20 research outputs found
Improved rank bounds for design matrices and a new proof of Kelly's theorem
We study the rank of complex sparse matrices in which the supports of
different columns have small intersections. The rank of these matrices, called
design matrices, was the focus of a recent work by Barak et. al. (BDWY11) in
which they were used to answer questions regarding point configurations. In
this work we derive near-optimal rank bounds for these matrices and use them to
obtain asymptotically tight bounds in many of the geometric applications. As a
consequence of our improved analysis, we also obtain a new, linear algebraic,
proof of Kelly's theorem, which is the complex analog of the Sylvester-Gallai
theorem
Bundle methods for regularized risk minimization with applications to robust learning
Supervised learning in general and regularized risk minimization in particular is about solving optimization problem which is jointly defined by a performance measure and a set of labeled training examples. The outcome of learning, a model, is then used mainly for predicting the labels for unlabeled examples in the testing environment. In real-world scenarios: a typical learning process often involves solving a sequence of similar problems with different parameters before a final model is identified. For learning to be successful, the final model must be produced timely, and the model should be robust to (mild) irregularities in the testing environment. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate ways to speed up the learning process and improve the robustness of the learned model. We first develop a batch convex optimization solver specialized to the regularized risk minimization based on standard bundle methods. The solver inherits two main properties of the standard bundle methods. Firstly, it is capable of solving both differentiable and non-differentiable problems, hence its implementation can be reused for different tasks with minimal modification. Secondly, the optimization is easily amenable to parallel and distributed computation settings; this makes the solver highly scalable in the number of training examples. However, unlike the standard bundle methods, the solver does not have extra parameters which need careful tuning. Furthermore, we prove that the solver has faster convergence rate. In addition to that, the solver is very efficient in computing approximate regularization path and model selection. We also present a convex risk formulation for incorporating invariances and prior knowledge into the learning problem. This formulation generalizes many existing approaches for robust learning in the setting of insufficient or noisy training examples and covariate shift. Lastly, we extend a non-convex risk formulation for binary classification to structured prediction. Empirical results show that the model obtained with this risk formulation is robust to outliers in the training examples
Optimal admission policies for small star networks
In this thesis admission stationary policies for small Symmetric Star telecommunication networks in which there are two types of calls requesting access are considered. Arrivals form independent Poisson streams on each route. We consider the routing to be fixed. The holding times of the calls are exponentially distributed periods of time. Rewards are earned for carrying calls and future returns are discounted at a fixed rate. The operation of the network is viewed as a Markov Decision Process and we solve the optimality equation for this network model numerically for a range of small examples by using the policy improvement algorithm of Dynamic Programming. The optimal policies we study involve acceptance or rejection of traffic requests in order to maximise the Total Expected Discounted Reward. Our Star networks are in some respect the simplest networks more complex than single links in isolation but even so only very small examples can be treated numerically. From those examples we find evidence that suggests that despite their complexity, optimal policies have some interesting properties. Admission Price policies are also investigated in this thesis. These policies are not optimal but they are believed to be asymptotically optimal for large networks. In this thesis we investigate if such policies are any good for small networks; we suggest that they are. A reduced state-space model is also considered in which a call on a 2-link route, once accepted, is split into two independent calls on the links involved. This greatly reduces the size of the state-space. We present properties of the optimal policies and the Admission Price policies and conclude that they are very good for the examples considered. Finally we look at Asymmetric Star networks with different number of circuits per link and different exponential holding times. Properties of the optimal policies as well as Admission Price policies are investigated for such networks
Single data set detection for multistatic doppler radar
The aim of this thesis is to develop and analyse single data set (SDS) detection algorithms that
can utilise the advantages of widely-spaced (statistical) multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO)
radar to increase their accuracy and performance. The algorithms make use of the observations
obtained from multiple space-time adaptive processing (STAP) receivers and focus on covariance
estimation and inversion to perform target detection.
One of the main interferers for a Doppler radar has always been the radar’s own signal being
reflected off the surroundings. The reflections of the transmitted waveforms from the ground
and other stationary or slowly-moving objects in the background generate observations that can
potentially raise false alarms. This creates the problem of searching for a target in both additive
white Gaussian noise (AWGN) and highly-correlated (coloured) interference. Traditional STAP
deals with the problem by using target-free training data to study this environment and build
its characteristic covariance matrix. The data usually comes from range gates neighbouring
the cell under test (CUT). In non-homogeneous or non-stationary environments, however, this
training data may not reflect the statistics of the CUT accurately, which justifies the need to develop
SDS methods for radar detection. The maximum likelihood estimation detector (MLED)
and the generalised maximum likelihood estimation detector (GMLED) are two reduced-rank
STAP algorithms that eliminate the need for training data when mapping the statistics of the
background interference. The work in this thesis is largely based on these two algorithms.
