On the Engel group a nilpotent sub-Riemannian problem is considered, a 4-dimensional optimal control problem with a 2-dimensional linear control and an integral cost functional. It arises as a nilpotent approximation to nonholonomic systems with 2-dimensional control in a 4-dimensional space (for example, a system describing the navigation of a mobile robot with trailer). A parametrization of extremal trajectories by Jacobi functions is obtained. A discrete symmetry group and its fixed points, which are Maxwell points, are described. An estimate for the cut time (the time of the loss of optimality) on extremal trajectories is derived on this basis. Bibliography: 25 titles.
The left-invariant sub-Riemannian problem on the Engel group is considered. This problem is very important as nilpotent approximation of nonholonomic systems in four-dimensional space with two-dimensional control, for instance of a system which describes movement of mobile trailer robot. We study the local optimality of extremal trajectories and estimate conjugate time in this article.,.
The left-invariant sub-Riemannian problem on the Engel group is considered. The problem gives the nilpotent approximation to generic rank two sub-Riemannian problems on four-dimensional manifolds. The global optimality of extremal trajectories is studied via geometric control theory. The global diffeomorphic structure of the exponential mapping is described. As a consequence, the cut time is proved to be equal to the first Maxwell time corresponding to discrete symmetries of the exponential mapping.
We consider the nilpotent left-invariant sub-Riemannian structure on the Engel group. This structure gives a fundamental local approximation of a generic rank 2 sub-Riemannian structure on a 4-manifold near a generic point (in particular, of the kinematic models of a car with a trailer). On the other hand, this is the simplest sub-Riemannian structure of step three.We describe the global structure of the cut locus (the set of points where geodesics lose their global optimality), the Maxwell set (the set of points that admit more than one minimizer), and the intersection of the cut locus with the caustic (the set of conjugate points along all geodesics).The group of symmetries of the cut locus is described: it is generated by a one-parameter group of dilations R + and a discrete group of reflections Z 2 × Z 2 × Z 2 .The cut locus admits a stratification with 6 three-dimensional strata, 12 two-dimensional strata, and 2 one-dimensional strata. Three-dimensional strata of the cut locus are Maxwell strata of multiplicity 2 (for each point there are 2 minimizers). Two-dimensional strata of the cut locus consist of conjugate points. Finally, one-dimensional strata are Maxwell strata of infinite multiplicity, they consist of conjugate points as well.
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