We exploit analogies between first-order algorithms for constrained optimization and non-smooth dynamical systems to design a new class of accelerated first-order algorithms for constrained optimization. Unlike Frank-Wolfe or projected gradients, these algorithms avoid optimization over the entire feasible set at each iteration. We prove convergence to stationary points even in a nonconvex setting and we derive rates for the convex setting. An important property of these algorithms is that constraints are expressed in terms of velocities instead of positions, which naturally leads to sparse, local and convex approximations of the feasible set (even if the feasible set is nonconvex). Thus, the complexity tends to grow mildly in the number of decision variables and in the number of constraints, which makes the algorithms suitable for machine learning applications. We apply our algorithms to a compressed sensing and a sparse regression problem, showing that we can treat nonconvex $\ell^p$ constraints ($p<1$) efficiently, while recovering state-of-the-art performance for $p=1$.
In this paper, we propose IMA-GNN as an In-Memory Accelerator for centralized and decentralized Graph Neural Network inference, explore its potential in both settings and provide a guideline for the community targeting flexible and efficient edge computation. Leveraging IMA-GNN, we first model the computation and communication latencies of edge devices. We then present practical case studies on GNN-based taxi demand and supply prediction and also adopt four large graph datasets to quantitatively compare and analyze centralized and decentralized settings. Our cross-layer simulation results demonstrate that on average, IMA-GNN in the centralized setting can obtain ~790x communication speed-up compared to the decentralized GNN setting. However, the decentralized setting performs computation ~1400x faster while reducing the power consumption per device. This further underlines the need for a hybrid semi-decentralized GNN approach.
Matrix Lie groups are an important class of manifolds commonly used in control and robotics, and the optimization of control policies on these manifolds is a fundamental problem. In this work, we propose a novel approach for trajectory optimization on matrix Lie groups using an augmented Lagrangian-based constrained discrete Differential Dynamic Programming. The method involves lifting the optimization problem to the Lie algebra in the backward pass and retracting back to the manifold in the forward pass. In contrast to previous approaches which only addressed constraint handling for specific classes of matrix Lie groups, the proposed method provides a general approach for nonlinear constraint handling for generic matrix Lie groups. We also demonstrate the effectiveness of the method in handling external disturbances through its application as a Lie-algebraic feedback control policy on SE(3). Experiments show that the approach is able to effectively handle configuration, velocity and input constraints and maintain stability in the presence of external disturbances.
This paper contributes tail bounds of the age-of-information of a general class of parallel systems and explores their potential. Parallel systems arise in relevant cases, such as in multi-band mobile networks, multi-technology wireless access, or multi-path protocols, just to name a few. Typically, control over each communication channel is limited and random service outages and congestion cause buffering that impairs the age-of-information. The parallel use of independent channels promises a remedy, since outages on one channel may be compensated for by another. Surprisingly, for the well-known case of M$\mid$M$\mid$1 queues we find the opposite: pooling capacity in one channel performs better than a parallel system with the same total capacity. A generalization is not possible since there are no solutions for other types of parallel queues at hand. In this work, we prove a dual representation of age-of-information in min-plus algebra that connects to queueing models known from the theory of effective bandwidth/capacity and the stochastic network calculus. Exploiting these methods, we derive tail bounds of the age-of-information of parallel G$\mid$G$\mid$1 queues. In addition to parallel classical queues, we investigate Markov channels where, depending on the memory of the channel, we show the true advantage of parallel systems. We continue to investigate this new finding and provide insight into when capacity should be pooled in one channel or when independent parallel channels perform better. We complement our analysis with simulation results and evaluate different update policies, scheduling policies, and the use of heterogeneous channels that is most relevant for latest multi-band networks.
Empirical robustness evaluation (RE) of deep learning models against adversarial perturbations entails solving nontrivial constrained optimization problems. Existing numerical algorithms that are commonly used to solve them in practice predominantly rely on projected gradient, and mostly handle perturbations modeled by the $\ell_1$, $\ell_2$ and $\ell_\infty$ distances. In this paper, we introduce a novel algorithmic framework that blends a general-purpose constrained-optimization solver PyGRANSO with Constraint Folding (PWCF), which can add more reliability and generality to the state-of-the-art RE packages, e.g., AutoAttack. Regarding reliability, PWCF provides solutions with stationarity measures and feasibility tests to assess the solution quality. For generality, PWCF can handle perturbation models that are typically inaccessible to the existing projected gradient methods; the main requirement is the distance metric to be almost everywhere differentiable. Taking advantage of PWCF and other existing numerical algorithms, we further explore the distinct patterns in the solutions found for solving these optimization problems using various combinations of losses, perturbation models, and optimization algorithms. We then discuss the implications of these patterns on the current robustness evaluation and adversarial training.
