Introduction to controllability of nonlinear systems

Abstract

We present some basic facts about the controllability of nonlinear finite dimensional systems. We introduce the concepts of Lie bracket and of Lie algebra generated by a family of vector fields. We then prove the Krener theorem on local accessibility and the Chow-Rashevskii theorem on controllability of symmetric systems. We then introduce the theory of compatible vector fields and we apply it to study control-affine systems with a recurrent drift or satisfying the strong Lie bracket generating assumption. We conclude with a general discussion about the orbit theorem by Sussmann and Nagano.