17,696 research outputs found
A hierarchical time-splitting approach for solving finite-time optimal control problems
We present a hierarchical computation approach for solving finite-time
optimal control problems using operator splitting methods. The first split is
performed over the time index and leads to as many subproblems as the length of
the prediction horizon. Each subproblem is solved in parallel and further split
into three by separating the objective from the equality and inequality
constraints respectively, such that an analytic solution can be achieved for
each subproblem. The proposed solution approach leads to a nested decomposition
scheme, which is highly parallelizable. We present a numerical comparison with
standard state-of-the-art solvers, and provide analytic solutions to several
elements of the algorithm, which enhances its applicability in fast large-scale
applications
A hierarchical time-splitting approach for solving finite-time optimal control problems
The self-cleaning or oxidation capacity of the atmosphere is principally controlled by hydroxyl (OH) radicals in the troposphere. Hydroxyl has primary (P) and secondary (S) sources, the former mainly through the photodissociation of ozone, the latter through OH recycling in radical reaction chains. We used the recent Mainz Organics Mechanism (MOM) to advance volatile organic carbon (VOC) chemistry in the general circulation model EMAC (ECHAM/MESSy Atmospheric Chemistry) and show that S is larger than previously assumed. By including emissions of a large number of primary VOC, and accounting for their complete breakdown and intermediate products, MOM is mass-conserving and calculates substantially higher OH reactivity from VOC oxidation compared to predecessor models. Whereas previously P and S were found to be of similar magnitude, the present work indicates that S may be twice as large, mostly due to OH recycling in the free troposphere. Further, we find that nighttime OH formation may be significant in the polluted subtropical boundary layer in summer. With a mean OH recycling probability of about 67 %, global OH is buffered and not sensitive to perturbations by natural or anthropogenic emission changes. Complementary primary and secondary OH formation mechanisms in pristine and polluted environments in the continental and marine troposphere, connected through long-range transport of O3, can maintain stable global OH levels
Constrained LQR Using Online Decomposition Techniques
This paper presents an algorithm to solve the infinite horizon constrained
linear quadratic regulator (CLQR) problem using operator splitting methods.
First, the CLQR problem is reformulated as a (finite-time) model predictive
control (MPC) problem without terminal constraints. Second, the MPC problem is
decomposed into smaller subproblems of fixed dimension independent of the
horizon length. Third, using the fast alternating minimization algorithm to
solve the subproblems, the horizon length is estimated online, by adding or
removing subproblems based on a periodic check on the state of the last
subproblem to determine whether it belongs to a given control invariant set. We
show that the estimated horizon length is bounded and that the control sequence
computed using the proposed algorithm is an optimal solution of the CLQR
problem. Compared to state-of-the-art algorithms proposed to solve the CLQR
problem, our design solves at each iteration only unconstrained least-squares
problems and simple gradient calculations. Furthermore, our technique allows
the horizon length to decrease online (a useful feature if the initial guess on
the horizon is too conservative). Numerical results on a planar system show the
potential of our algorithm.Comment: This technical report is an extended version of the paper titled
"Constrained LQR Using Online Decomposition Techniques" submitted to the 2016
Conference on Decision and Contro
The LifeV library: engineering mathematics beyond the proof of concept
LifeV is a library for the finite element (FE) solution of partial
differential equations in one, two, and three dimensions. It is written in C++
and designed to run on diverse parallel architectures, including cloud and high
performance computing facilities. In spite of its academic research nature,
meaning a library for the development and testing of new methods, one
distinguishing feature of LifeV is its use on real world problems and it is
intended to provide a tool for many engineering applications. It has been
actually used in computational hemodynamics, including cardiac mechanics and
fluid-structure interaction problems, in porous media, ice sheets dynamics for
both forward and inverse problems. In this paper we give a short overview of
the features of LifeV and its coding paradigms on simple problems. The main
focus is on the parallel environment which is mainly driven by domain
decomposition methods and based on external libraries such as MPI, the Trilinos
project, HDF5 and ParMetis.
Dedicated to the memory of Fausto Saleri.Comment: Review of the LifeV Finite Element librar
Generalized Forward-Backward Splitting with Penalization for Monotone Inclusion Problems
We introduce a generalized forward-backward splitting method with penalty
term for solving monotone inclusion problems involving the sum of a finite
number of maximally monotone operators and the normal cone to the nonempty set
of zeros of another maximal monotone operator. We show weak ergodic convergence
of the generated sequence of iterates to a solution of the considered monotone
inclusion problem, provided the condition corresponded to the Fitzpatrick
function of the operator describing the set of the normal cone is fulfilled.
Under strong monotonicity of an operator, we show strong convergence of the
iterates. Furthermore, we utilize the proposed method for minimizing a
large-scale hierarchical minimization problem concerning the sum of
differentiable and nondifferentiable convex functions subject to the set of
minima of another differentiable convex function. We illustrate the
functionality of the method through numerical experiments addressing
constrained elastic net and generalized Heron location problems
Convex and Network Flow Optimization for Structured Sparsity
We consider a class of learning problems regularized by a structured
sparsity-inducing norm defined as the sum of l_2- or l_infinity-norms over
groups of variables. Whereas much effort has been put in developing fast
optimization techniques when the groups are disjoint or embedded in a
hierarchy, we address here the case of general overlapping groups. To this end,
we present two different strategies: On the one hand, we show that the proximal
operator associated with a sum of l_infinity-norms can be computed exactly in
polynomial time by solving a quadratic min-cost flow problem, allowing the use
of accelerated proximal gradient methods. On the other hand, we use proximal
splitting techniques, and address an equivalent formulation with
non-overlapping groups, but in higher dimension and with additional
constraints. We propose efficient and scalable algorithms exploiting these two
strategies, which are significantly faster than alternative approaches. We
illustrate these methods with several problems such as CUR matrix
factorization, multi-task learning of tree-structured dictionaries, background
subtraction in video sequences, image denoising with wavelets, and topographic
dictionary learning of natural image patches.Comment: to appear in the Journal of Machine Learning Research (JMLR
Spectral/hp element methods: recent developments, applications, and perspectives
The spectral/hp element method combines the geometric flexibility of the
classical h-type finite element technique with the desirable numerical
properties of spectral methods, employing high-degree piecewise polynomial
basis functions on coarse finite element-type meshes. The spatial approximation
is based upon orthogonal polynomials, such as Legendre or Chebychev
polynomials, modified to accommodate C0-continuous expansions. Computationally
and theoretically, by increasing the polynomial order p, high-precision
solutions and fast convergence can be obtained and, in particular, under
certain regularity assumptions an exponential reduction in approximation error
between numerical and exact solutions can be achieved. This method has now been
applied in many simulation studies of both fundamental and practical
engineering flows. This paper briefly describes the formulation of the
spectral/hp element method and provides an overview of its application to
computational fluid dynamics. In particular, it focuses on the use the
spectral/hp element method in transitional flows and ocean engineering.
Finally, some of the major challenges to be overcome in order to use the
spectral/hp element method in more complex science and engineering applications
are discussed
- …