216 research outputs found
Decisiveness of Stochastic Systems and its Application to Hybrid Models (Full Version)
In [ABM07], Abdulla et al. introduced the concept of decisiveness, an
interesting tool for lifting good properties of finite Markov chains to
denumerable ones. Later, this concept was extended to more general stochastic
transition systems (STSs), allowing the design of various verification
algorithms for large classes of (infinite) STSs. We further improve the
understanding and utility of decisiveness in two ways. First, we provide a
general criterion for proving decisiveness of general STSs. This criterion,
which is very natural but whose proof is rather technical, (strictly)
generalizes all known criteria from the literature. Second, we focus on
stochastic hybrid systems (SHSs), a stochastic extension of hybrid systems. We
establish the decisiveness of a large class of SHSs and, under a few classical
hypotheses from mathematical logic, we show how to decide reachability problems
in this class, even though they are undecidable for general SHSs. This provides
a decidable stochastic extension of o-minimal hybrid systems.
[ABM07] Parosh A. Abdulla, Noomene Ben Henda, and Richard Mayr. 2007.
Decisive Markov Chains. Log. Methods Comput. Sci. 3, 4 (2007).Comment: Full version of GandALF 2020 paper (arXiv:2001.04347v2), updated
version of arXiv:2001.04347v1. 30 pages, 6 figure
When are Stochastic Transition Systems Tameable?
A decade ago, Abdulla, Ben Henda and Mayr introduced the elegant concept of
decisiveness for denumerable Markov chains [1]. Roughly speaking, decisiveness
allows one to lift most good properties from finite Markov chains to
denumerable ones, and therefore to adapt existing verification algorithms to
infinite-state models. Decisive Markov chains however do not encompass
stochastic real-time systems, and general stochastic transition systems (STSs
for short) are needed. In this article, we provide a framework to perform both
the qualitative and the quantitative analysis of STSs. First, we define various
notions of decisiveness (inherited from [1]), notions of fairness and of
attractors for STSs, and make explicit the relationships between them. Then, we
define a notion of abstraction, together with natural concepts of soundness and
completeness, and we give general transfer properties, which will be central to
several verification algorithms on STSs. We further design a generic
construction which will be useful for the analysis of {\omega}-regular
properties, when a finite attractor exists, either in the system (if it is
denumerable), or in a sound denumerable abstraction of the system. We next
provide algorithms for qualitative model-checking, and generic approximation
procedures for quantitative model-checking. Finally, we instantiate our
framework with stochastic timed automata (STA), generalized semi-Markov
processes (GSMPs) and stochastic time Petri nets (STPNs), three models
combining dense-time and probabilities. This allows us to derive decidability
and approximability results for the verification of these models. Some of these
results were known from the literature, but our generic approach permits to
view them in a unified framework, and to obtain them with less effort. We also
derive interesting new approximability results for STA, GSMPs and STPNs.Comment: 77 page
Deciding How to Decide: Dynamic Routing in Artificial Neural Networks
We propose and systematically evaluate three strategies for training
dynamically-routed artificial neural networks: graphs of learned
transformations through which different input signals may take different paths.
Though some approaches have advantages over others, the resulting networks are
often qualitatively similar. We find that, in dynamically-routed networks
trained to classify images, layers and branches become specialized to process
distinct categories of images. Additionally, given a fixed computational
budget, dynamically-routed networks tend to perform better than comparable
statically-routed networks.Comment: ICML 2017. Code at https://github.com/MasonMcGill/multipath-nn Video
abstract at https://youtu.be/NHQsDaycwy
Intrinsic noise profoundly alters the dynamics and steady state of morphogen-controlled bistable genetic switches
During tissue development, patterns of gene expression determine the spatial
arrangement of cell types. In many cases, gradients of secreted signaling
molecules - morphogens - guide this process. The continuous positional
information provided by the gradient is converted into discrete cell types by
the downstream transcriptional network that responds to the morphogen. A
mechanism commonly used to implement a sharp transition between two adjacent
cell fates is the genetic toggle switch, composed of cross-repressing
transcriptional determinants. Previous analyses emphasize the steady state
output of these mechanisms. Here, we explore the dynamics of the toggle switch
and use exact numerical simulations of the kinetic reactions, the Chemical
Langevin Equation, and Minimum Action Path theory to establish a framework for
studying the effect of gene expression noise on patterning time and boundary
position. This provides insight into the time scale, gene expression
trajectories and directionality of stochastic switching events between cell
states. Taking gene expression noise into account predicts that the final
boundary position of a morphogen-induced toggle switch, although robust to
changes in the details of the noise, is distinct from that of the deterministic
system. Moreover, stochastic switching introduces differences in patterning
time along the morphogen gradient that result in a patterning wave propagating
away from the morphogen source. The velocity of this wave is influenced by
noise; the wave sharpens and slows as it advances and may never reach steady
state in a biologically relevant time. This could explain experimentally
observed dynamics of pattern formation. Together the analysis reveals the
importance of dynamical transients for understanding morphogen-driven
transcriptional networks and indicates that gene expression noise can
qualitatively alter developmental patterning
A dual perspective towards building resilience in manufacturing organizations
Modern manufacturing organizations exist in the most complex and competitive environment the world has ever known. This environment consists of demanding customers, enabling, but resource intensive Industry 4.0 technology, dynamic regulations, geopolitical perturbations, and innovative, ever-expanding global competition. Successful manufacturing organizations must excel in this environment while facing emergent disruptions generated as biproducts of complex man-made and natural systems. The research presented in this thesis provides a novel two-sided approach to the creation of resilience in the modern manufacturing organization. First, the systems engineering method is demonstrated as the qualitative framework for building literature-derived organizational resilience factors into organizational structures under a life cycle perspective. A quantitative analysis of industry expert survey data through graph theory and matrix approach is presented second to prioritize resilience factors for strategic practical implementation
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