We study an optimal boundary control problem for the two dimensional unsteady linearized compressible Navier–Stokes equations in a rectangle. The control acts through the Dirichlet boundary condition. We first establish the existence and uniqueness of the solution for the two-dimensional unsteady linearized compressible Navier–Stokes equations in a rectangle with inhomogeneous Dirichlet boundary data, not necessarily smooth. Then, we prove the existence and uniqueness of the optimal solution over the control set. Finally we derive an optimality system from which the optimal solution can be determined.

We present an application of optimal control theory to a simple SIR disease model of avian influenza transmission dynamics in birds. Basic properties of the model, including the epidemic threshold, are obtained. Optimal control theory is adopted to minimize the density of infected birds subject to an appropriate system of ordinary differential equations. We conclude that an optimally controlled seasonal vaccination strategy saves more birds than when there is a low uniform vaccination rate as in resource-limited places.