We consider nonlinear model predictive control (MPC) schemes without stabilizing terminal conditions, where the model used in the optimization step is generated based on input-output data only. We establish exponential stability for sufficiently long prediction horizons assuming exponential stabilizability and a proportional error bound. Moreover, we verify the imposed condition on the approximation using kernel interpolation and demonstrate the practical applicability to nonlinear systems by numerical simulations.
@article{arxiv.2603.16808,
title = {Exponential stability of data-driven nonlinear MPC based on input/output models},
author = {Lea Bold and Irene Schimperna and Karl Worthmann and Johannes Köhler},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2603.16808},
year = {2026}
}