Gallery
Phase Portrait (Position vs Velocity)
Switching Surface & Optimal Trajectories
Time History: Position & Velocity
Control Signal (Bang-Bang)

Pontryagin Bang-Bang

Minimal-time control for a double integrator with saturated control ±u_max

Position x
0.00
Velocity v
0.00
Control u
0
Time t
0.00
3.0
1.0
1.0
1.0×
Trajectory
u = +u_max (accelerate)
u = -u_max (brake)
Switching curve

The Double Integrator

The system ẍ = u models a point mass with unit mass. The goal is to bring the system from (x₀, v₀) to the origin (0, 0) in minimal time using bounded control |u| ≤ u_max.

Pontryagin's Principle

The optimal control switches at most once between +u_max and -u_max. The switching curve consists of two parabolas: the system follows one parabola until reaching the switching curve, then follows the other to the origin.