# Mean-Field Sparse Optimal Control

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/1402.5657 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/1402.5657/

## Key facts

- Cited by 2 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 23 Feb 2014.

## Built on by (most cited first, 2 of 2)

- [Sparsity in long-time control of neural ODEs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2102.13566/) (2021)
- [Taming Epilepsy: Mean Field Control of Whole-Brain Dynamics](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2603.18035/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

We introduce the rigorous limit process connecting finite dimensional sparse optimal control problems with ODE constraints, modeling parsimonious interventions on the dynamics of a moving population divided into leaders and followers, to an infinite dimensional optimal control problem with a constraint given by a system of ODE for the leaders coupled with a PDE of Vlasov-type, governing the dynamics of the probability distribution of the followers. In the classical mean-field theory one studies the behavior of a large number of small individuals freely interacting with each other, by simplifying the effect of all the other individuals on any given individual by a single averaged effect. In this paper we address instead the situation where the leaders are actually influenced also by an external policy maker, and we propagate its effect for the number N of followers going to infinity. The technical derivation of the sparse mean-field optimal control is realized by the simultaneous development of the mean-field limit of the equations governing the followers dynamics together with the Gamma-limit of the finite dimensional sparse optimal control problems.