On the null-controllability of the heat equation in unbounded domains

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Publication:2386007



Abstract: We make two remarks about the null-controllability of the heat equation with Dirichlet condition in unbounded domains. Firstly, we give a geometric necessary condition (for interior null-controllability in the Euclidean setting)which implies that one can not go infinitely far away from the control region without tending to the boundary (if any), but also applies when the distance to the control region is bounded. The proof builds on heat kernel estimates. Secondly, we describe a class of null-controllable heat equations on unbounded product domains. Elementary examples include an infinite strip in the plane controlled from one boundary and an infinite rod controlled from an internal infinite rod. The proof combines earlier results on compact manifolds with a new lemma saying that the null-controllability of an abstract control system and its null-controllability cost are not changed by taking its tensor product with a system generated by a non-positive self-adjoint operator.


The paper is devoted to the null-controllability of the heat equation with Dirichlet condition in unbounded domains. This is an open problem which has been recently underscored. Two aspects of the problem are discussed. First, the author gives a geometric necessary condition that characterizes ``controlling capacity of a subset for interior null-controllability in the Euclidean setting. The proof of the statement is based on heat kernel estimates. Second, the author specifies a class of null-controllable heat equations on unbounded product domains. Rather simple examples, namely, an infinite strip in the plane controlled from one boundary and an infinite rod controlled from an inner infinite rod, are considered. Proving the results, the author uses the idea that the null-controllability of an abstract control system and its null-controllability cost are invariant with respect to taking its tensor product with a system generated by a non-positive self-adjoint operator. The paper continues the author's investigations in control theory.




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