Related papers: Optimization Fabrics for Behavioral Design
We develop an optimization framework centered around a core idea: once a (parametric) policy is specified, control authority is transferred to the policy, resulting in an autonomous dynamical system. Thus we should be able to optimize…
The Thermodynamic Formalism provides a rigorous mathematical framework to study quantitative and qualitative aspects of dynamical systems. At its core there is a variational principle corresponding, in its simplest form, to the Maximum…
Plasticity is a fundamental property of complex systems, such as the brain or an organism. Yet it typically remains a descriptive concept inferred retrospectively from observed outcomes, such as modifications in activity or morphology.…
Many systems in biology, physics and engineering can be described by systems of ordinary differential equation containing many parameters. When studying the dynamic behavior of these large, nonlinear systems, it is useful to identify and…
We propose a novel gradient-based online optimization framework for solving stochastic programming problems that frequently arise in the context of cyber-physical and robotic systems. Our problem formulation accommodates constraints that…
The stable functionality of networked systems is a hallmark of their natural ability to coordinate between their multiple interacting components. Yet, strikingly, real-world networks seem random and highly irregular, apparently lacking any…
We consider Lagrangian duality based approaches to design and analyze algorithms for online energy-efficient scheduling. First, we present a primal-dual framework. Our approach makes use of the Lagrangian weak duality and convexity to…
Fast, gradient-based structural optimization has long been limited to a highly restricted subset of problems -- namely, density-based compliance minimization -- for which gradients can be analytically derived. For other objective functions,…
The structure of interactions in most of animals and human societies can be best represented by complex hierarchical networks. In order to maintain close to optimal functioning both stability and adaptability are necessary. Here we…
Networks are a widely used and efficient paradigm to model real-world systems where basic units interact pairwise. Many body interactions are often at play, and cannot be modelled by resorting to binary exchanges. In this work, we consider…
Data is scaling exponentially in fields ranging from genomics to neuroscience to economics. A central question is: can modern machine learning methods be applied to construct predictive models of natural systems like cells and brains based…
Self-organization is a process where a stable pattern is formed by the cooperative behavior between parts of an initially disordered system without external control or influence. It has been introduced to multi-agent systems as an internal…
A computer model can be used for predicting an output only after specifying the values of some unknown physical constants known as calibration parameters. The unknown calibration parameters can be estimated from real data by conducting…
Classical swarm models, exemplified by the Cucker--Smale framework, provide foundational insights into collective alignment but exhibit fundamental limitations in capturing the adaptive, heterogeneous behaviours intrinsic to living systems.…
This essay advocates the view that any problem that has a meaningful empirical content, can be formulated in constructive, more definitely, finite terms. We consider combinatorial models of dynamical systems and approaches to statistical…
Patterns arise spontaneously in a range of systems spanning the sciences, and their study typically focuses on mechanisms to understand their evolution in space-time. Increasingly, there has been a transition towards controlling these…
We introduce the framework of performative reinforcement learning where the policy chosen by the learner affects the underlying reward and transition dynamics of the environment. Following the recent literature on performative…
In this article, we present an extension of the formulation recently developed by the authors (A Framework for Data-Driven Computational Mechanics Based on Nonlinear Optimization, arXiv:1910.12736 [math.NA]) to the structural dynamics…
In this work we study the interplay between the dynamics of a model of diffusion governed by a mechanism of imitation and its underlying structure. The dynamics of the model can be quantified by a macroscopic observable which permits the…
We introduce optimal energy shaping as an enhancement of classical passivity-based control methods. A promising feature of passivity theory, alongside stability, has traditionally been claimed to be intuitive performance tuning along the…