Krylov subspaces associated with higher-order linear dynamical systems

A standard approach to model reduction of large-scale higher-order linear dynamical systems is to rewrite the system as an equivalent first-order system and then employ Krylov-subspace techniques for model reduction of first-order systems. This paper presents some results about the structure of the block-Krylov subspaces induced by the matrices of such equivalent first-order formulations of higher-order systems. Two general classes of matrices, which exhibit the key structures of the matrices of first-order formulations of higher-order systems, are introduced. It is proved that for both classes, the block-Krylov subspaces induced by the matrices in these classes can be viewed as multiple copies of certain subspaces of the state space of the original higher-order system

Pade-Type Model Reduction of Second-Order and Higher-Order Linear Dynamical Systems

A standard approach to reduced-order modeling of higher-order linear dynamical systems is to rewrite the system as an equivalent first-order system and then employ Krylov-subspace techniques for reduced-order modeling of first-order systems. While this approach results in reduced-order models that are characterized as Pade-type or even true Pade approximants of the system's transfer function, in general, these models do not preserve the form of the original higher-order system. In this paper, we present a new approach to reduced-order modeling of higher-order systems based on projections onto suitably partitioned Krylov basis matrices that are obtained by applying Krylov-subspace techniques to an equivalent first-order system. We show that the resulting reduced-order models preserve the form of the original higher-order system. While the resulting reduced-order models are no longer optimal in the Pade sense, we show that they still satisfy a Pade-type approximation property. We also introduce the notion of Hermitian higher-order linear dynamical systems, and we establish an enhanced Pade-type approximation property in the Hermitian case

Long-range forces in controlled systems

This thesis investigates new phenomena due to long-range forces and their effects on different multi-DOFs systems. In particular the systems considered are metamaterials, i.e. materials with long-range connections. The long-range connections characterizing metamaterials are part of the more general framework of non-local elasticity. In the theory of non-local elasticity, the connections between non-adjacent particles can assume different configurations, namely one-to-all, all-to-all, all-to-all-limited, random-sparse and all-to-all-twin. In this study three aspects of the long-range interactions are investigated, and two models of non-local elasticity are considered: all-to-all and random-sparse. The first topic considers an all-to-all connections topology and formalizes the mathematical models to study wave propagation in long-range 1D metamaterials. Closed forms of the dispersion equation are disclosed, and a propagation map synthesizes the properties of these materials which unveil wave-stopping, negative group velocity, instability and non-local effects. This investigation defines how long-range interactions in elastic metamaterials can produce a variety of new effects in wave propagation. The second one considers an all-to-all connections topology and aims to define an optimal design of the long-range actions in terms of spatial and intensity distribution to obtain a passive control of the propagation behavior which may produces exotic effects. A phenomenon of frequency filtering in a confined region of a 1D metamaterial is obtained and the optimization process guarantees this is the best obtainable result for a specific set of control parameters. The third one considers a random-sparse connections topology and provides a new definition of long-range force, based on the concept of small-world network. The small-world model, born in the field of social networks, is suitably applied to a regular lattice by the introduction of additional, randomly selected, elastic connections between different points. These connections modify the waves propagation within the structure and the system exhibits a much higher propagation speed and synchronization. This result is one of the remarkable characteristics of the defined long-range connections topology that can be applied to metamaterials as well as other multi-DOFs systems. Qualitative experimental results are presented, and a preliminary set-up is illustrated. To summarize, this thesis highlights non-local elastic structures which display unusual propagation behaviors; moreover, it proposes a control approach that produces a frequency filtering material and shows the fast propagation of energy within a random-sparse connected material

A Generalization of the Hopf-Cole Transformation

A generalization of the Hopf-Cole transformation and its relation to the Burgers equation of integer order and the diffusion equation with quadratic nonlinearity are discussed. The explicit form of a particular analytical solution is presented. The existence of the travelling wave solution and the interaction of nonlocal perturbation are considered. The nonlocal generalizations of the one-dimensional diffusion equation with quadratic nonlinearity and of the Burgers equation are analyzed