Control of discrete-time nonlinear systems via finite-step control Lyapunov functions

In this work, we establish different control design approaches for discrete-time systems, which build upon the notion of finite-step control Lyapunov functions (fs-CLFs). The design approaches are formulated as optimization problems and solved in a model predictive control (MPC) fashion. In particular, we establish contractive multi-step MPC with and without reoptimization and compare it to classic MPC. The idea behind these approaches is to use the fs-CLF as running cost. These new design approaches are particularly relevant in situations where information exchange between plant and controller cannot be ensured at all time instants. An example shows the different behavior of the proposed controller design approaches.