Optimal Control

Pontryagin's maximum principle and dynamic programming.

foundation tier

Optimal Control. Pontryagin’s maximum principle and dynamic programming.

Foundations and canonical references

The standard treatments of optimal control approach the subject from complementary angles. Kirk, Optimal Control Theory (2004) is the anchor reference for the subject and lays out the core definitions, theorems, and worked examples that practitioners return to. Pontryagin, The Mathematical Theory of Optimal Processes (1962) provides historical context and an early systematic exposition of the material.

Open methodological questions for optimal control include sharpening the bridges between foundational theory and computational practice, extending classical results to broader or more structured settings, and integrating the techniques surveyed above with adjacent mathematical disciplines. The references listed in this page are the entry points that current work builds on.

Prerequisites

Sources

  • textbook · primary · 2004
    Optimal Control Theory
    kirk-2004
  • textbook · historical · 1962
    The Mathematical Theory of Optimal Processes
    pontryagin-1962

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