Iterative Linear Quadratic Optimization for Nonlinear Control: Differentiable Programming Algorithmic Templates

Iterative optimization algorithms depend on access to information about the objective function. In a differentiable programming framework, this information, such as gradients, can be automatically derived from the computational graph. We explore how nonlinear control algorithms, often employing linear and/or quadratic approximations, can be effectively cast within this framework. Our approach illuminates shared components and differences between gradient descent, Gauss-Newton, Newton, and differential dynamic programming methods in the context of discrete time nonlinear control. Furthermore, we present line-search strategies and regularized variants of these algorithms, along with a comprehensive analysis of their computational complexities. We study the performance of the aforementioned algorithms on various nonlinear control benchmarks, including autonomous car racing simulations using a simplified car model. All implementations are publicly available in a package coded in a differentiable programming language.

@article{roulet2025_2207.06362,
  title={ Iterative Linear Quadratic Optimization for Nonlinear Control: Differentiable Programming Algorithmic Templates },
  author={ Vincent Roulet and Siddhartha Srinivasa and Maryam Fazel and Zaid Harchaoui },
  journal={arXiv preprint arXiv:2207.06362},
  year={ 2025 }
}