A comparative study is made of five methods for calculating the optimal control function for a linear parabolic tracking problem with boundary control. Questions of computational instability, numerical accuracy and economic computer usage are investigated. Open-loop methods based upon the variational equations are shown to have the advantages of efficiency, accuracy and ease of programming. Methods based on the method of lines and the Riccati equation are shown to be less straightforward in use. The fourth-order explicit Runge-Kutta algorithm has little scope for application because of its restricted stability range. The Kalman-Englar algorithm is much more robust but a Crank-Nicholson algorithm for the associated auxiliary equation is not very satisfactory in some cases. The auxiliary variable method may then confer some benefits.