Consider a control system 𝛛t f + Af = Bu. Assume that 𝛱 is

a projection and that you can control both the systems

 𝛛t f + 𝛱Af = 𝛱Bu,

 𝛛t f + (1-𝛱)Af = (1-𝛱)Bu.

Can you conclude that the first system itself is controllable ? We

cannot expect it in general. But in a joint work with Andreas Hartmann,

we managed to do it for the half-heat equation. It turns out that the

property we need for our case is:

 If 𝛺 satisfies some cone condition, the set {f+g, f∈L²(𝛺), g∈L²(𝛺),

f is holomorphic, g is anti-holomorphic} is closed in L²(𝛺).

The first proof by Friedrichs consists of long computations, and is

very "complex analysis". But a later proof by Shapiro uses quite

general coercivity estimates proved by Smith, whose proof uses some

tools from algebra : Hilbert's nullstellensatz and/or primary ideal

decomposition.

In this first talk, we will introduce the algebraic tools needed and

present Smith's coercivity inequalities. In a second talk, we will

explain how useful these inequalities are to study the control

properties of the half-heat equation.