3 research outputs found
GODDeS: Globally \epsilon-Optimal Routing Via Distributed Decision-theoretic Self-organization
This paper introduces GODDeS: a fully distributed self-organizing
decision-theoretic routing algorithm designed to effectively exploit high
quality paths in lossy ad-hoc wireless environments, typically with a large
number of nodes. The routing problem is modeled as an optimal control problem
for a decentralized Markov Decision Process, with links characterized by
locally known packet drop probabilities that either remain constant on average
or change slowly. The equivalence of this optimization problem to that of
performance maximization of an explicitly constructed probabilistic automata
allows us to effectively apply the theory of quantitative measures of
probabilistic regular languages, and design a distributed highly efficient
solution approach that attempts to minimize source-to-sink drop probabilities
across the network. Theoretical results provide rigorous guarantees on global
performance, showing that the algorithm achieves near-global optimality, in
polynomial time. It is also argued that GODDeS is significantly
congestion-aware, and exploits multi-path routes optimally. Theoretical
development is supported by high-fidelity network simulations.Comment: 14 pages 6 figures : This is a preliminary pre-print. Full version
has been submitted for review elsewher
Formal-language-theoretic Optimal Path Planning For Accommodation of Amortized Uncertainties and Dynamic Effects
We report a globally-optimal approach to robotic path planning under
uncertainty, based on the theory of quantitative measures of formal languages.
A significant generalization to the language-measure-theoretic path planning
algorithm \nustar is presented that explicitly accounts for average dynamic
uncertainties and estimation errors in plan execution. The notion of the
navigation automaton is generalized to include probabilistic uncontrollable
transitions, which account for uncertainties by modeling and planning for
probabilistic deviations from the computed policy in the course of execution.
The planning problem is solved by casting it in the form of a performance
maximization problem for probabilistic finite state automata. In essence we
solve the following optimization problem: Compute the navigation policy which
maximizes the probability of reaching the goal, while simultaneously minimizing
the probability of hitting an obstacle. Key novelties of the proposed approach
include the modeling of uncertainties using the concept of uncontrollable
transitions, and the solution of the ensuing optimization problem using a
highly efficient search-free combinatorial approach to maximize quantitative
measures of probabilistic regular languages. Applicability of the algorithm in
various models of robot navigation has been shown with experimental validation
on a two-wheeled mobile robotic platform (SEGWAY RMP 200) in a laboratory
environment.Comment: Submitted for review for possible publication elsewhere; journal
reference will be added when availabl
Data Smashing
Investigation of the underlying physics or biology from empirical data
requires a quantifiable notion of similarity - when do two observed data sets
indicate nearly identical generating processes, and when they do not. The
discriminating characteristics to look for in data is often determined by
heuristics designed by experts, , distinct shapes of "folded" lightcurves
may be used as "features" to classify variable stars, while determination of
pathological brain states might require a Fourier analysis of brainwave
activity. Finding good features is non-trivial. Here, we propose a universal
solution to this problem: we delineate a principle for quantifying similarity
between sources of arbitrary data streams, without a priori knowledge, features
or training. We uncover an algebraic structure on a space of symbolic models
for quantized data, and show that such stochastic generators may be added and
uniquely inverted; and that a model and its inverse always sum to the generator
of flat white noise. Therefore, every data stream has an anti-stream: data
generated by the inverse model. Similarity between two streams, then, is the
degree to which one, when summed to the other's anti-stream, mutually
annihilates all statistical structure to noise. We call this data smashing. We
present diverse applications, including disambiguation of brainwaves pertaining
to epileptic seizures, detection of anomalous cardiac rhythms, and
classification of astronomical objects from raw photometry. In our examples,
the data smashing principle, without access to any domain knowledge, meets or
exceeds the performance of specialized algorithms tuned by domain experts