A Smooth Regularization of the Projection Formula for Constrained Parabolic Optimal Control Problems

We present a smooth, that is, differentiable regularization of the projection formula that occurs in constrained parabolic optimal control problems. We summarize the optimality conditions in function spaces for unconstrained and control-constrained problems subject to a class of parabolic partial differential equations. The optimality conditions are then given by coupled systems of parabolic PDEs. For constrained problems, a non-smooth projection operator occurs in the optimality conditions. For this projection operator, we present in detail a regularization method based on smoothed sign, minimum and maximum functions. For all three cases, that is, (1) the unconstrained problem, (2) the constrained problem including the projection, and (3) the regularized projection, we verify that the optimality conditions can be equivalently expressed by an elliptic boundary value problem in the space-time domain. For this problem and all three cases we discuss existence and uniqueness issues. Motivated by this elliptic problem, we use a simultaneous space-time discretization for numerical tests. Here, we show how a standard finite element software environment allows to solve the problem and, thus, to verify the applicability of this approach without much implementation effort. We present numerical results for an example problem.