Cell motility is an integral part of a diverse set of biological processes. The quest for mathematical models of cell motility has prompted the development of automated approaches for gathering quantitative data on cell morphology, and the distribution of molecular players involved in cell motility. Here we review recent approaches for quantifying cell motility, including automated cell segmentation and tracking. Secondly, we present our own novel...

The importance of “control variations” for obtaining local approximations of the reachable set of nonlinear control systems is well known. Heuristically, if one can construct control variations in all possible directions, then the considered control system is small-time locally controllable (STLC). Two concepts of control variations of higher order are introduced for the case of smooth control systems. The relation between these variations and the small-time local controllability is studied and...

Effective, simulation-based trajectory optimization algorithms adapted to heterogeneous computers are studied with reference to the problem taken from alpine ski racing (the presented solution is probably the most general one published so far). The key idea behind these algorithms is to use a grid-based discretization scheme to transform the continuous optimization problem into a search problem over a specially constructed finite graph, and then to apply dynamic programming to find an approximation...

We prove the continuity and the Hölder equivalence w.r.t. an Euclidean distance of the value function associated with the L1 cost of the control-affine system q̇ = f0(q) + ∑j=1m ujfj(q), satisfying the strong Hörmander condition. This is done by proving a result in the same spirit as the Ball–Box theorem for driftless (or sub-Riemannian) systems. The techniques used are based on a reduction of the control-affine system to a linear but time-dependent one, for which we are able to define a generalization...

This paper is concerned with the construction of local observers for nonlinear systems without inputs, satisfying an observability rank condition. The aim of this study is, first, to define an homogeneous approximation that keeps the observability property unchanged at the origin. This approximation is further used in the synthesis of a local observer which is proven to be locally convergent for Lyapunov-stable systems. We compare the performance of the homogeneous approximation observer with the...

We are concerned with the asymptotic analysis of optimal control problems for $1$-D partial differential equations defined on a periodic planar graph, as the period of the graph tends to zero. We focus on optimal control problems for elliptic equations with distributed and boundary controls. Using approaches of the theory of homogenization we show that the original problem on the periodic graph tends to a standard linear quadratic optimal control problem for a two-dimensional homogenized system, and...

We are concerned with the asymptotic analysis of optimal control problems for 1-D partial differential equations defined on a periodic planar graph, as the period of the graph tends to zero. We focus on optimal control problems for elliptic equations with distributed and boundary controls. Using approaches of the theory of homogenization we show that the original problem on the periodic graph tends to a standard linear quadratic optimal control problem for a two-dimensional homogenized system,...

We consider quasilinear optimal control problems involving a thick two-level junction Ωε which consists of the junction body Ω0 and a large number of thin cylinders with the cross-section of order 𝒪(ε2). The thin cylinders are divided into two levels depending on the geometrical characteristics, the quasilinear boundary conditions and controls given on their lateral surfaces and bases respectively. In addition, the quasilinear boundary conditions depend on parameters ε, α, β and the...

We consider quasilinear optimal control problems involving a thick two-level junction Ωε which consists of the junction body Ω0 and a large number of thin cylinders with the cross-section of order 𝒪(ε2). The thin cylinders are divided into two levels depending on the geometrical characteristics, the quasilinear boundary conditions and controls given on their lateral surfaces and bases respectively. In addition, the quasilinear boundary...

We consider quasilinear optimal control problems involving a thick two-level junction Ωε which consists of the junction body Ω0 and a large number of thin cylinders with the cross-section of order 𝒪(ε2). The thin cylinders are divided into two levels depending on the geometrical characteristics, the quasilinear boundary conditions and controls given on their lateral surfaces and bases respectively. In addition, the quasilinear boundary...

A four-dimensional hyperchaotic Lü system with multiple time-delay controllers is considered in this paper. Based on the theory of Hopf bifurcation in delay system, we obtain a simple relationship between the parameters when the system has a periodic solution. Numerical simulations show that the assumption is a rational condition, choosing parameter in the determined region can control hyperchaotic Lü system well, the chaotic state is transformed to the periodic orbit. Finally, we consider the differences...

Symmetric piecewise linear bi-dimensional systems are very common in control engineering. They constitute a class of non-differentiable vector fields for which classical Hopf bifurcation theorems are not applicable. For such systems, sufficient and necessary conditions for bifurcation of a limit cycle from the periodic orbit at infinity are given.

This paper is devoted to the general problem of reconstructing the cost from the observation of trajectories, in a problem of optimal control. It is motivated by the following applied problem, concerning HALE drones: one would like them to decide by themselves for their trajectories, and to behave at least as a good human pilot. This applied question is very similar to the problem of determining what is minimized in human locomotion. These starting points are the reasons for the particular classes...

We consider a system which is assumed to be affected by an expanding disturbance which occurs at the initial time. The compensation of the disturbance is accomplished by extending the concept of remediability to a class of nonlinear systems. The results are implemented and illustrated with a nonlinear distributed model.

Let $A_0$ be a possibly unbounded positive operator on the Hilbert space $H$, which is boundedly invertible. Let $C_0$ be a bounded operator from $𝒟\left(A_0^{\frac{1}{2}}\right)$ to another Hilbert space $U$. We prove that the system of equations$$\ddot{z}\left(t\right)+A_{0}z\left(t\right)+\frac{1}{2}{C}_0^{*}{C}_0\dot{z}\left(t\right)=C_0^{*}u\left(t\right)$$$$y\left(t\right)...$$

Let A0 be a possibly unbounded positive operator on the Hilbert space H, which is boundedly invertible. Let C0 be a bounded operator from $𝒟\left(A_0^{\frac{1}{2}}\right)$ to another Hilbert space U. We prove that the system of equations $$\ddot{z}\left(t\right)+A_{0}z\left(t\right)+\frac{1}{2}{C}_0^{*}{C}_0\dot{z}\left(t\right)=C_0^{*}u\left(t\right)$$$$y\left(t\right)...$$