Nonlinear Systems

Open Mathematics is a challenging notion for theoretical modeling, technical analysis, and numerical simulation in physics and mathematics, as well as in many other fields, as highly correlated nonlinear phenomena, evolving over a large range of time scales and length scales, control the underlying systems and processes in their spatiotemporal evolution. Indeed, available data, be they physical, biological, or financial, and technologically complex systems and stochastic systems, such as mechanical or electronic devices, can be managed from the same conceptual approach, both analytically and through computer simulation, using effective nonlinear dynamics methods. The aim of this Special Issue is to highlight papers that show the dynamics, control, optimization and applications of nonlinear systems. This has recently become an increasingly popular subject, with impressive growth concerning applications in engineering, economics, biology, and medicine, and can be considered a veritable contribution to the literature. Original papers relating to the objective presented above are especially welcome subjects. Potential topics include, but are not limited to: Stability analysis of discrete and continuous dynamical systems; Nonlinear dynamics in biological complex systems; Stability and stabilization of stochastic systems; Mathematical models in statistics and probability; Synchronization of oscillators and chaotic systems; Optimization methods of complex systems; Reliability modeling and system optimization; Computation and control over networked systems

Optimal anticipatory control as a theory of motor preparation

Supported by a decade of primate electrophysiological experiments, the prevailing theory of neural motor control holds that movement generation is accomplished by a preparatory process that progressively steers the state of the motor cortex into a movement-specific optimal subspace prior to movement onset. The state of the cortex then evolves from these optimal subspaces, producing patterns of neural activity that serve as control inputs to the musculature. This theory, however, does not address the following questions: what characterizes the optimal subspace and what are the neural mechanisms that underlie the preparatory process? We address these questions with a circuit model of movement preparation and control. Specifically, we propose that preparation can be achieved by optimal feedback control (OFC) of the cortical state via a thalamo-cortical loop. Under OFC, the state of the cortex is selectively controlled along state-space directions that have future motor consequences, and not in other inconsequential ones. We show that OFC enables fast movement preparation and explains the observed orthogonality between preparatory and movement-related monkey motor cortex activity. This illustrates the importance of constraining new theories of neural function with experimental data. However, as recording technologies continue to improve, a key challenge is to extract meaningful insights from increasingly large-scale neural recordings. Latent variable models (LVMs) are powerful tools for addressing this challenge due to their ability to identify the low-dimensional latent variables that best explain these large data sets. One shortcoming of most LVMs, however, is that they assume a Euclidean latent space, while many kinematic variables, such as head rotations and the configuration of an arm, are naturally described by variables that live on non-Euclidean latent spaces (e.g., SO(3) and tori). To address this shortcoming, we propose the Manifold Gaussian Process Latent Variable Model, a method for simultaneously inferring nonparametric tuning curves and latent variables on non-Euclidean latent spaces. We show that our method is able to correctly infer the latent ring topology of the fly and mouse head direction circuits.This work was supported by a Trinity-Henry Barlow scholarship and a scholarship from the Ministry of Education, ROC Taiwan

On Stability and Stabilization of Hybrid Systems

The thesis addresses the stability, input-to-state stability (ISS), and stabilization problems for deterministic and stochastic hybrid systems with and without time delay. The stabilization problem is achieved by reliable, state feedback controllers, i.e., controllers experience possible faulty in actuators and/or sensors. The contribution of this thesis is presented in three main parts. Firstly, a class of switched systems with time-varying norm-bounded parametric uncertainties in the system states and an external time-varying, bounded input is addressed. The problems of ISS and stabilization by a robust reliable $H_{\infty}$ control are established by using multiple Lyapunov function technique along with the average dwell-time approach. Then, these results are further extended to include time delay in the system states, and delay systems subject to impulsive effects. In the latter two results, Razumikhin technique in which Lyapunov function, but not functional, is used to investigate the qualitative properties. Secondly, the problem of designing a decentralized, robust reliable control for deterministic impulsive large-scale systems with admissible uncertainties in the system states to guarantee exponential stability is investigated. Then, reliable observers are also considered to estimate the states of the same system. Furthermore, a time-delayed large-scale impulsive system undergoing stochastic noise is addressed and the problems of stability and stabilization are investigated. The stabilization is achieved by two approaches, namely a set of decentralized reliable controllers, and impulses. Thirdly, a class of switched singularly perturbed systems (or systems with different time scales) is also considered. Due to the dominant behaviour of the slow subsystem, the stabilization of the full system is achieved through the slow subsystem. This approach results in reducing some unnecessary sufficient conditions on the fast subsystem. In fact, the singular system is viewed as a large-scale system that is decomposed into isolated, low order subsystems, slow and fast, and the rest is treated as interconnection. Multiple Lyapunov functions and average dwell-time switching signal approach are used to establish the stability and stabilization. Moreover, switched singularly perturbed systems with time-delay in the slow system are considered

