Null controllability of Grushin-type operators in dimension two (Q2436088)

The authors consider the Grushin-type equation \[ \partial_t f-\partial^2_x f-|x|^{2\gamma}\partial^2_y f =u(t,x,y)1_\omega(x,y), \qquad (t,x,y)\in(0,\infty)\times\Omega, \] \[ f(t,x,y)=0,\qquad (t,x,y)\in(0,\infty)\times\partial\Omega, \] where \(\Omega=(-1,1)\times(0,1)\), \(\omega\subset\Omega\), \(\gamma>0\), and the above system is a linear control system in which the state is \(f\), the control \(u\) is supported in the subset \(\omega\). The authors prove that the equation is null-controllable in any positive time for \(\gamma<1\) and that there is no time for which it is null-controllable for \(\gamma>1\). In the transition regime \(\gamma=1\), and when \(\omega\) is a strip \(\omega=(a,b)\times(0,1) \, (0<a,b\leq1)\), a positive minimal time is required for null-controllability.