Adaptive-critic based optimal neuro control synthesis for distributed parameter systems (Q5943841)

A neural network based optimal control synthesis approach is presented for systems modeled by partial differential equations. The problem is formulated via discrete dynamic programming, and necessary conditions for optimality are derived. For the synthesis of the controller, the authors propose two sets of neural networks: the set of action networks captures the mapping between the state and control, while the set of critic networks captures the mapping between the state and costate. They illustrate the solution process with a parabolic equation involving a nonlinear term. For comparison, they consider the linear quadratic regulator problem for the diffusion equation, for which the Riccati-operator based solution is known. The results show that this adaptive-critic based systematic approach holds promise for obtaining the optimal control design of both linear and nonlinear distributed parameter systems.