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Memristors are nonlinear two-terminal circuit elements whose resistance at a given time depends on past electrical stimuli. Recently, networks of memristors have received attention in neuromorphic computing since they can be used as a tool to perform linear algebraic operations, like matrix-vector multiplication, directly in hardware. In this paper, the aim is to resolve two fundamental questions pertaining to a specific, but relevant, class of memristive circuits called crossbar arrays. In particular, we show (1) how the resistance values of the memristors at a given time can be determined from external (voltage and current) measurements, and (2) how the resistances can be steered to desired values by applying suitable external voltages to the network. The results will be applied to solve a prototypical learning problem, namely linear least squares, by applying and measuring voltages and currents in a suitable memristive circuit., Comment: Accepted for CDC 2024

We study decentralized control strategies for platoons of autonomous vehicles with heterogeneous and nonlinear dynamics. Based on ideas from funnel control, we present a novel decentralized control algorithm which is able to guarantee a safety distance between any two vehicles, a good traffic flow and it achieves string stability of the controlled platoon. We illustrate the performance of the controller by simulations of two extreme scenarios.

Kron reduction is concerned with the elimination of interior nodes of physical network systems such as linear resistor electrical circuits. In this paper it is shown how this can be extended to networks with nonlinear static relations between the variables associated to the edges of the underlying directed graph.

Complex mechatronic systems are typically composed of interconnected modules, often developed by independent teams. This development process challenges the verification of system specifications before all modules are integrated. To address this challenge, a modular redesign framework is proposed in this paper. Herein, first, allowed changes in the dynamics (represented by frequency response functions (FRFs)) of the redesigned system are defined with respect to the original system model, which already satisfies system specifications. Second, these allowed changes in the overall system dynamics (or system redesign specifications) are automatically translated to dynamics (FRF) specifications on module level that, when satisfied, guarantee overall system dynamics (FRF) specifications. This modularity in specification management supports local analysis and verification of module design changes, enabling design teams to work in parallel without the need to iteratively rebuild the system model to check fulfilment of system FRF specifications. A modular redesign process results that shortens time-to-market and decreases redesign costs. The framework's effectiveness is demonstrated through three examples of increasing complexity, highlighting its potential to enable modular mechatronic system (re)design.

This paper proposes a balancing-based model reduction approach for an interconnection of passive dynamic subsystems. This approach preserves the passivity and stability of both the subsystems and the interconnected system. Hereto, one Linear Matrix Inequality (LMI) per subsystem and a single Lyapunov equation for the entire interconnected system needs to be solved, the latter of which warrants the relevance of the reduction of the subsystems for the accurate reduction of the interconnected system, while preserving the modularity of the reduction approach. In a numerical example from structural dynamics, the presented approach displays superior accuracy with respect to an approach in which the individual subsystems are reduced independently., Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, to appear in Proceedings of IFAC World Congress 2023

In this work, a modular approach is introduced to select the most important eigenmodes for each component of a composed structural dynamics system to obtain the required accuracy of the reduced-order assembly model. To enable the use of models of complex (structural) dynamical systems in engineering practice, e.g., in a design, optimization and/or control context, the complexity of the models needs to be reduced. When the model consist of an assembly of multiple interconnected structural components, component mode synthesis is often the preferred model reduction method. The standard approach to component mode synthesis for such system is to select the eigenmodes of a component that are most important to accurately model the dynamic behavior of this component in a certain frequency range of interest. However, often, a more relevant goal is to obtain, in this frequency range, an accurate model of the assembly. In the proposed approach, accuracy requirements on the level of the assembly are translated to accuracy requirements on component level, by employing techniques from the field of systems and control. With these component-level requirements, the eigenmodes that are most important to accurately model the dynamic behavior of the assembly can be selected in a modular fashion. We demonstrate with two structural dynamics benchmark systems that this method based on assembly accuracy allows for a computationally efficient selection of eigenmodes that 1) guarantees satisfaction of the assembly accuracy requirements and 2) results in most cases in reduced-order models of significantly lower order with respect to the industrial standard approach in which component eigenmodes are selected using a frequency criterion.

