Non-holonomic equations for the normal extremals in geometric control theory

DOI10.1016/J.GEOMPHYS.2021.104395MaRDI QIDQ2666641zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Rod Gover, Jan Slovák

Publication date 23 November 2021

Published in Journal of Geometry and Physics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1909.06592

zbMATH Keywords

connectionsgeometric control theorynon-holonomic Riemannian geometrynormal extremalssub-Riemannian geometry

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Miscellaneous topics in calculus of variations and optimal control (49Nxx) Sub-Riemannian geometry (53C17)

Abstract: We provide a new and simple system of equations for the normal sub-Riemannian geodesics. These use a partial connection that we show is canonically available, given a choice of complement to the distribution. We also describe conditions which, if satisfied, mean that even this choice of complement is determined canonically, and that this determines a distinguished connection on the tangent bundle. Our approach applies to sub-Riemannian geometry the point of view of non-holonomic mechanics. The geodesic equations obtained split into mutually driving horizontal and complementary parts, and the method allows for particular choices of nice coframes. We illustrate this feature on examples of contact models with non-constant symbols.

Review text

The paper under review provides a geometric derivation of the equations for geodesics in sub-Riemannian manifolds. This derivation involves extending the sub-Riemannian metric from the horizontal distribution \(\mathcal{D}\) to the entire tangent bundle, computing the geodesics with respect to a particular connection \(\nabla\), then passing to a limit which blows up lengths in previously chosen complimentary directions \(\mathcal{D}^\perp\). The authors then proceed by providing examples which illustrate this derivation in action. They conclude the paper by explaining how the complementary distribution \(\mathcal{D}^\perp\) can be chosen in some particular settings.

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Cites work

• \(k\)-step sub-Riemannian manifold whose sub-Riemannian metric admits a canonical extension to a Riemannian metric
• A tour of subriemannian geometries, their geodesics and applications
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Cited in

(5)

• Nonholonomous geodesics as solutions to Euler-Lagrange integral equations and the differential of the exponential mapping
• On the connection arising in a certain class of nonlinear smooth control systems.
• Bridges between subriemannian geometry and algebraic geometry: now and then
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 5909387 (Why is no real title available?)
• Spiral-like extremals near a singular surface in a rocket control problem

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