The shooting approach to optimal control problems

We give an overview of the shooting technique for solving deterministic optimal control problems. This approach allows to reduce locally these problems to a finite dimensional equation. We first recall the basic idea, in the case of unconstrained or control constrained problems, and show the link with second-order optimality conditions and the analysis or discretization errors. Then we focus on two cases that are now better undestood: state constrained problems, and affine control systems. We end by discussing extensions to the optimal control of a parabolic equation.