Local controllability does imply global controllability

Abstract

We say that a control system is locally controllable if the attainable set from any state $x$ contains an open neighborhood of $x$, while it is controllable if the attainable set from any state is the entire state manifold. We show in this note that a control system satisfying local controllability is controllable. Our self-contained proof is alternative to the combination of two previous results by Kevin Grasse.

9 pages, 4 figures, 2 tables; this updated version includes new citations to previous literature