Variational stability of optimal control problems involving subdifferential operators

This paper is concerned with the problem of minimizing an integral functional with control-nonconvex integrand over the class of solutions of a control system in a Hilbert space subject to a control constraint given by a phase-dependent multivalued map with closed nonconvex values. The integrand, the subdifferential operators, the perturbation term, the initial conditions and the control constraint all depend on a parameter. Along with this problem, the paper considers the problem of minimizing an integral functional with control-convexified integrand over the class of solutions of the original system, but now subject to a convexified control constraint. By a solution of a control system we mean a 'trajectory-control' pair. For each value of the parameter, the convexified problem is shown to have a solution, which is the limit of a minimizing sequence of the original problem, and the minimal value of the functional with the convexified integrand is a continuous function of the parameter. This property is commonly referred to as the variational stability of a minimization problem. An example of a control parabolic system with hysteresis and diffusion effects is considered.