One of the most popular methods for reducing the complexity of assemblies of finite element models in the field of structural dynamics is component mode synthesis. A main challenge of component mode synthesis is balancing model complexity and model accuracy, because it is difficult to predict how component reduction influences assembly model accuracy. This work introduces an approach that allows for the translation of assembly model accuracy requirements in the frequency domain to the automatic selection of the cut-off frequencies for the model-order reduction (MOR) of components. The approach is based on a mathematical approach for MOR for coupled linear systems in the field of systems and control. We show how this approach is also applicable to structural dynamics models. We demonstrate the use of this approach in the scope of component mode synthesis (CMS) methods with the aim to reduce the complexity of component models while guaranteeing accuracy requirements of the assembly model. The proposed approach is illustrated on a mechanical, three-component structural dynamics system for which reduced-order models are computed that are reduced further compared to reduction using standard methods. This results in lower simulation cost, while maintaining the required accuracy.

We introduce $(\gamma,\delta)$-similarity, a notion of system comparison that measures to what extent two stable linear dynamical systems behave similarly in an input-output sense. This behavioral similarity is characterized by measuring the sensitivity of the difference between the two output trajectories in terms of the external inputs to the two potentially non-deterministic systems. As such, $(\gamma,\delta)$-similarity is a notion that characterizes \emph{approximation} of input-output behavior, whereas existing notions of simulation target equivalence. Next, as this approximation is specified in terms of the $L_2$ signal norm, $(\gamma,\delta)$-similarity allows for integration with existing methods for analysis and synthesis of control systems, in particular, robust control techniques. We characterize the notion of $(\gamma,\delta)$-similarity as a linear matrix inequality feasibility problem and derive its interpretation in terms of transfer matrices. Our study on the compositional properties of $(\gamma,\delta)$-similarity shows that the notion is preserved through series and feedback interconnections. This highlights its potential application in compositional reasoning, namely abstraction and modular synthesis of large-scale interconnected dynamical systems. We further illustrate our results in an electrical network example.

Models of complex systems often consist of multiple interconnected subsystem/component models that are developed by multi-disciplinary teams of engineers or scientists. To ensure that such interconnected models can be applied for the purpose of simulation and/or control, a reduced-order model for the interconnected dynamics is needed. In the scope of this paper, we pursue this goal by subsystem reduction to warrant modularity of the reduction approach. Clearly, by reducing the complexity of the subsystem models, not only the accuracy of the subsystem models is affected, but, consequently, also the accuracy of the interconnected model. It is typically difficult to predict a priori how the interconnected model accuracy is affected precisely by the subsystem reduction. In this work, we address this challenge by introducing a top-down approach which enables the translation of given accuracy requirements of the interconnected system model to accuracy requirements at subsystem model level, by using mathematical tools from robust performance analysis. This allows for the independent reduction of subsystem models while guaranteeing the desired accuracy of the interconnected model. In addition, we show how this top-down approach can be used to significantly reduce the interconnected model in an illustrative structural dynamics case study.

Designing large-scale control systems to satisfy complex specifications is hard in practice, as most formal methods are limited to systems of modest size. Contract theory has been proposed as a modular alternative to formal methods in control, in which specifications are defined by assumptions on the input to a component and guarantees on its output. However, current contract-based methods for control systems either prescribe guarantees on the state of the system, going against the spirit of contract theory, or can only support rudimentary compositions. In this paper, we present a contract-based modular framework for discrete-time dynamical control systems. We extend the definition of contracts by allowing the assumption on the input at a time $k$ to depend on outputs up to time $k-1$, which is essential when considering the feedback connection of an unregulated dynamical system and a controller. We also define contract composition for arbitrary interconnection topologies, under the pretence of well-posedness, and prove that this notion supports modular design, analysis and verification. This is done using graph theory methods, and specifically using the notions of topological ordering and backward-reachable nodes. Lastly, we use $k$-induction to present an algorithm for verifying vertical contracts, which are claims of the form "the conjugation of given component-level contracts is a stronger specification than a given contract on the integrated system". These algorithms are based on linear programming, and scale linearly with the number of components in the interconnected network. A numerical example is provided to demonstrate the scalability of the presented approach, as well as the modularity achieved by using it., Comment: 17 pages, 6 figures

