one consists of concepts of dynamical system theory, providing evidence of nice properties of the celestial dynamics that are of great interest for future mission design such as low-cost interplanetary space missions. The article ends with open problems and perspectives.     

An adaptive parameter approach for an approximate solution of optimal control problems

In this paper, we consider a class of nonlinear optimal control problems (Bolza-problems) with constraints of the control vector, initial and boundary conditions of the state vectors. The time interval is fixed. Our approach to parametrize both the state functions and the control functions is described by general piecewise polynomials with unknown coefficients (parameters), where a fixed partition of the time interval is used. Here each of these functions in a suitable way individually will be approximated by such polynomials. The optimal control problem thus is reduced to a mathematical programming problem for these parameters. The existence of an optimal solution is assumed. Convergence properties of this method are not considered in this paper.