Numerical Integration and Dynamic Discretization in Heuristic Search Planning over Hybrid Domains

In this paper we look into the problem of planning over hybrid domains, where change can be both discrete and instantaneous, or continuous over time. In addition, it is required that each state on the trajectory induced by the execution of plans complies with a given set of global constraints. We approach the computation of plans for such domains as the problem of searching over a deterministic state model. In this model, some of the successor states are obtained by solving numerically the so-called initial value problem over a set of ordinary differential equations (ODE) given by the current plan prefix. These equations hold over time intervals whose duration is determined dynamically, according to whether zero crossing events take place for a set of invariant conditions. The resulting planner, FS+, incorporates these features together with effective heuristic guidance. FS+ does not impose any of the syntactic restrictions on process effects often found on the existing literature on Hybrid Planning. A key concept of our approach is that a clear separation is struck between planning and simulation time steps. The former is the time allowed to observe the evolution of a given dynamical system before committing to a future course of action, whilst the later is part of the model of the environment. FS+ is shown to be a robust planner over a diverse set of hybrid domains, taken from the existing literature on hybrid planning and systems.Comment: 17 page

RAO*: an Algorithm for Chance-Constrained POMDP’s

Autonomous agents operating in partially observable stochastic environments often face the problem of optimizing expected performance while bounding the risk of violating safety constraints. Such problems can be modeled as chance-constrained POMDP’s (CC-POMDP’s). Our first contribution is a systematic derivation of execution risk in POMDP domains, which improves upon how chance constraints are handled in the constrained POMDP literature. Second, we present RAO*, a heuristic forward search algorithm producing optimal, deterministic, finite-horizon policies for CC-POMDP’s. In addition to the utility heuristic, RAO* leverages an admissible execution risk heuristic to quickly detect and prune overly-risky policy branches. Third, we demonstrate the usefulness of RAO* in two challenging domains of practical interest: power supply restoration and autonomous science agentsUnited States. Air Force Office of Scientific Research (Grant FA95501210348)United States. Air Force Office of Scientific Research (Grant FA2386-15-1-4015)SUTD-MIT Graduate Fellows ProgramNICT

Turning an action formalism into a planner

The paper describes a case study that explores the idea of building a planner with a neat semantics of the plans it produces, by choosing some action formalism that is "ideal" for the planning application and building the planner accordingly. In general-and particularly so for the action formalism used in this study, which is quite expressive-this strategy is unlikely to yield fast and efficient planners if the formalism is used naively. Therefore, we adopt the idea that the planner approximates the theoretically ideal plans, where the approximation gets closer, the more run time the planner is allowed. As the particular formalism underlying our study allows a significant degree of uncertainty to be modeled and copes with the ramification problem, we end up in a planner that is functionally comparable to modern anytime uncertainty planners, yet is based on a neat formal semantics. To appear in the Journal of Logic and Computation, 1994. The paper is written in English

A finite model of two-dimensional ideal hydrodynamics

A finite-dimensional su($N$) Lie algebra equation is discussed that in the infinite $N$ limit (giving the area preserving diffeomorphism group) tends to the two-dimensional, inviscid vorticity equation on the torus. The equation is numerically integrated, for various values of $N$, and the time evolution of an (interpolated) stream function is compared with that obtained from a simple mode truncation of the continuum equation. The time averaged vorticity moments and correlation functions are compared with canonical ensemble averages.Comment: (25 p., 7 figures, not included. MUTP/92/1

Energy Flow in the Hadronic Final State of Diffractive and Non-Diffractive Deep-Inelastic Scattering at HERA

An investigation of the hadronic final state in diffractive and non--diffractive deep--inelastic electron--proton scattering at HERA is presented, where diffractive data are selected experimentally by demanding a large gap in pseudo --rapidity around the proton remnant direction. The transverse energy flow in the hadronic final state is evaluated using a set of estimators which quantify topological properties. Using available Monte Carlo QCD calculations, it is demonstrated that the final state in diffractive DIS exhibits the features expected if the interaction is interpreted as the scattering of an electron off a current quark with associated effects of perturbative QCD. A model in which deep--inelastic diffraction is taken to be the exchange of a pomeron with partonic structure is found to reproduce the measurements well. Models for deep--inelastic $ep$ scattering, in which a sizeable diffractive contribution is present because of non--perturbative effects in the production of the hadronic final state, reproduce the general tendencies of the data but in all give a worse description.Comment: 22 pages, latex, 6 Figures appended as uuencoded fil

The CMS Electromagnetic Calorimeter Data Acquisition System at the 2006 Test Beam

The Electromagnetic Calorimeter of the CMS experiment at the CERN LHC is an homogeneous calorimeter made of about 80000 Lead Tungstate crystals. From June to November 2006, eleven barrel Supermodules (1700 crystals each) were exposed to beam at CERN SPS, both in stand-alone and in association with portions of the Hadron Calorimeter. We present the description of the system used to configure and readout the calorimeter during this period. The full set of final readout electronics boards was employed, together with the pre-series version of the data acquisition software. During this testbeam, the hardware and software concepts for the final system were validated and the successfull operation of all the ten supermodules was ensured