On the geometry of the reachability set of vector fields (Q2358831)

The paper deals with the reachability problem, in the context of classical geometric control theory. The authors consider a set \(D\) of smooth vector fields on a differentiable manifold \(M\) of dimension \(n\). It is well known that the set of points which can be reached from a given \(x\in M\) by gluing together pieces of integral curves of the vector fields of \(D\) is an immersed submanifold \(L(x)\) of \(M\) for each \(x\) (positive and negative times are allowed). The authors are interested to study the set \(A_x(T)\) of points reachable from \(x\) under the constraint that the sum of the time durations is exactly \(T\). This set turns out to be a submanifold of \(L(x)\) of codimension \(0\) or \(1\). They prove that there exists a set \(D\) formed by three vector fields such that \(A_x(0)=M\). They also develop some consequences, especially for the case where \(D\) is formed by Killing vector fields.