The quickest transfer of a spatial dynamic object into a circular domain

The spatial problem of the time-optimal transfer of a point mass by a limited force onto a terminal set in the form of a circle without fixing the final velocity is investigated. The optimal modes of motion are constructed and investigated for arbitrary initial values of the three-dimensional position and velocity vectors using the maximum principle. The governing relations are obtained in the form of fourth-order and eighth-order algebraic equations for the minimum time of motion, which enable the dependence on the initial data to be investigated constructively. The qualitative features of the solution due to a jump discontinuity in the minimum time of motion, which lead to jumps in the control vector, are established. The problem is solved approximately by perturbation methods for the cases of motion close to singular ones. A complete investigation of the control problem for the motion of an object in the plane of a circle and close to it is presented using an original numerical-analytical approach. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.