Existence of sub-Lorentzian longest curves (Q6203227)

The author considers the optimal control problem: \(J=\int_{0}^{t_{1}}\varphi (q,u)dt\rightarrow min\), where \(q\) is the solution to the differential equation: \(\overset{.}{q}=f(q,u)\), \(q\in M\subset \mathbb{R}^{n}\), \(u\in U\subset \mathbb{R}^{k}\), \(n,k\in \mathbb{N}\), with the boundary conditions \( q(0)=q_{0}\), \(q(t_{1})=q_{1}\), \(t_{1}\) being free. The author reduces this optimal control problem to the study of attainability sets for the extended system: \(\overset{.}{\widehat{q}}=\widehat{f}(\widehat{q},u)\), \(\widehat{q} =(y,q)\in \widehat{M}=\mathbb{R}\times M\), \(u\in U\subset \mathbb{R}^{k}\), \( \widehat{f}(\widehat{q},u)=\varphi (q,u)\), \(f(q,u))\), \(\widehat{q} (0)=(0,q_{0})\), \(q(t_{1})=q_{1}\). He assumes that \(U\) is compact, that, for each \(\widehat{q}\in \widehat{M}\), the set \(\widehat{f}_{U}(\widehat{q})=\{ \widehat{f}(\widehat{q},u):u\in U\}\subset T_{\widehat{q}}\widehat{M}\) is convex, the existence of a compact set \(\widehat{K}\subset \widehat{M}\) that contains the images of all trajectories \(\widehat{q}(t)\), \(t\in \lbrack 0,t_{1}]\), of the preceding system, and the existence of a trajectory \( \widehat{q}^{\prime }(t)=(y^{\prime }(t),q^{\prime }(t))\), \(t\in \lbrack 0,t_{1}^{\prime }]\), of the preceding system, with the boundary conditions \( \widehat{q}^{\prime }(0)=(0,q_{0})\), \(\widehat{q}^{\prime }(t_{1}^{\prime })=(J^{\prime },q_{1})\), such that, for each trajectory \(q(t)\), \(t\in \lbrack 0,t_{1}]\), of the preceding system with the boundary conditions \( \widehat{q}(0)=(0,q_{0})\), \(\widehat{q}(t_{1})=(J,q_{1})\) the inequality \( t_{1}>t_{1}^{\prime }\) implies the inequality \(J>J^{\prime }\). The main result proves that under these hypotheses the first optimal control problem has a solution (an optimal control). The proof relies on the application of Filippov's theorem whence on compactness properties of attainability sets to such optimal control problems. The author then introduces the example of the longest curves for a sub-Lorentzian structure with an orthonormal frame, for which he proves an existence result, assuming appropriate hypotheses, among which a compactness property of the corresponding attainability sets. The paper ends with special cases of such problems in a Minkowski space, in a Lorentzian Lobachevsky plane, in a sub-Lorentzian Heisenberg group, in a Lorentzian structure on a 2D torus, in a geodetically incomplete Lorentzian structure on a plane, in a sub-Lorentzian structure on the group \(SH(2)\), and in sub-Lorentzian structures on the groups \(SE(2)\) and \(\widetilde{SE}(2) \). In each case, the author proves the existence of a longest curve and its properties, or a non-existence result, depending on the verification of the imposed hypotheses.