Joint Spectral Radius and Path-Complete Graph Lyapunov Functions

We introduce the framework of path-complete graph Lyapunov functions for approximation of the joint spectral radius. The approach is based on the analysis of the underlying switched system via inequalities imposed among multiple Lyapunov functions associated to a labeled directed graph. Inspired by concepts in automata theory and symbolic dynamics, we define a class of graphs called path-complete graphs, and show that any such graph gives rise to a method for proving stability of the switched system. This enables us to derive several asymptotically tight hierarchies of semidefinite programming relaxations that unify and generalize many existing techniques such as common quadratic, common sum of squares, and maximum/minimum-of-quadratics Lyapunov functions. We compare the quality of approximation obtained by certain classes of path-complete graphs including a family of dual graphs and all path-complete graphs with two nodes on an alphabet of two matrices. We provide approximation guarantees for several families of path-complete graphs, such as the De Bruijn graphs, establishing as a byproduct a constructive converse Lyapunov theorem for maximum/minimum-of-quadratics Lyapunov functions.Comment: To appear in SIAM Journal on Control and Optimization. Version 2 has gone through two major rounds of revision. In particular, a section on the performance of our algorithm on application-motivated problems has been added and a more comprehensive literature review is presente

Spectral Properties of Oriented Hypergraphs

An oriented hypergraph is a hypergraph where each vertex-edge incidence is given a label of $+1$ or $-1$. The adjacency and Laplacian eigenvalues of an oriented hypergraph are studied. Eigenvalue bounds for both the adjacency and Laplacian matrices of an oriented hypergraph which depend on structural parameters of the oriented hypergraph are found. An oriented hypergraph and its incidence dual are shown to have the same nonzero Laplacian eigenvalues. A family of oriented hypergraphs with uniformally labeled incidences is also studied. This family provides a hypergraphic generalization of the signless Laplacian of a graph and also suggests a natural way to define the adjacency and Laplacian matrices of a hypergraph. Some results presented generalize both graph and signed graph results to a hypergraphic setting.Comment: For the published version of the article see http://repository.uwyo.edu/ela/vol27/iss1/24

Combinatorial methods for the spectral p-norm of hypermatrices

The spectral $p$-norm of $r$-matrices generalizes the spectral $2$-norm of $2$-matrices. In 1911 Schur gave an upper bound on the spectral $2$-norm of $2$-matrices, which was extended in 1934 by Hardy, Littlewood, and Polya to $r$-matrices. Recently, Kolotilina, and independently the author, strengthened Schur's bound for $2$-matrices. The main result of this paper extends the latter result to $r$-matrices, thereby improving the result of Hardy, Littlewood, and Polya. The proof is based on combinatorial concepts like $r$-partite $r$-matrix and symmetrant of a matrix, which appear to be instrumental in the study of the spectral $p$-norm in general. Thus, another application shows that the spectral $p$-norm and the $p$-spectral radius of a symmetric nonnegative $r$-matrix are equal whenever $p\geq r$. This result contributes to a classical area of analysis, initiated by Mazur and Orlicz around 1930. Additionally, a number of bounds are given on the $p$-spectral radius and the spectral $p$-norm of $r$-matrices and $r$-graphs.Comment: 29 pages. Credit has been given to Ragnarsson and Van Loan for the symmetrant of a matri

On the Finiteness Property for Rational Matrices

We analyze the periodicity of optimal long products of matrices. A set of matrices is said to have the finiteness property if the maximal rate of growth of long products of matrices taken from the set can be obtained by a periodic product. It was conjectured a decade ago that all finite sets of real matrices have the finiteness property. This conjecture, known as the ``finiteness conjecture", is now known to be false but no explicit counterexample to the conjecture is available and in particular it is unclear if a counterexample is possible whose matrices have rational or binary entries. In this paper, we prove that finite sets of nonnegative rational matrices have the finiteness property if and only if \emph{pairs} of \emph{binary} matrices do. We also show that all {pairs} of $2 \times 2$ binary matrices have the finiteness property. These results have direct implications for the stability problem for sets of matrices. Stability is algorithmically decidable for sets of matrices that have the finiteness property and so it follows from our results that if all pairs of binary matrices have the finiteness property then stability is decidable for sets of nonnegative rational matrices. This would be in sharp contrast with the fact that the related problem of boundedness is known to be undecidable for sets of nonnegative rational matrices.Comment: 12 pages, 1 figur