A nonlinear two-dimensional time-optimal control problem (Q1700565)

By applying the Pontryagin maximum principle, in this paper the following time-optimal problem with nonlinear gravity is analyzed and solved: \[ \begin{cases} \dot x_1=x_2,\quad x_1(0)=a_1>0,\quad x_1(T)=2, \\ \dot x_2=u- \frac{1}{x^2},\quad x_2(0)=a_2,\quad x_2(T)=0, \\ T\to\min _u\quad \| u \| \leqslant 1.\end{cases} \] This model represents the launching process of a carrier rocket into specified elliptical orbits, where \((x_1,x_2)\) are the state variables, \(u\) is the scalar constrained control, \((a_1,a_2)\) are the starting states, (2, 0) are the finish states and \(T\) is the control optimal time. The analysis and solving of the problem consists in finding the controllability set, determining the optimal control and the optimal time function, and the proving of the optimality by regular synthesis.