An example of an optimal control problem whose extremals possess a continual set of discontinuities of the control function (Q1264960)

The paper concerns an illustrative optimal control problem: maximize the functional \(J={{z(T)-z(0)}\over{x(T)-x(0)}}\) subject to the differential system \(\dot z=({\mathcal E}yy,u)\), \(\dot x=| y|^2\), \(\dot y=u\), to the boundary condition \(y(0)=y(T)\), and to the control constraint \(| u|\leq 1\). Here \({\mathcal E}yy\) is a quadratic vector field on \(R^2\). The optimal solutions are nonsingular extremals and the optimal controls have a continual discontinuity set. Moreover, each closed, nowhere dense set is the discontinuity set of an optimal control.