6,449 research outputs found
Optimal treatment allocations in space and time for on-line control of an emerging infectious disease
A key component in controlling the spread of an epidemic is deciding where, whenand to whom to apply an intervention.We develop a framework for using data to informthese decisionsin realtime.We formalize a treatment allocation strategy as a sequence of functions, oneper treatment period, that map up-to-date information on the spread of an infectious diseaseto a subset of locations where treatment should be allocated. An optimal allocation strategyoptimizes some cumulative outcome, e.g. the number of uninfected locations, the geographicfootprint of the disease or the cost of the epidemic. Estimation of an optimal allocation strategyfor an emerging infectious disease is challenging because spatial proximity induces interferencebetween locations, the number of possible allocations is exponential in the number oflocations, and because disease dynamics and intervention effectiveness are unknown at outbreak.We derive a Bayesian on-line estimator of the optimal allocation strategy that combinessimulationâoptimization with Thompson sampling.The estimator proposed performs favourablyin simulation experiments. This work is motivated by and illustrated using data on the spread ofwhite nose syndrome, which is a highly fatal infectious disease devastating bat populations inNorth America
Optimisation in âSelf-modellingâ Complex Adaptive Systems
When a dynamical system with multiple point attractors is released from an arbitrary initial condition it will relax into a configuration that locally resolves the constraints or opposing forces between interdependent state variables. However, when there are many conflicting interdependencies between variables, finding a configuration that globally optimises these constraints by this method is unlikely, or may take many attempts. Here we show that a simple distributed mechanism can incrementally alter a dynamical system such that it finds lower energy configurations, more reliably and more quickly. Specifically, when Hebbian learning is applied to the connections of a simple dynamical system undergoing repeated relaxation, the system will develop an associative memory that amplifies a subset of its own attractor states. This modifies the dynamics of the system such that its ability to find configurations that minimise total system energy, and globally resolve conflicts between interdependent variables, is enhanced. Moreover, we show that the system is not merely ârecallingâ low energy states that have been previously visited but âpredictingâ their location by generalising over local attractor states that have already been visited. This âself-modellingâ framework, i.e. a system that augments its behaviour with an associative memory of its own attractors, helps us better-understand the conditions under which a simple locally-mediated mechanism of self-organisation can promote significantly enhanced global resolution of conflicts between the components of a complex adaptive system. We illustrate this process in random and modular network constraint problems equivalent to graph colouring and distributed task allocation problems
Random Neural Networks and Optimisation
In this thesis we introduce new models and learning algorithms for the Random
Neural Network (RNN), and we develop RNN-based and other approaches for the
solution of emergency management optimisation problems.
With respect to RNN developments, two novel supervised learning algorithms are
proposed. The first, is a gradient descent algorithm for an RNN extension model
that we have introduced, the RNN with synchronised interactions (RNNSI), which
was inspired from the synchronised firing activity observed in brain neural circuits.
The second algorithm is based on modelling the signal-flow equations in RNN as a
nonnegative least squares (NNLS) problem. NNLS is solved using a limited-memory
quasi-Newton algorithm specifically designed for the RNN case.
Regarding the investigation of emergency management optimisation problems,
we examine combinatorial assignment problems that require fast, distributed and
close to optimal solution, under information uncertainty. We consider three different
problems with the above characteristics associated with the assignment of
emergency units to incidents with injured civilians (AEUI), the assignment of assets
to tasks under execution uncertainty (ATAU), and the deployment of a robotic
network to establish communication with trapped civilians (DRNCTC).
AEUI is solved by training an RNN tool with instances of the optimisation problem
and then using the trained RNN for decision making; training is achieved using
the developed learning algorithms. For the solution of ATAU problem, we introduce
two different approaches. The first is based on mapping parameters of the
optimisation problem to RNN parameters, and the second on solving a sequence of
minimum cost flow problems on appropriately constructed networks with estimated
arc costs. For the exact solution of DRNCTC problem, we develop a mixed-integer
linear programming formulation, which is based on network flows. Finally, we design
and implement distributed heuristic algorithms for the deployment of robots
when the civilian locations are known or uncertain
Transformations in the Scale of Behaviour and the Global Optimisation of Constraints in Adaptive Networks
The natural energy minimisation behaviour of a dynamical system can be interpreted as a simple optimisation process, finding a locally optimal resolution of problem constraints. In human problem solving, high-dimensional problems are often made much easier by inferring a low-dimensional model of the system in which search is more effective. But this is an approach that seems to require top-down domain knowledge; not one amenable to the spontaneous energy minimisation behaviour of a natural dynamical system. However, in this paper we investigate the ability of distributed dynamical systems to improve their constraint resolution ability over time by self-organisation. We use a âself-modellingâ Hopfield network with a novel type of associative connection to illustrate how slowly changing relationships between system components can result in a transformation into a new system which is a low-dimensional caricature of the original system. The energy minimisation behaviour of this new system is significantly more effective at globally resolving the original system constraints. This model uses only very simple, and fully-distributed positive feedback mechanisms that are relevant to other âactive linkingâ and adaptive networks. We discuss how this neural network model helps us to understand transformations and emergent collective behaviour in various non-neural adaptive networks such as social, genetic and ecological networks
Connections Between Adaptive Control and Optimization in Machine Learning
This paper demonstrates many immediate connections between adaptive control
and optimization methods commonly employed in machine learning. Starting from
common output error formulations, similarities in update law modifications are
examined. Concepts in stability, performance, and learning, common to both
fields are then discussed. Building on the similarities in update laws and
common concepts, new intersections and opportunities for improved algorithm
analysis are provided. In particular, a specific problem related to higher
order learning is solved through insights obtained from these intersections.Comment: 18 page
Online Planner Selection with Graph Neural Networks and Adaptive Scheduling
Automated planning is one of the foundational areas of AI. Since no single
planner can work well for all tasks and domains, portfolio-based techniques
have become increasingly popular in recent years. In particular, deep learning
emerges as a promising methodology for online planner selection. Owing to the
recent development of structural graph representations of planning tasks, we
propose a graph neural network (GNN) approach to selecting candidate planners.
GNNs are advantageous over a straightforward alternative, the convolutional
neural networks, in that they are invariant to node permutations and that they
incorporate node labels for better inference.
Additionally, for cost-optimal planning, we propose a two-stage adaptive
scheduling method to further improve the likelihood that a given task is solved
in time. The scheduler may switch at halftime to a different planner,
conditioned on the observed performance of the first one. Experimental results
validate the effectiveness of the proposed method against strong baselines,
both deep learning and non-deep learning based.
The code is available at \url{https://github.com/matenure/GNN_planner}.Comment: AAAI 2020. Code is released at
https://github.com/matenure/GNN_planner. Data set is released at
https://github.com/IBM/IPC-graph-dat
Inference and Optimization of Real Edges on Sparse Graphs - A Statistical Physics Perspective
Inference and optimization of real-value edge variables in sparse graphs are
studied using the Bethe approximation and replica method of statistical
physics. Equilibrium states of general energy functions involving a large set
of real edge-variables that interact at the network nodes are obtained in
various cases. When applied to the representative problem of network resource
allocation, efficient distributed algorithms are also devised. Scaling
properties with respect to the network connectivity and the resource
availability are found, and links to probabilistic Bayesian approximation
methods are established. Different cost measures are considered and algorithmic
solutions in the various cases are devised and examined numerically. Simulation
results are in full agreement with the theory.Comment: 21 pages, 10 figures, major changes: Sections IV to VII updated,
Figs. 1 to 3 replace
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