Convergence rate for a Gauss collocation method applied to unconstrained optimal control

Abstract: A local convergence rate is established for an orthogonal collocation method based on Gauss quadrature applied to an unconstrained optimal control problem. If the continuous problem has a sufficiently smooth solution and the Hamiltonian satisfies a strong convexity condition, then the discrete problem possesses a local minimizer in a neighborhood of the continuous solution, and as the number of collocation points increases, the discrete solution convergences exponentially fast in the sup-norm to the continuous solution. This is the first convergence rate result for an orthogonal collocation method based on global polynomials applied to an optimal control problem.