In this article we derive a strong version of the Pontryagin Maximum Principle for general nonlinear optimal control problems on time scales in finite dimension. The final time can be fixed or not, and in the case of general boundary conditions we derive the corresponding transversality conditions. Our proof is based on Ekeland's variational principle. Our statement and comments clearly show the distinction between right-dense points and right-scattered points. At right-dense points a maximization condition of the Hamiltonian is derived, similarly to the continuous-time case. At right-scattered points a weaker condition is derived, in terms of so-called stable Ω-dense directions. We do not make any specific restrictive assumption on the dynamics or on the set Ω of control constraints. Our statement encompasses the classical continuous-time and discrete-time versions of the Pontryagin Maximum Principle, and holds on any general time scale, that is any closed subset of IR.

International audienceWe extend the notion of variational integrator for classical Euler-Lagrange equations to the fractional ones. As in the classical case, we prove that the variational integrator allows to preserve Noether-type results at the discrete level

International audienceWe prove a fractional Noether's theorem for fractional Lagrangian systems invariant under a symmetry group both in the continuous and discrete cases. This provides an explicit conservation law (first integral) given by a closed formula which can be algorithmically implemented. In the discrete case, the conservation law is moreover computable in a finite number of steps

In this paper we focus on a general optimal control problem involving a dynamical system described by a nonlinear Caputo fractional differential equation of order 0 < α ≤ 1, associated to a general Bolza cost written as the sum of a standard Mayer cost and a Lagrange cost given by a Riemann-Liouville fractional integral of order β ≥ α. In addition the present work handles general control and mixed initial/final state constraints. Adapting the standard Filippov's approach based on appropriate compactness assumptions and on the convexity of the set of augmented velocities, we give an existence result for at least one optimal solution. Then, the major contribution of this paper is the statement of a Pontryagin maximum principle which provides a first-order necessary optimality condition that can be applied to the fractional framework considered here. In particular, Hamiltonian maximization condition and transversality conditions on the adjoint vector are derived. Our proof is based on the sensitivity analysis of the Caputo fractional state equation with respect to needle-like control perturbations and on Ekeland's variational principle. The paper is concluded with two illustrating examples and with a list of several perspectives for forthcoming works.