Plain Talk on Stochastic Adaptive Control and Its Broader Impact Some Reflections from the IFAC Technical Board Liaison to Education.

Abstract

Abstract This paper focuses on innovative methods of teaching stochastic adaptive control with students who represent all science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. The Stochastic Adaptive Control course has been developed based on the author’s research area and it demonstrates the power, beauty and excitement of stochastic adaptive control as a field that spans STEM. Teaching is shown as a stochastic process that changes in time. The course has been taught at the mathematics department for the last 20 years by the team of mathematics and engineering faculty. The course is very popular, attracts junior and senior undergraduate and graduate students, and leads towards honors theses for undergraduates, and masters and doctoral theses for graduate students. Best practices leading to the success are presented. This paper provides also a sample of plain talk on stochastic adaptive control and broader impact best practices of control. The formation of IFAC Technical Committee (TC) Liaisons to Education was based on the concept of integrating research and education at all levels.