A computational method for a class of non-standard time optimal control problems involving multiple time horizons

In this paper, we consider a class of non-standard time optimal control problems involving a dynamical system consisting of multiple subsystems evolving over different time horizons. Different subsystems are required to reach their respective target sets at different termination times. The goal is to minimize the maximum of these termination times. By introducing a discrete variable to represent the system termination ordering, we reformulate this problem as a discrete optimization problem. A discrete filled function method is developed to solve this discrete optimization problem. For illustration, a numerical example is solved.