On the consistency of Runge-Kutta methods up to order three applied to the optimal control of scalar conservation laws (Q1627488)

Higher-order Runge-Kutta time discretization methods applied to semidiscretization of the problems of optimal control subject to scalar conservation laws in one space dimension are investigated. First, the authors provide existence results for solutions of primal and adjoint equations and for a model problem, introduce semidiscretization of the optimal control problem and recall conditions for the Runge-Kutta coefficients based on Euler's method such that the resulting full discretization of the model problem is still consistent. Second, they analyze Runge-Kutta schemes and resulting discretizations of the optimal control problem, derive conditions for consistency of resulting discretizations, and briefly discuss the fully discretized problems and convergence order of the time discretization. Finally, numerical tests for controlling Burgers' equation validating the theoretical results are presented. For the entire collection see [Zbl 1402.65005].