Regularization of Chattering Phenomena via Bounded Variation Controls

In the control theory, the term chattering is used to refer to fast oscillations of controls, such as an infinite number of switchings over a finite time interval. In this paper, we focus on three typical instances of chattering: the Fuller phenomenon, referring to situations where an optimal control features an accumulation of switchings in finite time; the Robbins phenomenon, concerning optimal control problems with state constraints, where the optimal trajectory touches the boundary of the constraint set an infinite number of times over a finite time interval; and the Zeno phenomenon, for hybrid systems, referring to a trajectory that depicts an infinite number of location switchings in finite time. From the practical point of view, when trying to compute an optimal trajectory, for instance, by means of a shooting method, chattering may be a serious obstacle to convergence. In this paper, we propose a general regularization procedure, by adding an appropriate penalization of the total variation. This produces a family of quasi-optimal controls whose associated cost converge to the optimal cost of the initial problem as the penalization tends to zero. Under additional assumptions, we also quantify quasi-optimality by determining a speed of convergence of the costs.