We consider the problem of finite-time identification of linear dynamical systems from $T$ samples of a single trajectory. Recent results have predominantly focused on the setup where no structural assumption is made on the system matrix $A^* \in \mathbb{R}^{n \times n}$, and have consequently analyzed the ordinary least squares (OLS) estimator in detail. We assume prior structural information on $A^*$ is available, which can be captured in the form of a convex set $\mathcal{K}$ containing $A^*$. For the solution of the ensuing constrained least squares estimator, we derive non-asymptotic error bounds in the Frobenius norm that depend on the local size of $\mathcal{K}$ at $A^*$. To illustrate the usefulness of these results, we instantiate them for three examples, namely when (i) $A^*$ is sparse and $\mathcal{K}$ is a suitably scaled $\ell_1$ ball; (ii) $\mathcal{K}$ is a subspace; (iii) $\mathcal{K}$ consists of matrices each of which is formed by sampling a bivariate convex function on a uniform $n \times n$ grid (convex regression). In all these situations, we show that $A^*$ can be reliably estimated for values of $T$ much smaller than what is needed for the unconstrained setting.
We present here a new splitting method to solve Lyapunov equations of the type $AP + PA^T=-BB^T$ in a Kronecker product form. Although that resulting matrix is of order $n^2$, each iteration of the method demands only two operations with the matrix $A$: a multiplication of the form $(A-\sigma I) \hat{B}$ and a inversion of the form $(A-\sigma I)^{-1}\hat{B}$. We see that for some choice of a parameter the iteration matrix is such that all their eigenvalues are in absolute value less than 1, which means that it should converge without depending on the starting vector. Nevertheless we present a theorem that enables us how to get a good starting vector for the method.
The numerical solution of continuum damage mechanics (CDM) problems suffers from convergence-related challenges during the material softening stage, and consequently existing iterative solvers are subject to a trade-off between computational expense and solution accuracy. In this work, we present a novel unified arc-length (UAL) method, and we derive the formulation of the analytical tangent matrix and governing system of equations for both local and non-local gradient damage problems. Unlike existing versions of arc-length solvers that monolithically scale the external force vector, the proposed method treats the latter as an independent variable and determines the position of the system on the equilibrium path based on all the nodal variations of the external force vector. This approach renders the proposed solver substantially more efficient and robust than existing solvers used in CDM problems. We demonstrate the considerable advantages of the proposed algorithm through several benchmark 1D problems with sharp snap-backs and 2D examples under various boundary conditions and loading scenarios. The proposed UAL approach exhibits a superior ability of overcoming critical increments along the equilibrium path. Moreover, the proposed UAL method is 1-2 orders of magnitude faster than force-controlled arc-length and monolithic Newton-Raphson solvers.
P-time event graphs are discrete event systems suitable for modeling processes in which tasks must be executed in predefined time windows. Their dynamics can be represented by max-plus linear-dual inequalities (LDIs), i.e., systems of linear dynamical inequalities in the primal and dual operations of the max-plus algebra. We define a new class of models called switched LDIs (SLDIs), which allow to switch between different modes of operation, each corresponding to a set of LDIs, according to a sequence of modes called schedule. In this paper, we focus on the analysis of SLDIs when the considered schedule is fixed and either periodic or intermittently periodic. We show that SLDIs can model a wide range of applications including single-robot multi-product processing networks, in which every product has different processing requirements and corresponds to a specific mode of operation. Based on the analysis of SLDIs, we propose algorithms to compute: i. minimum and maximum cycle times for these processes, improving the time complexity of other existing approaches; ii. a complete trajectory of the robot including start-up and shut-down transients.
A robust nonconforming mixed finite element method is developed for a strain gradient elasticity (SGE) model. In two and three dimensional cases, a lower order $C^0$-continuous $H^2$-nonconforming finite element is constructed for the displacement field through enriching the quadratic Lagrange element with bubble functions. This together with the linear Lagrange element is exploited to discretize a mixed formulation of the SGE model. The robust discrete inf-sup condition is established. The sharp and uniform error estimates with respect to both the small size parameter and the Lam\'{e} coefficient are achieved, which is also verified by numerical results. In addition, the uniform regularity of the SGE model is derived under two reasonable assumptions.
