On the semi-discretization of optimal control problems for networks of elastic strings: global optimality systems and domain decomposition

We consider a star-graph as an examplary network, with elastic strings stretched along the edges. The network is allowed to perform out-of-the plane displacements. We consider such networks as being controlled at its simple nodes via Dirichlet conditions. The objective is to steer given initial data to final target data in a given time T with minimal control costs. This problem is discussed in the continuous as well as in the discrete case. We discuss an iterative domain decomposition technique and its discrete analogue. We prove convergence and show some numerical results. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.