@article {2008,
	title = {Limit Time Optimal Syntheses for a control-affine system on S{\texttwosuperior}},
	journal = {SIAM J. Control Optim. 47 (2008) 111-143},
	number = {SISSA;48/2006/M},
	year = {2008},
	abstract = {For $\\\\alpha \\\\in ]0,\\\\pi/2[$, let $(\\\\Sigma)_\\\\alpha$ be the control system $\\\\dot{x}=(F+uG)x$, where $x$ belongs to the two-dimensional unit sphere $S^2$, $u\\\\in [-1,1]$, and $F,G$ are $3\\\\times3$ skew-symmetric matrices generating rotations with perpendicular axes and of respective norms $\\\\cos(\\\\alpha)$ and $\\\\sin(\\\\alpha)$. In this paper, we study the time optimal synthesis (TOS) from the north pole $(0,0,1)^T$ associated to $(\\\\Sigma)_\\\\alpha$, as the parameter $\\\\alpha$ tends to zero; this problem is motivated by specific issues in the control of quantum systems. We first prove that the TOS is characterized by a \\\"two-snakes\\\" configuration on the whole $S^2$, except for a neighborhood $U_\\\\alpha$ of the south pole $(0,0,-1)^T$ of diameter at most ${\\\\cal O}(\\\\alpha)$. We next show that, inside $U_\\\\alpha$, the TOS depends on the relationship between $r(\\\\alpha):=\\\\pi/2\\\\alpha-[\\\\pi/2\\\\alpha]$ and $\\\\alpha$. More precisely, we characterize three main relationships by considering sequences $(\\\\alpha_k)_{k\\\\geq 0}$ satisfying (a) $r(\\\\alpha_k)=\\\\bar{r}$, (b) $r(\\\\alpha_k)=C\\\\alpha_k$, and (c) $r(\\\\alpha_k)=0$, where $\\\\bar{r}\\\\in (0,1)$ and $C>0$. In each case, we describe the TOS and provide, after a suitable rescaling, the limiting behavior, as $\\\\alpha$ tends to zero, of the corresponding TOS inside $U_\\\\alpha$.},
	doi = {10.1137/060675988},
	url = {http://hdl.handle.net/1963/1862},
	author = {Paolo Mason and Rebecca Salmoni and Ugo Boscain and Yacine Chitour}
}