Many complex engineering systems consist of multiple subsystems that are developed by different teams of engineers. To analyse, simulate and control such complex systems, accurate yet computationally efficient models are required. Modular model reduction, in which the subsystem models are reduced individually, is a practical and an efficient method to obtain accurate reduced-order models of such complex systems. However, when subsystems are reduced individually, without taking their interconnections into account, the effect on stability and accuracy of the resulting reduced-order interconnected system is difficult to predict. In this work, a mathematical relation between the accuracy of reduced-order linear-time invariant subsystem models and (stability and accuracy of) resulting reduced-order interconnected linear time-invariant model is introduced. This result can subsequently be used in two ways. Firstly, it can be used to translate accuracy characteristics of the reduced-order subsystem models directly to accuracy properties of the interconnected reduced-order model. Secondly, it can also be used to translate specifications on the interconnected system model accuracy to accuracy requirements on subsystem models that can be used for fit-for-purpose reduction of the subsystem models. These applications of the proposed analysis framework for modular model reduction are demonstrated on an illustrative structural dynamics example.

Verifying specifications for large-scale control systems is of utmost importance, but can be hard in practice as most formal verification methods can not handle high-dimensional dynamics. Contract theory has been proposed as a modular alternative to formal verification in which specifications are defined by assumptions on the inputs to a component and guarantees on its outputs. In this paper, we present linear-programming-based tools for verifying contracts for control systems. We first consider the problem of verifying contracts defined by time-invariant inequalities for unperturbed systems. We use $k$-induction to show that contract verification can be achieved by considering a collection of implications between inequalities, which are then recast as linear programs. We then move our attention to perturbed systems. We present a comparison-based framework, verifying that a perturbed system satisfies a contract by checking that the corresponding unperturbed system satisfies a robustified (and $\epsilon$-approximated) contract. In both cases, we present explicit algorithms for contract verification, proving their correctness and analyzing their complexity. We also demonstrate the verification process for two case studies, one considering a two-vehicle autonomous driving scenario, and one considering formation control of a multi-agent system., Comment: 16 pages, 2 figures

This paper proposes a data-driven model reduction approach on the basis of noisy data. Firstly, the concept of data reduction is introduced. In particular, we show that the set of reduced-order models obtained by applying a Petrov-Galerkin projection to all systems explaining the data characterized in a large-dimensional quadratic matrix inequality (QMI) can again be characterized in a lower-dimensional QMI. Next, we develop a data-driven generalized balanced truncation method that relies on two steps. First, we provide necessary and sufficient conditions such that systems explaining the data have common generalized Gramians. Second, these common generalized Gramians are used to construct projection matrices that allow to characterize a class of reduced-order models via generalized balanced truncation in terms of a lower-dimensional QMI by applying the data reductionconcept. Additionally, we present alternative procedures to compute a priori and a posteriori upper bounds with respect to the true system generating the data. Finally, the proposed techniques are illustrated by means of application to an example of a system of a cart with a double-pendulum., Comment: 14 pages, 5 figures

Verifying specifications for large-scale modern engineering systems can be a time-consuming task, as most formal verification methods are limited to systems of modest size. Recently, contract-based design and verification has been proposed as a modular framework for specifications, and linear-programming-based techniques have been presented for verifying that a given system satisfies a given contract. In this paper, we extend this assume/guarantee framework by presenting necessary and sufficient conditions for a collection of contracts on individual components to refine a contract on the composed system. These conditions can be verified by solving linear programs, whose number grows linearly with the number of specifications defined by the contracts. We exemplify the tools developed using a case study considering safety in a car-following scenario, where noise and time-varying delay are considered., Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures

