Cellular neural networks for NP-hard optimization problems

Nowadays, Cellular Neural Networks (CNN) are practically implemented in parallel, analog computers, showing a fast developing trend. Physicist must be aware that such computers are appropriate for solving in an elegant manner practically important problems, which are extremely slow on the classical digital architecture. Here, CNN is used for solving NP-hard optimization problems on lattices. It is proved, that a CNN in which the parameters of all cells can be separately controlled, is the analog correspondent of a two-dimensional Ising type (Edwards-Anderson) spin-glass system. Using the properties of CNN computers a fast optimization method can be built for such problems. Estimating the simulation time needed for solving such NP-hard optimization problems on CNN based computers, and comparing it with the time needed on normal digital computers using the simulated annealing algorithm, the results are astonishing: CNN computers would be faster than digital computers already at 10*10 lattice sizes. Hardwares realized nowadays are of 176*144 size. Also, there seems to be no technical difficulties adapting CNN chips for such problems and the needed local control is expected to be fully developed in the near future

Fine-grained Search Space Classification for Hard Enumeration Variants of Subset Problems

We propose a simple, powerful, and flexible machine learning framework for (i) reducing the search space of computationally difficult enumeration variants of subset problems and (ii) augmenting existing state-of-the-art solvers with informative cues arising from the input distribution. We instantiate our framework for the problem of listing all maximum cliques in a graph, a central problem in network analysis, data mining, and computational biology. We demonstrate the practicality of our approach on real-world networks with millions of vertices and edges by not only retaining all optimal solutions, but also aggressively pruning the input instance size resulting in several fold speedups of state-of-the-art algorithms. Finally, we explore the limits of scalability and robustness of our proposed framework, suggesting that supervised learning is viable for tackling NP-hard problems in practice.Comment: AAAI 201

A Machine Learning based Framework for KPI Maximization in Emerging Networks using Mobility Parameters

Current LTE network is faced with a plethora of Configuration and Optimization Parameters (COPs), both hard and soft, that are adjusted manually to manage the network and provide better Quality of Experience (QoE). With 5G in view, the number of these COPs are expected to reach 2000 per site, making their manual tuning for finding the optimal combination of these parameters, an impossible fleet. Alongside these thousands of COPs is the anticipated network densification in emerging networks which exacerbates the burden of the network operators in managing and optimizing the network. Hence, we propose a machine learning-based framework combined with a heuristic technique to discover the optimal combination of two pertinent COPs used in mobility, Cell Individual Offset (CIO) and Handover Margin (HOM), that maximizes a specific Key Performance Indicator (KPI) such as mean Signal to Interference and Noise Ratio (SINR) of all the connected users. The first part of the framework leverages the power of machine learning to predict the KPI of interest given several different combinations of CIO and HOM. The resulting predictions are then fed into Genetic Algorithm (GA) which searches for the best combination of the two mentioned parameters that yield the maximum mean SINR for all users. Performance of the framework is also evaluated using several machine learning techniques, with CatBoost algorithm yielding the best prediction performance. Meanwhile, GA is able to reveal the optimal parameter setting combination more efficiently and with three orders of magnitude faster convergence time in comparison to brute force approach

Deep Reinforcement Learning for Resource Allocation in V2V Communications

In this article, we develop a decentralized resource allocation mechanism for vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication systems based on deep reinforcement learning. Each V2V link is considered as an agent, making its own decisions to find optimal sub-band and power level for transmission. Since the proposed method is decentralized, the global information is not required for each agent to make its decisions, hence the transmission overhead is small. From the simulation results, each agent can learn how to satisfy the V2V constraints while minimizing the interference to vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communications

A numerical investigation of the jamming transition in traffic flow on diluted planar networks

In order to develop a toy model for car's traffic in cities, in this paper we analyze, by means of numerical simulations, the transition among fluid regimes and a congested jammed phase of the flow of "kinetically constrained" hard spheres in planar random networks similar to urban roads. In order to explore as timescales as possible, at a microscopic level we implement an event driven dynamics as the infinite time limit of a class of already existing model (e.g. "Follow the Leader") on an Erdos-Renyi two dimensional graph, the crossroads being accounted by standard Kirchoff density conservations. We define a dynamical order parameter as the ratio among the moving spheres versus the total number and by varying two control parameters (density of the spheres and coordination number of the network) we study the phase transition. At a mesoscopic level it respects an, again suitable adapted, version of the Lighthill-Whitham model, which belongs to the fluid-dynamical approach to the problem. At a macroscopic level the model seems to display a continuous transition from a fluid phase to a jammed phase when varying the density of the spheres (the amount of cars in a city-like scenario) and a discontinuous jump when varying the connectivity of the underlying network.Comment: accepted in Int.J.Mod.Phys.

A Review on the Application of Natural Computing in Environmental Informatics

Natural computing offers new opportunities to understand, model and analyze the complexity of the physical and human-created environment. This paper examines the application of natural computing in environmental informatics, by investigating related work in this research field. Various nature-inspired techniques are presented, which have been employed to solve different relevant problems. Advantages and disadvantages of these techniques are discussed, together with analysis of how natural computing is generally used in environmental research.Comment: Proc. of EnviroInfo 201