The sphere and the cut locus at a tangency point in two-dimensional almost-Riemannian geometry

We study the tangential case in 2-dimensional almost-Riemannian geometry. We analyse the connection with the Martinet case in sub-Riemannian geometry. We compute estimations of the exponential map which allow us to describe the conjugate locus and the cut locus at a tangency point. We prove that this last one generically accumulates at the tangency point as an asymmetric cusp whose branches are separated by the singular set

Conjugate and cut loci in averaged orbital transfer

The objective of this Note is to describe the conjugate and cut loci associated with the averaged energy minimization problem in coplanar orbit transfer

A global optimality result with application to orbital transfer

The objective of this note is to present a global optimality result on Riemannian metrics ds^2=dr^2+(r^2/c^2)(G(\vphi)d\theta^2+d\vphi^2). This result can be applied to the averaged energy minimization coplanar orbit transfer problem

Note on singular Clairaut-Liouville metrics

Computations on Clairaut-Liouville metrics on S^2 with a finite order singularity

Geodesic flow of the averaged controlled Kepler equation

A normal form of the Riemannian metric arising when averaging the coplanar controlled Kepler equation is given. This metric is parameterized by two scalar invariants which encode its main properties. The restriction of the metric to \SS^2 is shown to be conformal to the flat metric on an oblate ellipsoid of revolution, and the associated conjugate locus is observed to be a deformation of the standard astroid. Though not complete because of a singularity in the space of ellipses, the metric has convexity properties that are expressed in terms of the aforementioned invariants, and related to surjectivity of the exponential mapping. Optimality properties of geodesics of the averaged controlled Kepler system are finally obtained thanks to the computation of the cut locus of the restriction to the sphere

Determinantal sets, singularities and application to optimal control in medical imagery

Control theory has recently been involved in the field of nuclear magnetic resonance imagery. The goal is to control the magnetic field optimally in order to improve the contrast between two biological matters on the pictures. Geometric optimal control leads us here to analyze mero-morphic vector fields depending upon physical parameters , and having their singularities defined by a deter-minantal variety. The involved matrix has polynomial entries with respect to both the state variables and the parameters. Taking into account the physical constraints of the problem, one needs to classify, with respect to the parameters, the number of real singularities lying in some prescribed semi-algebraic set. We develop a dedicated algorithm for real root classification of the singularities of the rank defects of a polynomial matrix, cut with a given semi-algebraic set. The algorithm works under some genericity assumptions which are easy to check. These assumptions are not so restrictive and are satisfied in the aforementioned application. As more general strategies for real root classification do, our algorithm needs to compute the critical loci of some maps, intersections with the boundary of the semi-algebraic domain, etc. In order to compute these objects, the determinantal structure is exploited through a stratifi-cation by the rank of the polynomial matrix. This speeds up the computations by a factor 100. Furthermore, our implementation is able to solve the application in medical imagery, which was out of reach of more general algorithms for real root classification. For instance, computational results show that the contrast problem where one of the matters is water is partitioned into three distinct classes

A Zermelo navigation problem with a vortex singularity

Helhmoltz-Kirchhoff equations of motions of vortices of an incompressible fluid in the plane define a dynamics with singularities and this leads to a Zermelo navigation problem describing the ship travel in such a field where the control is the heading angle. Considering one vortex, we define a time minimization problem which can be analyzed with the technics of geometric optimal control combined with numerical simulations, the geometric frame being the extension of Randers metrics in the punctured plane, with rotational symmetry. Candidates as minimizers are parameterized thanks to the Pontryagin Maximum Principle as extremal solutions of a Hamiltonian vector field. We analyze the time minimal solution to transfer the ship between two points where during the transfer the ship can be either in a strong current region in the vicinity of the vortex or in a weak current region. The analysis is based on a micro-local classification of the extremals using mainly the integrability properties of the dynamics due to the rotational symmetry. The discussion is complex and related to the existence of an isolated extremal (Reeb) circle due to the vortex singularity. The explicit computation of cut points where the extremal curves cease to be optimal is given and the spheres are described in the case where at the initial point the current is weak

Computation of conjugate times in smooth optimal control: the COTCOT algorithm

Conjugate point type second order optimality conditions for extremals associated to smooth Hamiltonians are evaluated by means of a new algorithm. Two kinds of standard control problems fit in this setting: the so-called regular ones, and the minimum time singular single-input affine systems. Conjugate point theory is recalled in these two cases, and two applications are presented: the minimum time control of the Kepler and Euler equations

One-parameter family of Clairaut-Liouville metrics

Riemannian metrics with singularities are considered on the $2$-sphere of revolution. The analysis of such singularities is motivated by examples stemming from mechanics and related to projections of higher dimensional (regular) sub-Riemannian distributions. An unfolding of the metrics in the form of an homotopy from the canonical metric on \SS^2 is defined which allows to analyze the singular case as a limit of standard Riemannian ones. A bifurcation of the conjugate locus for points on the singularity is finally exhibited