In this paper, we consider distributed optimization problems where $n$ agents, each possessing a local cost function, collaboratively minimize the average of the local cost functions over a connected network. To solve the problem, we propose a distributed random reshuffling (D-RR) algorithm that invokes the random reshuffling (RR) update in each agent. We show that D-RR inherits favorable characteristics of RR for both smooth strongly convex and smooth nonconvex objective functions. In particular, for smooth strongly convex objective functions, D-RR achieves $\mathcal{O}(1/T^2)$ rate of convergence (where $T$ counts epoch number) in terms of the squared distance between the iterate and the global minimizer. When the objective function is assumed to be smooth nonconvex, we show that D-RR drives the squared norm of gradient to $0$ at a rate of $\mathcal{O}(1/T^{2/3})$. These convergence results match those of centralized RR (up to constant factors) and outperform the distributed stochastic gradient descent (DSGD) algorithm if we run a relatively large number of epochs. Finally, we conduct a set of numerical experiments to illustrate the efficiency of the proposed D-RR method on both strongly convex and nonconvex distributed optimization problems.
A central task in control theory, artificial intelligence, and formal methods is to synthesize reward-maximizing strategies for agents that operate in partially unknown environments. In environments modeled by gray-box Markov decision processes (MDPs), the impact of the agents' actions are known in terms of successor states but not the stochastics involved. In this paper, we devise a strategy synthesis algorithm for gray-box MDPs via reinforcement learning that utilizes interval MDPs as internal model. To compete with limited sampling access in reinforcement learning, we incorporate two novel concepts into our algorithm, focusing on rapid and successful learning rather than on stochastic guarantees and optimality: lower confidence bound exploration reinforces variants of already learned practical strategies and action scoping reduces the learning action space to promising actions. We illustrate benefits of our algorithms by means of a prototypical implementation applied on examples from the AI and formal methods communities.
Federated learning has gained popularity as a means of training models distributed across the wireless edge. The paper introduces delay-aware federated learning (DFL) to improve the efficiency of distributed machine learning (ML) model training by addressing communication delays between edge and cloud. DFL employs multiple stochastic gradient descent iterations on device datasets during each global aggregation interval and intermittently aggregates model parameters through edge servers in local subnetworks. The cloud server synchronizes the local models with the global deployed model computed via a local-global combiner at global synchronization. The convergence behavior of DFL is theoretically investigated under a generalized data heterogeneity metric. A set of conditions is obtained to achieve the sub-linear convergence rate of O(1/k). Based on these findings, an adaptive control algorithm is developed for DFL, implementing policies to mitigate energy consumption and edge-to-cloud communication latency while aiming for a sublinear convergence rate. Numerical evaluations show DFL's superior performance in terms of faster global model convergence, reduced resource consumption, and robustness against communication delays compared to existing FL algorithms. In summary, this proposed method offers improved efficiency and satisfactory results when dealing with both convex and non-convex loss functions.
Classic algorithms and machine learning systems like neural networks are both abundant in everyday life. While classic computer science algorithms are suitable for precise execution of exactly defined tasks such as finding the shortest path in a large graph, neural networks allow learning from data to predict the most likely answer in more complex tasks such as image classification, which cannot be reduced to an exact algorithm. To get the best of both worlds, this thesis explores combining both concepts leading to more robust, better performing, more interpretable, more computationally efficient, and more data efficient architectures. The thesis formalizes the idea of algorithmic supervision, which allows a neural network to learn from or in conjunction with an algorithm. When integrating an algorithm into a neural architecture, it is important that the algorithm is differentiable such that the architecture can be trained end-to-end and gradients can be propagated back through the algorithm in a meaningful way. To make algorithms differentiable, this thesis proposes a general method for continuously relaxing algorithms by perturbing variables and approximating the expectation value in closed form, i.e., without sampling. In addition, this thesis proposes differentiable algorithms, such as differentiable sorting networks, differentiable renderers, and differentiable logic gate networks. Finally, this thesis presents alternative training strategies for learning with algorithms.
Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) have been studied from the lens of expressive power and generalization. However, their optimization properties are less well understood. We take the first step towards analyzing GNN training by studying the gradient dynamics of GNNs. First, we analyze linearized GNNs and prove that despite the non-convexity of training, convergence to a global minimum at a linear rate is guaranteed under mild assumptions that we validate on real-world graphs. Second, we study what may affect the GNNs' training speed. Our results show that the training of GNNs is implicitly accelerated by skip connections, more depth, and/or a good label distribution. Empirical results confirm that our theoretical results for linearized GNNs align with the training behavior of nonlinear GNNs. Our results provide the first theoretical support for the success of GNNs with skip connections in terms of optimization, and suggest that deep GNNs with skip connections would be promising in practice.
Deep neural networks have revolutionized many machine learning tasks in power systems, ranging from pattern recognition to signal processing. The data in these tasks is typically represented in Euclidean domains. Nevertheless, there is an increasing number of applications in power systems, where data are collected from non-Euclidean domains and represented as the graph-structured data with high dimensional features and interdependency among nodes. The complexity of graph-structured data has brought significant challenges to the existing deep neural networks defined in Euclidean domains. Recently, many studies on extending deep neural networks for graph-structured data in power systems have emerged. In this paper, a comprehensive overview of graph neural networks (GNNs) in power systems is proposed. Specifically, several classical paradigms of GNNs structures (e.g., graph convolutional networks, graph recurrent neural networks, graph attention networks, graph generative networks, spatial-temporal graph convolutional networks, and hybrid forms of GNNs) are summarized, and key applications in power systems such as fault diagnosis, power prediction, power flow calculation, and data generation are reviewed in detail. Furthermore, main issues and some research trends about the applications of GNNs in power systems are discussed.