Related papers: Approximate Midpoint Policy Iteration for Linear Q…
In this article, we discuss two algorithms tailored to discrete-time deterministic finite-horizon nonlinear optimal control problems or so-called deterministic trajectory optimization problems. Both algorithms can be derived from an…
Consider a linear quadratic regulator (LQR) problem being solved in a model-free manner using the policy gradient approach. If the gradient of the quadratic cost is being transmitted across a rate-limited channel, both the convergence and…
The convergence of policy gradient algorithms hinges on the optimization landscape of the underlying optimal control problem. Theoretical insights into these algorithms can often be acquired from analyzing those of linear quadratic control.…
This paper studies the robustness of policy iteration in the context of continuous-time infinite-horizon linear quadratic regulation (LQR) problem. It is shown that Kleinman's policy iteration algorithm is inherently robust to small…
This paper introduces a family of iterative algorithms for unconstrained nonlinear optimal control. We generalize the well-known iLQR algorithm to different multiple-shooting variants, combining advantages like straight-forward…
Direct data-driven optimal control provides an elegant end-to-end paradigm, yet its real-time applicability is often hindered by the growing dimensionality of online decision variables. Recent breakthroughs, notably Data-EnablEd Policy…
Initially introduced in the framework of quantum control, the so-called "monotonic algorithms" have demonstrated excellent numerical performance when dealing with bilinear optimal control problems. This paper presents a unified formulation…
This paper presents a novel value iteration (VI) algorithm for finding the optimal control for a kind of infinite-horizon stochastic linear quadratic (SLQ) problem with unknown systems. First, an off-line algorithm is estabilished to obtain…
We consider the task of learning to control a linear dynamical system under fixed quadratic costs, known as the Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) problem. While model-free approaches are often favorable in practice, thus far only model-based…
This paper presents a new fast and robust algorithm that provides fuel-optimal impulsive control input sequences that drive a linear time-variant system to a desired state at a specified time. This algorithm is applicable to a broad class…
This paper studies the learning-to-control problem under process and sensing uncertainties for dynamical systems. In our previous work, we developed a data-based generalization of the iterative linear quadratic regulator (iLQR) to design…
We propose a randomized second-order method for optimization known as the Newton Sketch: it is based on performing an approximate Newton step using a randomly projected or sub-sampled Hessian. For self-concordant functions, we prove that…
In this paper, an efficient modified Newton type algorithm is proposed for nonlinear unconstrianed optimization problems. The modified Hessian is a convex combination of the identity matrix (for steepest descent algorithm) and the Hessian…
Interior Point Methods (IPM) rely on the Newton method for solving systems of nonlinear equations. Solving the linear systems which arise from this approach is the most computationally expensive task of an interior point iteration. If, due…
This paper is devoted to studying the global and finite convergence of the semi-smooth Newton method for solving a piecewise linear system that arises in cone-constrained quadratic programming problems and absolute value equations. We first…
Nonlinear model predictive control~(NMPC) generally requires the solution of a non-convex optimization problem at each sampling instant under strict timing constraints, based on a set of differential equations that can often be stiff and/or…
It is doubtful that animals have perfect inverse models of their limbs (e.g., what muscle contraction must be applied to every joint to reach a particular location in space). However, in robot control, moving an arm's end-effector to a…
We propose a machine learning algorithm for solving finite-horizon stochastic control problems based on a deep neural network representation of the optimal policy functions. The algorithm has three features: (1) It can solve…
We provide another look at the statistical calibration problem in computer models. This viewpoint is inspired by two overarching practical considerations of computer models: (i) many computer models are inadequate for perfectly modeling…
We propose a novel approach to solving input- and state-constrained parametric mixed-integer optimal control problems using Differentiable Predictive Control (DPC). Our approach follows the differentiable programming paradigm by learning an…