Optimal control for non-exponentially stabilizable spatially invariant systems with an application to vehicular platooning

This paper considers the optimal control problem for a class of infinite-dimensional systems, namely spatially invariant systems. A common assumption in the scope of such optimal control problem is the exponential stabilizability of the infinite-dimensional plant. We propose sufficient conditions for the optimizability of spatially invariant systems that are not exponentially stabilizable. The practical significance of this problem setting is motivated by vehicular platooning, for which it is desired to design controllers that attenuate the effect of disturbances, both in time and space, i.e., over the vehicle index.