Relaxation in nonconvex optimal control problems with subdifferential operators

We consider the minimization problem of an integral functional in a separable Hilbert space with integrand not convex in the control defined on solutions of the control system described by nonlinear evolutionary equations with mixed nonconvex constraints. The evolutionary operator of the system is the subdifferential of a proper, convex, lower semicontinuous function depending on time. Along with the initial problem, the author considers the relaxed problem with the convexicated control constraint and the integrand convexicated with respect to the control. Under sufficiently general assumptions, it is proved that the relaxed problem has an optimal solution, and for any optimal solution, there exists a minimizing sequence of the initial problem converging to the optimal solution with respect to trajectories and the functional. An example of a controlled parabolic variational inequality with obstacle is considered in detail. __________ Translated from Sovremennaya Matematika i Ee Prilozheniya (Contemporary Mathematics and Its Applications), Vol. 26, Nonlinear Dynamics, 2005.