Optimal control of treatment in a free boundary problem modeling multilayered tumor growth

Abstract

We study the optimal control problem of a free boundary PDE model describing the growth of multilayered tumor tissue in vitro. We seek the optimal amount of tumor growth inhibitor that simultaneously minimizes the thickness of the tumor tissue and mitigates side effects. The existence of an optimal control is established, and the uniqueness and characterization of the optimal control are investigated. Numerical simulations are presented for some scenarios, including the steady-state and parabolic cases.