Time-Optimal Control of Multivariable Systems the Origin

This article deals with bang-bang solutions of linear time-optimal control problems. Linear multivariable systems are considered which have one or more control components. It is shown in which way the control components act together to make the system achieve the ultimate aim (namely, the origin in the state space) as quickly as possible. The theory only applies to initial positions sufficiently near the origin. Criteria are given which give the number of switches per control component. Asymptotic dependences of the switching times and the final time on the distance of the initial position from the origin are established. The theory provides a numerical procedure to calculate the time-optimal control. These calculations are very simple. Basic to the proof of these results is a generalized implicit function theorem due to Artin (Ref. t).