Optimal nonlinear switching control

A nonlinear control-system design framework predicated on an optimal hierarchical switching controller architecture is developed. Specifically, the hierarchical controller is parametrized with respect to a given system equilibrium manifold wherein an inverse optimal morphing strategy is constructed to coordinate the hierarchical switching. The overall approach is quite different from the quasi-variational inequality methods for optimal switching systems developed in the literature in that our results provide hierarchical homotopic feedback controllers guaranteeing closed-loop stability via an underlying Lyapunov function