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inControl

inControl

Written by: Alberto Padoan
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The first podcast on control theory.
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© 2026 inControl
Science
Episodes
  • ep40 - Jeff Shamma: gain scheduling, nonlinear control, learning & dissipativity in games, jiu-jitsu
    Jan 15 2026

    Outline
    00:00 - Intro
    03:18 - Early days: why control, M. Athans, and IDSS
    12:21 - What is gain scheduling?
    33:37 - Paradigm shifts & the ‘90s: Minnesota → Texas → LA
    42:19 - Robustness & fundamental limitations of nonlinear systems
    57:35 - Set-valued control & estimation
    01:04:52 - Game theory & multi-agent control
    01:28:18 - Learning & dissipativity in games & multi agent AI
    01:45:03 - KAUST: building something new
    01:53:33 - On human-algorithmic interaction
    01:59:07 - Advice to future students: control, jiu-jitsu, and chatbots in education
    2:10:02 - Outro

    Links
    Jeff’s website: https://tinyurl.com/52btmmz7
    CSM interview: https://tinyurl.com/49wh98x7
    Domain: feedbackcontrol.com
    M. Athans: https://tinyurl.com/nhbw66wa
    PhD thesis: https://tinyurl.com/5eyxkfm6
    IDSS: https://tinyurl.com/bdenwy6d
    Research on gain scheduling: https://tinyurl.com/55se8zcr
    Overview of LPV systems: https://tinyurl.com/3ksff58b
    Åström’s lecture: https://tinyurl.com/33mxkkfe
    Necessity of the small gain theorem: https://tinyurl.com/mjn9eeb4
    Sensitivity reduction for nonlinear plants: https://tinyurl.com/23tej5yp
    Respect the unstable: https://tinyurl.com/3yww5eds
    Differential inclusion: https://tinyurl.com/4yvc8vcc
    Lectures on game theory: https://tinyurl.com/4z8hh3rn
    Dynamic fictitious play: https://tinyurl.com/yc6wsxjj
    Cooperative control and potential games: https://tinyurl.com/4hbmrt72
    Dissipativity theory in game theory: https://tinyurl.com/3theyc7x
    Population games, stable games, and passivity: https://tinyurl.com/zxwtzv6w
    Game theory and control: https://tinyurl.com/yencrwm3
    Higher-order uncoupled learning: https://tinyurl.com/37

    Support the show

    Podcast info
    Podcast website: https://www.incontrolpodcast.com/
    Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/5n84j85j
    Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/4rwztj3c
    RSS: https://tinyurl.com/yc2fcv4y
    Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/bdbvhsj6
    Facebook: https://tinyurl.com/3z24yr43
    Twitter: https://twitter.com/IncontrolP
    Instagram: https://tinyurl.com/35cu4kr4

    Acknowledgments and sponsors
    This episode was supported by the National Centre of Competence in Research on «Dependable, ubiquitous automation» and the IFAC Activity fund. The podcast benefits from the help of an incredibly talented and passionate team. Special thanks to L. Seward, E. Cahard, F. Banis, F. Dörfler, J. Lygeros, ETH studio and mirrorlake . Music was composed by A New Element.

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    2 hrs and 11 mins
  • ep39 - Female influencers in control
    Dec 16 2025

    Outline

    00:00 - Intro

    05:01 - Female Influencers in Control — The Backstory

    08:08 - Sofya Kovalevskaya

    15:21 - Irmgard Lotz

    26:16 - A new wave of control influencers

    34:26 - Some data

    43:38 - What can one do?

