Related papers: A gradient flow equation for optimal control probl…
We develop a rigorous framework for global non-convex optimization by reformulating the minimization problem as a discounted infinite-horizon optimal control problem. For non-convex, continuous, and possibly non-smooth objective functions…
We generalize the Maximum Principle for free end point optimal control problems involving sweeping systems derived in [9] to cover the case where the end point is constrained to take values in a certain set. As in [9], an ingenious smooth…
A general problem in optimal control consists of finding a terminal reward that makes the value function independent of the horizon. Such a terminal reward can be interpreted as a max-plus eigenvector of the associated Lax-Oleinik…
We prove that the finite-difference based derivative-free descent (FD-DFD) methods have a capability to find the global minima for a class of multiple minima problems. Our main result shows that, for a class of multiple minima objectives…
This paper addresses the inverse optimal control problem of finding the state weighting function that leads to a quadratic value function when the cost on the input is fixed to be quadratic. The paper focuses on a class of infinite horizon…
This paper proposes an algorithmic technique for a class of optimal control problems where it is easy to compute a pointwise minimizer of the Hamiltonian associated with every applied control. The algorithm operates in the space of relaxed…
The article discusses the gradient discretisation method (GDM) for distributed optimal control problems governed by diffusion equation with pure Neumann boundary condition. Using the GDM framework enables to develop an analysis that…
Problem of time-optimal control of linear systems with fractional dynamics is treated in the paper from the convex-analytic standpoint. A linear system of fractional differential equations involving Riemann--Liouville derivatives is…
An optimal control problem with a time-parameter is considered. The functional to be optimized includes the maximum over time-horizon reached by a function of the state variable, and so an $L^\infty$-term. In addition to the classical…
This article discusses an optimal control problem for a phase field model of two immiscible incompressible fluid flow, incorporating surface tension effects. The optimal control problem is defined with a $L^2$-cost functional and subject to…
Policy gradients methods apply to complex, poorly understood, control problems by performing stochastic gradient descent over a parameterized class of polices. Unfortunately, even for simple control problems solvable by standard dynamic…
In this article we study a finite horizon optimal control problem with monotone controls. We consider the associated Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) equation which characterizes the value function. We consider the totally discretized problem…
We prove convergence of the proximal policy gradient method for a class of constrained stochastic control problems with control in both the drift and diffusion of the state process. The problem requires either the running or terminal cost…
These notes present preliminary results regarding two different approximations of linear infinite-horizon optimal control problems arising in model predictive control. Input and state trajectories are parametrized with basis functions and a…
We study an explicit mirror-descent method for finite-horizon deterministic optimal control problems. The method is motivated by Pontryagin's maximum principle: at each iteration, one solves the state and adjoint equations and updates the…
We investigate the convergence of an application of a proximal gradient method to control problems with nonsmooth and nonconvex control cost. Here, we focus on control cost functionals that promote sparsity, which includes functionals of…
Replacing positivity constraints by an entropy barrier is popular to approximate solutions of linear programs. In the special case of the optimal transport problem, this technique dates back to the early work of Schr\"odinger. This approach…
Consider a set of discounted optimal stopping problems for a one-parameter family of objective functions and a fixed diffusion process, started at a fixed point. A standard problem in stochastic control/optimal stopping is to solve for the…
Optimal control problem is typically solved by first finding the value function through Hamilton-Jacobi equation (HJE) and then taking the minimizer of the Hamiltonian to obtain the control. In this work, instead of focusing on the value…
This paper is dedicated to providing new tools and methods for studying the trend to equilibrium of gradient flows in metric spaces in the entropy and metric sense, to establish decay rates, finite time of extinction, and to characterize…