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Main Authors: Williams, Alan, Sunol, Alp
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.04327
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author Williams, Alan
Sunol, Alp
author_facet Williams, Alan
Sunol, Alp
contents We consider the problem of simultaneous control and parameter estimation when the model is available only as a differentiable physics simulator. We propose a receding-horizon control framework in which a model predictive control (MPC) objective is optimized using gradients obtained by differentiating through the simulator, while physical parameters are updated online using measurement data. Unlike classical MPC, which relies on explicit algebraic models, our approach treats the dynamics as a computational object and performs simulation-based optimization using automatic differentiation. A shared differentiable model enables joint, real-time optimization of control inputs and physical parameters. We present two preliminary examples to demonstrate the proposed framework on two challenging applications: a fluid flow problem and a particle accelerator.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2604_04327
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle MPC and System Identification with Differentiable Physics: Fluid System and Particle Beam Control
Williams, Alan
Sunol, Alp
Optimization and Control
We consider the problem of simultaneous control and parameter estimation when the model is available only as a differentiable physics simulator. We propose a receding-horizon control framework in which a model predictive control (MPC) objective is optimized using gradients obtained by differentiating through the simulator, while physical parameters are updated online using measurement data. Unlike classical MPC, which relies on explicit algebraic models, our approach treats the dynamics as a computational object and performs simulation-based optimization using automatic differentiation. A shared differentiable model enables joint, real-time optimization of control inputs and physical parameters. We present two preliminary examples to demonstrate the proposed framework on two challenging applications: a fluid flow problem and a particle accelerator.
title MPC and System Identification with Differentiable Physics: Fluid System and Particle Beam Control
topic Optimization and Control
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.04327