Modern engineering systems include many components of different types and functions. Verifying that these systems satisfy given specifications can be an arduous task, as most formal verification methods are limited to systems of moderate size. Recently, contract theory has been proposed as a modular framework for defining specifications. In this paper, we present a contract theory for discrete-time dynamical control systems relying on assume/guarantee contracts, which prescribe assumptions on the input of the system and guarantees on the output. We then focus on contracts defined by linear constraints, and develop efficient computational tools for verification of satisfaction and refinement based on linear programming. We exemplify these tools in a simulation example, proving a certain safety specification for a two-vehicle autonomous driving setting., Comment: 9 pages, 5 figures

A new method for data-driven interpolatory model reduction is presented in this paper. Using the so-called data informativity perspective, we define a framework that enables the computation of moments at given (possibly complex) interpolation points based on time-domain input-output data only, without explicitly identifying the high-order system. Instead, by characterizing the set of all systems explaining the data, necessary and sufficient conditions are provided under which all systems in this set share the same moment at a given interpolation point. Moreover, these conditions allow for explicitly computing these moments. Reduced-order models are then derived by employing a variation of the classical rational interpolation method. The condition to enforce moment matching model reduction with prescribed poles is also discussed as a means to obtain stable reduced-order models. An example of an electrical circuit illustrates this framework., Comment: 11 pages

This paper studies the robustness of large-scale interconnected systems with respect to external disturbances, focussing on their scalability properties. Specifically, a notion of scalability is introduced that asks for these robustness properties to remain unchanged under a structural change of the system, such as the addition/removal of a subsystem or a change in the interconnection structure. Both necessary and sufficient conditions, in terms of the interconnection structure and edge weights, are given under which elementary structural changes are scalable. The results are illustrated through a simple example., Comment: Published in the Proceedings of the IFAC World Congress, Berlin, Germany, 2020

A method for data-driven interpolatory model reduction is presented in this extended abstract. This framework enables the computation of the transfer function values at given interpolation points based on time-domain input-output data only, without explicitly identifying the high-order system. Instead, by characterizing the set of all systems explaining the data, necessary and sufficient conditions are given under which all systems in this set share the same transfer function value at a given interpolation point. After following this so-called data informativity perspective, reduced-order models can be obtained by classical interpolation techniques. An example of an electrical circuit illustrates this framework., Comment: 4 pages, 1 figure, This work is accepted as a Late-Breaking result at the IFAC World Congress 2020

This paper introduces assume/guarantee contracts on continuous-time control systems, hereby extending contract theories for discrete systems to certain new model classes and specifications. Contracts are regarded as formal characterizations of control specifications, providing an alternative to specifications in terms of dissipativity properties or set-invariance. The framework has the potential to capture a richer class of specifications more suitable for complex engineering systems. The proposed contracts are supported by results that enable the verification of contract implementation and the comparison of contracts. These results are illustrated by an example of a vehicle following system., Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures; minor changes in the final version, as accepted for publication in the Proceedings of the 2019 European Control Conference, Naples, Italy

This paper studies model order reduction of multi-agent systems consisting of identical linear passive subsystems, where the interconnection topology is characterized by an undirected weighted graph. Balanced truncation based on a pair of specifically selected generalized Gramians is implemented on the asymptotically stable part of the full-order network model, which leads to a reduced-order system preserving the passivity of each subsystem. Moreover, it is proven that there exists a coordinate transformation to convert the resulting reduced-order model to a state-space model of Laplacian dynamics. Thus, the proposed method simultaneously reduces the complexity of the network structure and individual agent dynamics, and it preserves the passivity of the subsystems and the synchronization of the network. Moreover, it allows for the a priori computation of a bound on the approximation error. Finally, the feasibility of the method is demonstrated by an example.

