Approximation of the pareto optimal set for multiobjective optimal control problems using viability kernels

Department of Mathematics, The University of British Columbia, Room 121, 1984 Mathematics Road, Vancouver, B.C., V6T 1Z2, Canada
aguigue@math.ubc.ca

Received: 9 March 2012
Revised: 20 November 2012

Abstract

This paper provides a convergent numerical approximation of the Pareto optimal set for finite-horizon multiobjective optimal control problems in which the objective space is not necessarily convex. Our approach is based on Viability Theory. We first introduce a set-valued return function V and show that the epigraph of V equals the viability kernel of a certain related augmented dynamical system. We then introduce an approximate set-valued return function with finite set-values as the solution of a multiobjective dynamic programming equation. The epigraph of this approximate set-valued return function equals to the finite discrete viability kernel resulting from the convergent numerical approximation of the viability kernel proposed in [P. Cardaliaguet, M. Quincampoix and P. Saint-Pierre. Birkhauser, Boston (1999) 177–247. P. Cardaliaguet, M. Quincampoix and P. Saint-Pierre, Set-Valued Analysis 8 (2000) 111–126]. As a result, the epigraph of the approximate set-valued return function converges to the epigraph of V. The approximate set-valued return function finally provides the proposed numerical approximation of the Pareto optimal set for every initial time and state. Several numerical examples illustrate our approach.