634 research outputs found
Gossip Dual Averaging for Decentralized Optimization of Pairwise Functions
In decentralized networks (of sensors, connected objects, etc.), there is an
important need for efficient algorithms to optimize a global cost function, for
instance to learn a global model from the local data collected by each
computing unit. In this paper, we address the problem of decentralized
minimization of pairwise functions of the data points, where these points are
distributed over the nodes of a graph defining the communication topology of
the network. This general problem finds applications in ranking, distance
metric learning and graph inference, among others. We propose new gossip
algorithms based on dual averaging which aims at solving such problems both in
synchronous and asynchronous settings. The proposed framework is flexible
enough to deal with constrained and regularized variants of the optimization
problem. Our theoretical analysis reveals that the proposed algorithms preserve
the convergence rate of centralized dual averaging up to an additive bias term.
We present numerical simulations on Area Under the ROC Curve (AUC) maximization
and metric learning problems which illustrate the practical interest of our
approach
Distributed localization of a RF target in NLOS environments
We propose a novel distributed expectation maximization (EM) method for
non-cooperative RF device localization using a wireless sensor network. We
consider the scenario where few or no sensors receive line-of-sight signals
from the target. In the case of non-line-of-sight signals, the signal path
consists of a single reflection between the transmitter and receiver. Each
sensor is able to measure the time difference of arrival of the target's signal
with respect to a reference sensor, as well as the angle of arrival of the
target's signal. We derive a distributed EM algorithm where each node makes use
of its local information to compute summary statistics, and then shares these
statistics with its neighbors to improve its estimate of the target
localization. Since all the measurements need not be centralized at a single
location, the spectrum usage can be significantly reduced. The distributed
algorithm also allows for increased robustness of the sensor network in the
case of node failures. We show that our distributed algorithm converges, and
simulation results suggest that our method achieves an accuracy close to the
centralized EM algorithm. We apply the distributed EM algorithm to a set of
experimental measurements with a network of four nodes, which confirm that the
algorithm is able to localize a RF target in a realistic non-line-of-sight
scenario.Comment: 30 pages, 11 figure
Distributed Maximum Likelihood for Simultaneous Self-localization and Tracking in Sensor Networks
We show that the sensor self-localization problem can be cast as a static
parameter estimation problem for Hidden Markov Models and we implement fully
decentralized versions of the Recursive Maximum Likelihood and on-line
Expectation-Maximization algorithms to localize the sensor network
simultaneously with target tracking. For linear Gaussian models, our algorithms
can be implemented exactly using a distributed version of the Kalman filter and
a novel message passing algorithm. The latter allows each node to compute the
local derivatives of the likelihood or the sufficient statistics needed for
Expectation-Maximization. In the non-linear case, a solution based on local
linearization in the spirit of the Extended Kalman Filter is proposed. In
numerical examples we demonstrate that the developed algorithms are able to
learn the localization parameters.Comment: shorter version is about to appear in IEEE Transactions of Signal
Processing; 22 pages, 15 figure
Self-Calibration Methods for Uncontrolled Environments in Sensor Networks: A Reference Survey
Growing progress in sensor technology has constantly expanded the number and
range of low-cost, small, and portable sensors on the market, increasing the
number and type of physical phenomena that can be measured with wirelessly
connected sensors. Large-scale deployments of wireless sensor networks (WSN)
involving hundreds or thousands of devices and limited budgets often constrain
the choice of sensing hardware, which generally has reduced accuracy,
precision, and reliability. Therefore, it is challenging to achieve good data
quality and maintain error-free measurements during the whole system lifetime.
Self-calibration or recalibration in ad hoc sensor networks to preserve data
quality is essential, yet challenging, for several reasons, such as the
existence of random noise and the absence of suitable general models.
Calibration performed in the field, without accurate and controlled
instrumentation, is said to be in an uncontrolled environment. This paper
provides current and fundamental self-calibration approaches and models for
wireless sensor networks in uncontrolled environments
Sensor Networks with Random Links: Topology Design for Distributed Consensus
In a sensor network, in practice, the communication among sensors is subject
to:(1) errors or failures at random times; (3) costs; and(2) constraints since
sensors and networks operate under scarce resources, such as power, data rate,
or communication. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is usually a main factor in
determining the probability of error (or of communication failure) in a link.
These probabilities are then a proxy for the SNR under which the links operate.
The paper studies the problem of designing the topology, i.e., assigning the
probabilities of reliable communication among sensors (or of link failures) to
maximize the rate of convergence of average consensus, when the link
communication costs are taken into account, and there is an overall
communication budget constraint. To consider this problem, we address a number
of preliminary issues: (1) model the network as a random topology; (2)
establish necessary and sufficient conditions for mean square sense (mss) and
almost sure (a.s.) convergence of average consensus when network links fail;
and, in particular, (3) show that a necessary and sufficient condition for both
mss and a.s. convergence is for the algebraic connectivity of the mean graph
describing the network topology to be strictly positive. With these results, we
formulate topology design, subject to random link failures and to a
communication cost constraint, as a constrained convex optimization problem to
which we apply semidefinite programming techniques. We show by an extensive
numerical study that the optimal design improves significantly the convergence
speed of the consensus algorithm and can achieve the asymptotic performance of
a non-random network at a fraction of the communication cost.Comment: Submitted to IEEE Transaction
Distributive Power Control Algorithm for Multicarrier Interference Network over Time-Varying Fading Channels - Tracking Performance Analysis and Optimization
Distributed power control over interference limited network has received an
increasing intensity of interest over the past few years. Distributed solutions
(like the iterative water-filling, gradient projection, etc.) have been
intensively investigated under \emph{quasi-static} channels. However, as such
distributed solutions involve iterative updating and explicit message passing,
it is unrealistic to assume that the wireless channel remains unchanged during
the iterations. Unfortunately, the behavior of those distributed solutions
under \emph{time-varying} channels is in general unknown. In this paper, we
shall investigate the distributed scaled gradient projection algorithm (DSGPA)
in a pairs multicarrier interference network under a finite-state Markov
channel (FSMC) model. We shall analyze the \emph{convergence property} as well
as \emph{tracking performance} of the proposed DSGPA. Our analysis shows that
the proposed DSGPA converges to a limit region rather than a single point under
the FSMC model. We also show that the order of growth of the tracking errors is
given by \mathcal{O}\(1 \big/ \bar{N}\), where is the \emph{average
sojourn time} of the FSMC. Based on the analysis, we shall derive the
\emph{tracking error optimal scaling matrices} via Markov decision process
modeling. We shall show that the tracking error optimal scaling matrices can be
implemented distributively at each transmitter. The numerical results show the
superior performance of the proposed DSGPA over three baseline schemes, such as
the gradient projection algorithm with a constant stepsize.Comment: To Appear on the IEEE Transaction on Signal Processin
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