Markovian description of a wide class of feedback-controlled systems: Application to the feedback flashing ratchet

Abstract: In feedback-controlled systems, an external agent -- the feedback controller -- measures the state of the system and modifies its subsequent dynamics depending on the outcome of the measurement. In this paper, we build a Markovian description for the joint stochastic process that comprises both the system and the controller variables. This Markovian description is valid for a wide class of feedback-controlled systems, allowing for the inclusion of errors in the measurement. The general framework is motivated and illustrated with the paradigmatic example of the feedback flashing ratchet.