Two finite-time consensus protocols are proposed for multi-dimensional multi-agent systems, using direction-preserving and component-wise signum controls respectively. Filippov solutions and non-smooth analysis techniques are adopted to handle discontinuities. Sufficient and necessary conditions are provided to guarantee finite-time convergence and boundedness of the solutions. It turns out that the number of agents which have continuous control law plays an essential role for finite-time convergence. In addition it is shown that the unit balls introduced by $\ell_p$ and $\ell_{\infty}$ norms are invariant for these two protocols respectively.

A novel delay-based spacing policy for the control of vehicle platoons is introduced together with a notion of disturbance string stability. The delay-based spacing policy specifies the desired inter-vehicular distance between vehicles and guarantees that all vehicles track the same spatially varying reference velocity profile, as is for example required for heavy-duty vehicles driving over hilly terrain. Disturbance string stability is a notion of string stability of vehicle platoons subject to external disturbances on all vehicles that guarantees that perturbations do not grow unbounded as they propagate through the platoon. Specifically, a control design approach in the spatial domain is presented that achieves tracking of the desired spacing policy and guarantees disturbance string stability with respect to a spatially varying reference velocity. The results are illustrated by means of simulations., Comment: 15 pages, 10 figures

We analyze stability properties of monotone nonlinear systems via max-separable Lyapunov functions, motivated by the following observations: first, recent results have shown that asymptotic stability of a monotone nonlinear system implies the existence of a max-separable Lyapunov function on a compact set; second, for monotone linear systems, asymptotic stability implies the stronger properties of D-stability and insensitivity to time-delays. This paper establishes that for monotone nonlinear systems, equivalence holds between asymptotic stability, the existence of a max-separable Lyapunov function, D-stability, and insensitivity to bounded and unbounded time-varying delays. In particular, a new and general notion of D-stability for monotone nonlinear systems is discussed and a set of necessary and sufficient conditions for delay-independent stability are derived. Examples show how the results extend the state-of-the-art.

In this paper, we propose a method to establish a networked control system that maintains its stability in the presence of certain undesirable incidents on local controllers. We call such networked control systems weakly resilient. We first derive a necessary and sufficient condition for the weak resilience of networked systems. Networked systems do not generally satisfy this condition. Therefore, we provide a method for designing a compensator which ensures the weak resilience of the compensated system. Finally, we illustrate the efficiency of the proposed method by a power system example based on the IEEE 14-bus test system.

The operation of groups of heavy-duty vehicles (HDVs) at a small inter-vehicular distance (known as platoon) allows to lower the overall aerodynamic drag and, therefore, to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. However, due to the large mass and limited engine power of HDVs, slopes have a significant impact on the feasible and optimal speed profiles that each vehicle can and should follow. Therefore maintaining a short inter-vehicular distance as required by platooning without coordination between vehicles can often result in inefficient or even unfeasible trajectories. In this paper we propose a two-layer control architecture for HDV platooning aimed to safely and fuel-efficiently coordinate the vehicles in the platoon. Here, the layers are responsible for the inclusion of preview information on road topography and the real-time control of the vehicles, respectively. Within this architecture, dynamic programming is used to compute the fuel-optimal speed profile for the entire platoon and a distributed model predictive control framework is developed for the real-time control of the vehicles. The effectiveness of the proposed controller is analyzed by means of simulations of several realistic scenarios that suggest a possible fuel saving of up to 12% for the follower vehicles compared to the use of standard platoon controllers., Comment: 16 pages, 16 figures, submitted to journal

In this paper, a model reduction procedure for a network of interconnected identical passive subsystems is presented. Here, rather than performing model reduction on the subsystems, adjacent subsystems are clustered, leading to a reduced-order networked system that allows for a convenient physical interpretation. The identification of the subsystems to be clustered is performed through controllability and observability analysis of an associated edge system and it is shown that the property of synchronization (i.e., the convergence of trajectories of the subsystems to each other) is preserved during reduction. The results are illustrated by means of an example., Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures; minor changes in the final version, as accepted for publication at the 13th European Control Conference, Strasbourg, France