A geometric characterization of feedforward forms

Published versio

Exact Analysis of TTL Cache Networks: The Case of Caching Policies driven by Stopping Times

TTL caching models have recently regained significant research interest, largely due to their ability to fit popular caching policies such as LRU. This paper advances the state-of-the-art analysis of TTL-based cache networks by developing two exact methods with orthogonal generality and computational complexity. The first method generalizes existing results for line networks under renewal requests to the broad class of caching policies whereby evictions are driven by stopping times. The obtained results are further generalized, using the second method, to feedforward networks with Markov arrival processes (MAP) requests. MAPs are particularly suitable for non-line networks because they are closed not only under superposition and splitting, as known, but also under input-output caching operations as proven herein for phase-type TTL distributions. The crucial benefit of the two closure properties is that they jointly enable the first exact analysis of feedforward networks of TTL caches in great generality

Strict Feedforward Form and Symmetries of Nonlinear Control Systems

We establish a relation between strict feedforward form and symmetries of nonlinear control systems. We prove that a system is feedback equivalent to the strict feedforward form if and only if it gives rise to a sequence of systems, such that each element of the sequence, firstly, possesses an infinitesimal symmetry and, secondly, it is the factor system of the preceding one, i.e., is reduced from the preceding one by its symmetry. We also propose a strict feedforward normal form and prove that a smooth strict feedforward system can be smoothly brought to that form

Linearizable Feedforward Systems: A Special Class

We address the problem of linearizability of systems in feedforward form. In a recent paper [22] we completely solved the linearizability for strict feedforward systems. We extend here those results to a special class of feedforward systems. We provide an algorithm, along with explicit transformations, that linearizes the system by change of coordinates when some easily checkable conditions are met. We also re-analyze type II class of linearizable strict feedforward systems provided by Krstic in [9] and we show that this class is the unique linearizable among the class of quasi-linear strict feedforward systems (see Definition III.1). Our results allow an easy computation of the linearizing coordinates and thus provide a stabilizing feedback controller for the original system. They can also be implemented via software like mathematica/matlab/maple using simple integrations, derivations of functions

Analytic Normal Forms and Symmetries of Strict Feedforward Control Systems

This paper deals with the problem of convergence of normal forms of control systems. We identify a $n$-dimensional subclass of control systems, called \emph{special strict feedforward form}, shortly (SSFF), possessing a normal form which is a smooth (resp. analytic) counterpart of the formal normal form of Kang. We provide a constructive algorithm and illustrate by several examples including the Kapitsa pendulum and the Cart-Pole system. The second part of the paper is concerned about symmetries of single-input control systems. We show that any symmetry of a smooth system in special strict feedforward form is conjugated to a \emph{scaling translation} and any 1-parameter family of symmetries is conjugated to a family of scaling translations along the first variable. We compute explicitly those symmetries by finding the conjugating diffeomorphism. We illustrate our results by computing the symmetries of the Cart-Pole system

Smooth and Analytic Normal and Canonical Forms for Strict Feedforward Systems

Recently we proved that any smooth (resp. analytic) strict feedforward system can be brought into its normal form via a smooth (resp. analytic) feedback transformation. This will allow us to identify a subclass of strict feedforward systems, called systems in special strict feedforward form, shortly (SSFF), possessing a canonical form which is an analytic counterpart of the formal canonical form. For (SSFF)-systems, the step-by-step normalization procedure of Kang and Krener leads to smooth (resp. convergent analytic) normalizing feedback transformations. We illustrate the class of (SSFF)-systems by a model of an inverted pendulum on a cart