{"paper":{"title":"Beyond Pure Sampling: Hybrid Optimization Mechanisms for Non-Convex Model Predictive Control","license":"http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/","headline":"","cross_cats":["math.OC"],"primary_cat":"cs.RO","authors_text":"Akash Ratheesh, Evangelos A. Theodorou, Minchan Jung, Yuichiro Aoyama","submitted_at":"2026-05-30T14:09:14Z","abstract_excerpt":"This paper investigates the optimization mechanisms of non-convex Model Predictive Control (MPC) using the Maximum Entropy Differential Dynamic Programming (ME-DDP) framework. Navigating non-convex cost landscapes induced by nonlinear dynamics, multiple obstacles, etc. remains a fundamental challenge in robotics, where gradient-based methods frequently converge to suboptimal local minima. We demonstrate a dual-step optimization mechanism designed to overcome these traps. (1) an initial phase of using DDP to exploit the gradient of the cost landscape, followed by (2) disruption of the optimizat"},"claims":{"count":0,"items":[],"snapshot_sha256":"258153158e38e3291e3d48162225fcdb2d5a3ed65a07baac614ab91432fd4f57"},"source":{"id":"2606.00737","kind":"arxiv","version":1},"verdict":{"id":null,"model_set":{},"created_at":null,"strongest_claim":"","one_line_summary":"","pipeline_version":null,"weakest_assumption":"","pith_extraction_headline":""},"integrity":{"clean":true,"summary":{"advisory":0,"critical":0,"by_detector":{},"informational":0},"endpoint":"/pith/2606.00737/integrity.json","findings":[],"available":true,"detectors_run":[],"snapshot_sha256":"c28c3603d3b5d939e8dc4c7e95fa8dfce3d595e45f758748cecf8e644a296938"},"references":{"count":0,"sample":[],"resolved_work":0,"snapshot_sha256":"258153158e38e3291e3d48162225fcdb2d5a3ed65a07baac614ab91432fd4f57","internal_anchors":0},"formal_canon":{"evidence_count":0,"snapshot_sha256":"258153158e38e3291e3d48162225fcdb2d5a3ed65a07baac614ab91432fd4f57"},"author_claims":{"count":0,"strong_count":0,"snapshot_sha256":"258153158e38e3291e3d48162225fcdb2d5a3ed65a07baac614ab91432fd4f57"},"builder_version":"pith-number-builder-2026-05-17-v1"}