# Transcription Methods for Trajectory Optimization: a beginners tutorial

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/1707.00284 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/1707.00284/

## Key facts

- Cited by 1 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 2 Jul 2017.

## Built on by (most cited first, 1 of 1)

- [NaN-Propagation: A Novel Method for Sparsity Detection in Black-Box Computational Functions](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2507.23186/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

This report is an introduction to transcription methods for trajectory optimization techniques. The first few sections describe the two classes of transcription methods (shooting & simultaneous) that are used to convert the trajectory optimization problem into a general constrained optimization form. The middle of the report discusses a few extensions to the basic methods, including how to deal with hybrid systems (such as walking robots). The final section goes over a variety of implementation details.