The first work derives the optimal maximum likelihood (ML) solution to the target detection
problem when the MLED and GMLED are used in a multistatic radar scenario. This application
assumes that the spatio-temporal Doppler frequencies produces in the individual bistatic
STAP pairs of the MIMO system are ideally synchronised. Therefore the focus is on providing
the multistatic outcome to the target detection problem. It is shown that the derived MIMO
detectors possess the desirable constant false alarm rate (CFAR) property. Gaussian approximations
to the statistics of the multistatic MLED and GMLED are derived in order to provide
a more in-depth analysis of the algorithms. The viability of the theoretical models and their
approximations are tested against a numerical simulation of the systems.
The second work focuses on the synchronisation of the spatio-temporal Doppler frequency
data from the individual bistatic STAP pairs in the multistatic MLED scenario. It expands
the idea to a form that could be implemented in a practical radar scenario. To reduce the
information shared between the bistatic STAP channels, a data compression method is proposed
that extracts the significant contributions of the MLED likelihood function before transmission.
To perform the inter-channel synchronisation, the Doppler frequency data is projected into
the space of potential target velocities where the multistatic likelihood is formed. Based on
the expected structure of the velocity likelihood in the presence of a target, a modification to
the multistatic MLED is proposed. It is demonstrated through numerical simulations that the
proposed modified algorithm performs better than the basic multistatic MLED while having the
benefit of reducing the data exchange in the MIMO radar system
A forecast of space technology, 1980 - 2000
The future of space technology in the United States during the period 1980-2000 was presented, in relation to its overall role within the space program. Conclusions were drawn and certain critical areas were identified. Three different methods to support this work were discussed: (1) by industry, largely without NASA or other government support, (2) partially by industry, but requiring a fraction of NASA or similar government support, (3) currently unique to space requirements and therefore relying almost totally on NASA support. The proposed work was divided into the following areas: (1) management of information (acquisition, transfer, processing, storing) (2) management of energy (earth-to-orbit operations, space power and propulsion), (3) management of matter (animate, inanimate, transfer, storage), (4) basic scientific resources for technological advancement (cryogenics, superconductivity, microstructures, coherent radiation and integrated optics technology)
Determination of the effects of GPS failures on aviation applications
Imperial Users onl
Fifth Conference on Artificial Intelligence for Space Applications
The Fifth Conference on Artificial Intelligence for Space Applications brings together diverse technical and scientific work in order to help those who employ AI methods in space applications to identify common goals and to address issues of general interest in the AI community. Topics include the following: automation for Space Station; intelligent control, testing, and fault diagnosis; robotics and vision; planning and scheduling; simulation, modeling, and tutoring; development tools and automatic programming; knowledge representation and acquisition; and knowledge base/data base integration
Applicability of HCI Techniques to Systems Interface Design
PhDThis thesis seeks to identify reasons why HCI techniques are unsuitable for application
in real world design projects. User-oriented systems design and evaluation require
that many considerations such as the psychology of users, the applications and
target tasks be born in mind simultaneously. A selection of influential HCI design
and evaluative techniques from HCI research literature are reviewed and characterised
in terms of their analytic scope.
Two studies of systems designers' approaches to user-oriented design and evaluation
were carried out in order to gain a clearer picture of the design process as it occurs
in applied and commercial projects. It was found that designers frequently lack
adequate information about users, carrying Out, at best, informal user-evaluations of
prototypes. Most notably HCI design and evaluative techniques, of the type common
in the literature, are not being used in applied and commercial design practice.
They seem to be complex, often limited in scope, and possessed of inadequate or
unrepresentative views of the design process within which they might be applied. It
was noted that design practice is highly varied with only a small number of common
goal directed classes of activity being identified. These together with observed
user-oriented information sources and design constraints provide a useful schema
for viewing applied and commercial design practice.
A further study of HCI specialists' practice in commercial environments was undertaken,
in order to identify particular user-oriented design approaches and HCI techniques
suitable for application in practice. The specialists were able to describe
desirable, and undesirable properties of the techniques they used which made it possible
to identify a list of specific desirable features for HCI techniques. A framework
for assessing applicability of HCI techniques was developed from the findings
of the thesis. This is demonstrated using an example project from the design studies
and may prove valuable in supporting design, evaluation, critiquing and selection of
HCI techniques