The existence and structure of extremals for a class of second order infinite horizon variational problems (Q1910845)

The author wants to minimize \(J_T(w) = \int^T_0 f(w(t), w'(t), w''(t))dt\) as \(T\) tends to infinity with respect to \(w\in A_x = \{w\in W^{2,1}_{\text{loc}} ([0,\infty))\): \((w(0), w'(0)) = x\}\). Here \(x\in R^2\) is given and \(W^{2,1}_{\text{loc}} ([0,\infty))\) denotes the Sobolev space of functions possessing a locally integrable second derivative. The integrand \(f\) belongs to a certain space of continuous functions satisfying some growth conditions. By definition an element \(u\in A_x\) is called an \((f)\)-weakly optimal solution if \(\lim\inf_{T\to \infty} [J_T(u)-J_T (w)] \leq 0\) \(\forall w\in A_x\). A function \(w\in W^{2,1}_{\text{loc}} ([0,\infty))\) is called an \((f)\)-good configuration if the function \(\Phi^f_w:T \to\int^T_0 [f(w(t), w'(t), w''(t))- \mu(f)]dt\), \(T\in (0, \infty)\), is bounded, where \(\mu(f)\) denotes the minimal long-run average cost growth rate defined as \(\mu(f) = \inf \{\lim\inf_{T \to\infty} T^{-1}J_T(w) : w\in A_x\}\). In the paper the author investigates the structure of \((f)\)-good configurations and proves the existence of \((f)\)-weakly optimal solutions. The latter does not require a convex integrand.