Discrete Time Systems

Discrete-Time Systems comprehend an important and broad research field. The consolidation of digital-based computational means in the present, pushes a technological tool into the field with a tremendous impact in areas like Control, Signal Processing, Communications, System Modelling and related Applications. This book attempts to give a scope in the wide area of Discrete-Time Systems. Their contents are grouped conveniently in sections according to significant areas, namely Filtering, Fixed and Adaptive Control Systems, Stability Problems and Miscellaneous Applications. We think that the contribution of the book enlarges the field of the Discrete-Time Systems with signification in the present state-of-the-art. Despite the vertiginous advance in the field, we also believe that the topics described here allow us also to look through some main tendencies in the next years in the research area

Coefficient Matrix Decomposition Method and BIBO Stabilization of Stochastic Systems with Time Delays

The mean square BIBO stabilization is investigated for the stochastic control systems with time delays and nonlinear perturbations. A class of suitable Lyapunov functional is constructed, combined with the descriptor model transformation and the decomposition technique of coefficient matrix; thus some novel delay-dependent mean square BIBO stabilization conditions are derived. These conditions are expressed in the forms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs), whose feasibility can be easily checked by using Matlab LMI Toolbox. Finally, three numerical examples are given to demonstrate that the derived conditions are effective and much less conservative than those given in the literature

Estimation, filtering and fusion for networked systems with network-induced phenomena: New progress and prospects

In this paper, some recent advances on the estimation, filtering and fusion for networked systems are reviewed. Firstly, the network-induced phenomena under consideration are briefly recalled including missing/fading measurements, signal quantization, sensor saturations, communication delays, and randomly occurring incomplete information. Secondly, the developments of the estimation, filtering and fusion for networked systems from four aspects (linear networked systems, nonlinear networked systems, complex networks and sensor networks) are reviewed comprehensively. Subsequently, some recent results on the estimation, filtering and fusion for systems with the network-induced phenomena are reviewed in great detail. In particular, some latest results on the multi-objective filtering problems for time-varying nonlinear networked systems are summarized. Finally, conclusions are given and several possible research directions concerning the estimation, filtering, and fusion for networked systems are highlighted

Robust Engineering of Dynamic Structures in Complex Networks

Populations of nearly identical dynamical systems are ubiquitous in natural and engineered systems, in which each unit plays a crucial role in determining the functioning of the ensemble. Robust and optimal control of such large collections of dynamical units remains a grand challenge, especially, when these units interact and form a complex network. Motivated by compelling practical problems in power systems, neural engineering and quantum control, where individual units often have to work in tandem to achieve a desired dynamic behavior, e.g., maintaining synchronization of generators in a power grid or conveying information in a neuronal network; in this dissertation, we focus on developing novel analytical tools and optimal control policies for large-scale ensembles and networks. To this end, we first formulate and solve an optimal tracking control problem for bilinear systems. We developed an iterative algorithm that synthesizes the optimal control input by solving a sequence of state-dependent differential equations that characterize the optimal solution. This iterative scheme is then extended to treat isolated population or networked systems. We demonstrate the robustness and versatility of the iterative control algorithm through diverse applications from different fields, involving nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and imaging (MRI), electrochemistry, neuroscience, and neural engineering. For example, we design synchronization controls for optimal manipulation of spatiotemporal spike patterns in neuron ensembles. Such a task plays an important role in neural systems. Furthermore, we show that the formation of such spatiotemporal patterns is restricted when the network of neurons is only partially controllable. In neural circuitry, for instance, loss of controllability could imply loss of neural functions. In addition, we employ the phase reduction theory to leverage the development of novel control paradigms for cyclic deferrable loads, e.g., air conditioners, that are used to support grid stability through demand response (DR) programs. More importantly, we introduce novel theoretical tools for evaluating DR capacity and bandwidth. We also study pinning control of complex networks, where we establish a control-theoretic approach to identifying the most influential nodes in both undirected and directed complex networks. Such pinning strategies have extensive practical implications, e.g., identifying the most influential spreaders in epidemic and social networks, and lead to the discovery of degenerate networks, where the most influential node relocates depending on the coupling strength. This phenomenon had not been discovered until our recent study

Online Adversarial Stabilization of Unknown Networked Systems

We investigate the problem of stabilizing an unknown networked linear system under communication constraints and adversarial disturbances. We propose the first provably stabilizing algorithm for the problem. The algorithm uses a distributed version of nested convex body chasing to maintain a consistent estimate of the network dynamics and applies system level synthesis to determine a distributed controller based on this estimated model. Our approach avoids the need for system identification and accommodates a broad class of communication delay while being fully distributed and scaling favorably with the number of network subsystems