Optimal Control of Particle Advection in Couette and Poiseuille Flows

We present the problem of minimum time control of a particle advected in Couette and Poiseuille flows and solve it by using the Pontryagin maximum principle. This study is a first step of an effort aiming at the development of a mathematical framework for the control and optimization of dynamic control systems whose state variable is driven by interacting ODEs and PDEs which can be applied in the control of underwater gliders and mechanical fishes.