3,540 research outputs found
A Parallel Riccati Factorization Algorithm with Applications to Model Predictive Control
Model Predictive Control (MPC) is increasing in popularity in industry as
more efficient algorithms for solving the related optimization problem are
developed. The main computational bottle-neck in on-line MPC is often the
computation of the search step direction, i.e. the Newton step, which is often
done using generic sparsity exploiting algorithms or Riccati recursions.
However, as parallel hardware is becoming increasingly popular the demand for
efficient parallel algorithms for solving the Newton step is increasing. In
this paper a tailored, non-iterative parallel algorithm for computing the
Riccati factorization is presented. The algorithm exploits the special
structure in the MPC problem, and when sufficiently many processing units are
available, the complexity of the algorithm scales logarithmically in the
prediction horizon. Computing the Newton step is the main computational
bottle-neck in many MPC algorithms and the algorithm can significantly reduce
the computation cost for popular state-of-the-art MPC algorithms
Reduced Memory Footprint in Multiparametric Quadratic Programming by Exploiting Low Rank Structure
In multiparametric programming an optimization problem which is dependent on
a parameter vector is solved parametrically. In control, multiparametric
quadratic programming (mp-QP) problems have become increasingly important since
the optimization problem arising in Model Predictive Control (MPC) can be cast
as an mp-QP problem, which is referred to as explicit MPC. One of the main
limitations with mp-QP and explicit MPC is the amount of memory required to
store the parametric solution and the critical regions. In this paper, a method
for exploiting low rank structure in the parametric solution of an mp-QP
problem in order to reduce the required memory is introduced. The method is
based on ideas similar to what is done to exploit low rank modifications in
generic QP solvers, but is here applied to mp-QP problems to save memory. The
proposed method has been evaluated experimentally, and for some examples of
relevant problems the relative memory reduction is an order of magnitude
compared to storing the full parametric solution and critical regions
Low-Rank Modifications of Riccati Factorizations for Model Predictive Control
In Model Predictive Control (MPC) the control input is computed by solving a
constrained finite-time optimal control (CFTOC) problem at each sample in the
control loop. The main computational effort is often spent on computing the
search directions, which in MPC corresponds to solving unconstrained
finite-time optimal control (UFTOC) problems. This is commonly performed using
Riccati recursions or generic sparsity exploiting algorithms. In this work the
focus is efficient search direction computations for active-set (AS) type
methods. The system of equations to be solved at each AS iteration is changed
only by a low-rank modification of the previous one, and exploiting this
structured change is important for the performance of AS type solvers. In this
paper, theory for how to exploit these low-rank changes by modifying the
Riccati factorization between AS iterations in a structured way is presented. A
numerical evaluation of the proposed algorithm shows that the computation time
can be significantly reduced by modifying, instead of re-computing, the Riccati
factorization. This speed-up can be important for AS type solvers used for
linear, nonlinear and hybrid MPC
Witchcraft, whites and the 1994 South African elections: Notes on the symbolic constitution of power in an Eastern Transvaal lowveld village
African Studies Seminar series. Paper presented 27 February 1995.The relationship between colonialism and witchcraft, as depicted in the ethnographic
literature of central and southern Africa, presents an intriguing puzzle. The human myseries resulting from colonialism- such as the loss of land, poverty, disease, and labour exploitationare widely documented. It is also well known that witchcraft beliefs inscribe the causes of misfortune in tense social relationships. While studies recognize that colonialism has generated increased suspicions of witchcraft, they do not show that colonists are identified as witches. …. This article investigates, in greater depth, the intricate connections between experiences of colonial subjugation and African witchcraft beliefs. In contrast to the impression conveyed by the above-mentioned studies, I aim to demonstrate that colonists do not necessarily fall outside the parameters of witchcraft. Narratives of witchcraft can present a salient critique of the colonial order. Yet, I suggest that, criticisms of colonialism are less apparent in the sociology of witchcraft accusations, than in the symbolism of witchcraft beliefs
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