Optimal chemical control of populations developing drug resistance.

A system of differential equations for the control of the growth of certain populations by the use of chemical treatment is presented. Rather general growth rates and kill rates of drugs, as well as drug resistance, are considered. A class of optimal control problems with a performance criterion depending on a parameter is formulated and shown to admit the same basic optimal strategy. Applications to cycle nonspecific chemotherapy and control of the growth of bacterial populations in cellulose media in paper production plants are described.