    1:00:10 - Exhibition + survey

    1:05:21 - Outro


    Links
    Female influencers in control project: https://tinyurl.com/mv879ahf

    Charlotta Johnsson: https://tinyurl.com/343esbeu

    Eva Westin: https://tinyurl.com/3p6fd5n8

    Margret Bauer: https://tinyurl.com/47d35xzb

    Sofya Kovalevskaya: https://tinyurl.com/4mmzruwc

    Remembering Sofya Kovalevskaya: https://tinyurl.com/4cpw7vff

    Irmgard Lotz: https://tinyurl.com/y2exmndm

    Flow Computation Pioneer Irmgard Flügge-Lotz (1903–1974): https://tinyurl.com/4cy3xsp3

    Discontinuous Automatic Control: https://tinyurl.com/yeys5dxx

    Historical Female Influencers in Automatic Control: https://tinyurl.com/yxw4bjxe

    Activity report: https://tinyurl.com/jwzn4z3c


    Support the show

    Podcast info
    Podcast website: https://www.incontrolpodcast.com/
    Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/5n84j85j
    Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/4rwztj3c
    RSS: https://tinyurl.com/yc2fcv4y
    Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/bdbvhsj6
    Facebook: https://tinyurl.com/3z24yr43
    Twitter: https://twitter.com/IncontrolP
    Instagram: https://tinyurl.com/35cu4kr4

    Acknowledgments and sponsors
    This episode was supported by the National Centre of Competence in Research on «Dependable, ubiquitous automation» and the IFAC Activity fund. The podcast benefits from the help of an incredibly talented and passionate team. Special thanks to L. Seward, E. Cahard, F. Banis, F. Dörfler, J. Lygeros, ETH studio and mirrorlake . Music was composed by A New Element.

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    1 hr and 6 mins
  • ep38 - inControl guide to ... Feedback
    Nov 17 2025

    Outline
    00:00 – Intro
    07:22 – Anatomy of a feedback loop
    15:12 – A brief historical recap on the history of feedback
    23:40 – Inventing the negative feedback amplifier
    34:28 – Feedback in biology, economics, society, and ... board games!
    52:44 – Negative vs positive feedback
    59:15 – Feedback, causality, and the arrow of time
    1:06:22 – Classics: fundamental limitations, uncertainty, robustness
    1:21:30 – Adaptive control: learning in the loop
    1:29:50 – Modern AI feedback loops (RL, social media, alignment)
    1:40:40 – Outro

    Links
    Watt’s flyball governor: https://tinyurl.com/ne5nene3
    Maxwell - "On Governors": https://tinyurl.com/2a7cxj7m
    Black - "Inventing the negative-feedback amplifier": https://tinyurl.com/yevsemdp
    Nyquist Criterion: https://tinyurl.com/33hfbw8m
    Bode's integral: https://tinyurl.com/53sxkdzu
    Wiener - "Cybernetics": https://tinyurl.com/yta899ay
    Apoptosis: https://tinyurl.com/mcxjycka
    Predator–prey dynamics (Lotka–Volterra): https://tinyurl.com/5cvx33tn
    Bird migration cues (photoperiodism): https://tinyurl.com/y2e7t22v
    Neuron action potentials: https://tinyurl.com/2wemwdn4
    Economic equilibrium & feedback: https://tinyurl.com/nhdx7r3s
    Echo chambers: https://tinyurl.com/4v8yk7e8
    Game design: https://tinyurl.com/bdhdhv38
    Gap metric (Vinnicombe): https://tinyurl.com/y9nw3yve
    Georgiou, Smith - "Feedback Control and the Arrow of Time": https://tinyurl.com/5xvj76jr
    Annaswamy, Fradkov - "A Historical Perspective of Adaptive Control and Learning": https://tinyurl.com/4nfew8vm
    Algorithmic trading flash crash (2010): https://tinyurl.com/2dsrs8j2
    AI alignment: https://tinyurl.com/yvs3wnj8

    Support the show

    Podcast info
    Podcast website: https://www.incontrolpodcast.com/
    Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/5n84j85j
    Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/4rwztj3c
    RSS: https://tinyurl.com/yc2fcv4y
    Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/bdbvhsj6
    Facebook: https://tinyurl.com/3z24yr43
    Twitter: https://twitter.com/IncontrolP
    Instagram: https://tinyurl.com/35cu4kr4

    Acknowledgments and sponsors
    This episode was supported by the National Centre of Competence in Research on «Dependable, ubiquitous automation» and the IFAC Activity fund. The podcast benefits from the help of an incredibly talented and passionate team. Special thanks to L. Seward, E. Cahard, F. Banis, F. Dörfler, J. Lygeros, ETH studio and mirrorlake . Music was composed by A New Element.

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 25 mins
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