We consider a one-dimensional singularly perturbed 4th order problem with the additional feature of a shift term. An expansion into a smooth term, boundary layers and an inner layer yields a formal solution decomposition, and together with a stability result we have estimates for the subsequent numerical analysis. With classical layer adapted meshes we present a numerical method, that achieves supercloseness and optimal convergence orders in the associated energy norm. We also consider coarser meshes in view of the weak layers. Some numerical examples conclude the paper and support the theory.
We consider a sharp interface formulation for the multi-phase Mullins-Sekerka flow. The flow is characterized by a network of curves evolving such that the total surface energy of the curves is reduced, while the areas of the enclosed phases are conserved. Making use of a variational formulation, we introduce a fully discrete finite element method. Our discretization features a parametric approximation of the moving interfaces that is independent of the discretization used for the equations in the bulk. The scheme can be shown to be unconditionally stable and to satisfy an exact volume conservation property. Moreover, an inherent tangential velocity for the vertices on the discrete curves leads to asymptotically equidistributed vertices, meaning no remeshing is necessary in practice. Several numerical examples, including a convergence experiment for the three-phase Mullins-Sekerka flow, demonstrate the capabilities of the introduced method.
We present a novel stabilized isogeometric formulation for the Stokes problem, where the geometry of interest is obtained via overlapping NURBS (non-uniform rational B-spline) patches, i.e., one patch on top of another in an arbitrary but predefined hierarchical order. All the visible regions constitute the computational domain, whereas independent patches are coupled through visible interfaces using Nitsche's formulation. Such a geometric representation inevitably involves trimming, which may yield trimmed elements of extremely small measures (referred to as bad elements) and thus lead to the instability issue. Motivated by the minimal stabilization method that rigorously guarantees stability for trimmed geometries [1], in this work we generalize it to the Stokes problem on overlapping patches. Central to our method is the distinct treatments for the pressure and velocity spaces: Stabilization for velocity is carried out for the flux terms on interfaces, whereas pressure is stabilized in all the bad elements. We provide a priori error estimates with a comprehensive theoretical study. Through a suite of numerical tests, we first show that optimal convergence rates are achieved, which consistently agrees with our theoretical findings. Second, we show that the accuracy of pressure is significantly improved by several orders using the proposed stabilization method, compared to the results without stabilization. Finally, we also demonstrate the flexibility and efficiency of the proposed method in capturing local features in the solution field.
Neuromorphic computing is one of the few current approaches that have the potential to significantly reduce power consumption in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence. Imam & Cleland presented an odour-learning algorithm that runs on a neuromorphic architecture and is inspired by circuits described in the mammalian olfactory bulb. They assess the algorithm's performance in "rapid online learning and identification" of gaseous odorants and odorless gases (short "gases") using a set of gas sensor recordings of different odour presentations and corrupting them by impulse noise. We replicated parts of the study and discovered limitations that affect some of the conclusions drawn. First, the dataset used suffers from sensor drift and a non-randomised measurement protocol, rendering it of limited use for odour identification benchmarks. Second, we found that the model is restricted in its ability to generalise over repeated presentations of the same gas. We demonstrate that the task the study refers to can be solved with a simple hash table approach, matching or exceeding the reported results in accuracy and runtime. Therefore, a validation of the model that goes beyond restoring a learned data sample remains to be shown, in particular its suitability to odour identification tasks.
Point source localisation is generally modelled as a Lasso-type problem on measures. However, optimisation methods in non-Hilbert spaces, such as the space of Radon measures, are much less developed than in Hilbert spaces. Most numerical algorithms for point source localisation are based on the Frank-Wolfe conditional gradient method, for which ad hoc convergence theory is developed. We develop extensions of proximal-type methods to spaces of measures. This includes forward-backward splitting, its inertial version, and primal-dual proximal splitting. Their convergence proofs follow standard patterns. We demonstrate their numerical efficacy.
We propose an approach to compute inner and outer-approximations of the sets of values satisfying constraints expressed as arbitrarily quantified formulas. Such formulas arise for instance when specifying important problems in control such as robustness, motion planning or controllers comparison. We propose an interval-based method which allows for tractable but tight approximations. We demonstrate its applicability through a series of examples and benchmarks using a prototype implementation.