Optimal control problem for a quasilinear elliptic equation with controls in coefficients (Q1675902)

The paper under review deals with the optimal control problem described by the following mixed boundary value problem for a quasilinear equation of the elliptic type \[ \begin{cases} -\sum_{i=1}^2 \big(k(x)u_{x_i}\big)_{x_i} + q(x)a(u)+b(x,u)=f(x), &\;x\in\Omega,\\ -k(x)u_{x_1}+p(x)u=g(x), &\;x\in \Gamma_{-1},\\ u(x)=0, &\;x\in \partial\Omega\setminus \Gamma_{-1} \end{cases} \] over the square \(\Omega=\big\{x=(x_1,x_2)\in\mathbb{R}^2: x_i\in(0,1)\big\}\) and \(\Gamma_{-1}=\big\{x=(x_1,x_2)\in\mathbb{R}^2: x_1=0,\;x_2\in(0,1)\big\}.\) Here \(a(u),\) \(b(x, u),\) \(f(x)\) and \(g(x)\) are given functions, and \(k(x),\) \(q(x)\) and \(p(x)\) are the control functions. The authors obtain results about well-posedness of the above problem, prove that the objective functional is differentiable and establish a necessary condition for the optimality of the control.