2007, Göllmann, Laurenz, Kern, Daniela, Maurer, Helmut

Optimal control problems with delays in state and control variables are studied. Constraints are imposed as mixed control-state inequality constraints. Necessary optimality conditions in the form of Pontryagin's minimum principle are established. The proof proceeds by augmenting the delayed control problem to a nondelayed problem with mixed terminal boundary conditions to which Pontryagin's minimum principle is applicable. Discretization methods for the delayed control problem are discussed which amount to solving a large-scale nonlinear programming problem. It is shown that the Lagrange multipliers associated with the programming problem provide a consistent discretization of the advanced adjoint equation for the delayed control problem. An analytical example and two numerical examples from chemical engineering and economics illustrate the results.

2011, Gerdts, Matthias, Henrion, René, Hömberg, Dietmar, Landry, Chantal, Maurer, Helmut

An optimal control problem to find the fastest collision-free trajectory of a robot surrounded by obstacles is presented. The collision avoidance is based on linear programming arguments and expressed as state constraints. The optimal control problem is solved with a sequential programming method. In order to decrease the number of unknowns and constraints a backface culling active set strategy is added to the resolution technique.