I think I have finally tracked down the answer to the question in the blog for Lecture 14, when I wondered about the naming of the rocket car problem. I am now guessing that the answer is none of the above. According to J. T. Olympio, A continuous implementation of a second-variation optimal control method for space trajectory problems. J Optim Theory Appl, 2013
The double integrator problem (also called the Feldbaum–Bushaw problem) is a time minimization problem, where a frictionless particle moving along a line with an initial velocity and position should be put to rest."
This is exactly our rocket car problem. Apparently, it was first solved by D.W. Bushaw, Differential Equations with a Discontinuous Forcing Term, Ph.D. Thesis, Princeton, 1952.
In the obituary of Donald W. Bushaw (1926-2012) it is stated that "Don’s Ph.D. thesis is recognized as the beginning of modern optimal control theory."
The name of A. A. Feldbaum (a Russian) is also mentioned in connection with this problem which he solved at about the same time. Pontryagin came up with his maximum principle a few years later, 1956.
The double integrator problem (also called the Feldbaum–Bushaw problem) is a time minimization problem, where a frictionless particle moving along a line with an initial velocity and position should be put to rest."
This is exactly our rocket car problem. Apparently, it was first solved by D.W. Bushaw, Differential Equations with a Discontinuous Forcing Term, Ph.D. Thesis, Princeton, 1952.
In the obituary of Donald W. Bushaw (1926-2012) it is stated that "Don’s Ph.D. thesis is recognized as the beginning of modern optimal control theory."
The name of A. A. Feldbaum (a Russian) is also mentioned in connection with this problem which he solved at about the same time. Pontryagin came up with his maximum principle a few years later, 1956.
