Special Session 178: Nonlinear Evolution Equations and Related Topics

A variational approach to optimal control of gradient flows
Riccardo Voso
UTIA, Czech Academy of Sciences
Czech Rep
Co-Author(s):    Ulisse Stefanelli, Takeshi Fukao
Abstract:
We consider a general optimal control problem in the setting of gradient flows. Two approximations of the problem are presented, both relying on the variational reformulation of gradient-flow dynamics via the Weighted-Energy-Dissipation variational approach. This consists in the minimization of global-in-time functionals over trajectories, combined with a limit passage. We show that the original nonpenalized problem and the two successive approximations admits solutions. Moreover, resorting to a $\Gamma$-convergence analysis we show that penalised optimal controls converge to nonpenalized one as the approximation is removed.