Multidimensional Singular Control and Related Skorokhod Problem: Suficient Conditions for the Characterization of Optimal Controls

Jodi Dianetti and Giorgio Ferrari
Additional contact information
Jodi Dianetti: Center for Mathematical Economics, Bielefeld University
Giorgio Ferrari: Center for Mathematical Economics, Bielefeld University

No 645, Center for Mathematical Economics Working Papers from Center for Mathematical Economics, Bielefeld University

Abstract: We characterize the optimal control for a class of singular stochastic control problems as the unique solution to a related Skorokhod reflection problem. The considered optimization problems concern the minimization of a discounted cost functional over an infinite time-horizon through a process of bounded variation affecting an Itô-diffusion. The setting is multidimensional, the dynamics of the state and the costs are convex, the volatility matrix can be constant or linear in the state. We prove that the optimal control acts only when the underlying diffusion attempts to exit the so-called waiting region, and that the direction of this action is prescribed by the derivative of the value function. Our approach is based on the study of a suitable monotonicity property of the derivative of the value function through its interpretation as the value of an optimal stopping game. Such a monotonicity allows to construct nearly optimal policies which reflect the underlying diffusion at the boundary of approximating waiting regions. The limit of this approximation scheme then provides the desired characterization. Our result applies to a relevant class of linear-quadratic models, among others. Furthermore, it allows to construct the optimal control in degenerate and non degenerate settings considered in the literature, where this important aspect was only partially addressed.

Keywords: Dynkin games; re ected diffusion; singular stochastic control; Skorokhod problem; variational inequalities (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 38
Date: 2021-03-18
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-ore
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://pub.uni-bielefeld.de/download/2952857/2952859 First Version, 2021 (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bie:wpaper:645

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in Center for Mathematical Economics Working Papers from Center for Mathematical Economics, Bielefeld University Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Bettina Weingarten ().