arXiv subjects

David Angeli

Publications and source records attributed to David Angeli.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2021

A robust Lyapunov criterion for non-oscillatory behaviors in biological interaction networks

We introduce the notion of non-oscillation, propose a constructive method for its robust verification, and study its application to biological interaction networks (also known as, chemical reaction networks). We begin by revisiting Muldowney's result on non-existence of periodic solutions based on the study of the variational system of the second additive compound of the Jacobian of a nonlinear system. We show that exponential stability of the latter rules out limit cycles, quasi-periodic solutions, and broad classes of oscillatory behavior. We focus then on nonlinear equations arising in biological interaction networks with general kinetics, and we show that the dynamics of the aforementioned variational system can be embedded in a linear differential inclusion. We then propose algorithms for constructing piecewise linear Lyapunov functions to certify global robust non-oscillatory behavior. Finally, we apply our techniques to study several regulated enzymatic cycles where available methods are not able to provide any information about their qualitative global behavior.

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arXiv2020

Scheduling of energy storage

The increasing reliance on renewable energy generation means that storage may well play a much greater role in the balancing of future electricity systems. We show how heterogeneous stores, differing in capacity and rate constraints, may be optimally, or nearly optimally, scheduled to assist in such balancing, with the aim of minimising the total imbalance (unserved energy) over any given period of time. It further turns out that in many cases the optimal policies are such that the optimal decision at each point in time is independent of the future evolution of the supply-demand balance in the system, so that these policies remain optimal in a stochastic environment.

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arXiv2019

On the robust existence of piecewise quadratic Lyapunov functions for hybrid models of gene regulatory networks

In this work we addressed the problem of stability analysis for an uncertain piecewise affine model of a genetic regulatory network. In particular we considered polytopic parameter uncertainties on the proteins production rate functions, giving conditions for the existence of a piecewise quadratic Lyapunov function for any possible realization of the system. In the spirit of other works in literature, the resulting conditions will be given on the vertices of the parameter polytope, while still taking into consideration the piecewise nature of the Lyapunov function and the presence, in general, of sliding modes solutions. An example is shown to prove the validity and applicability of the theoretical results.

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arXiv2019

Chance-Constrained Ancillary Service Specification for Heterogeneous Storage Devices

We present a method to find the maximum magnitude of any supply-shortfall service that an aggregator of energy storage devices is able to sell to a grid operator. This is first demonstrated in deterministic settings, then applied to scenarios in which device availabilities are stochastic. In this case we implement chance constraints on the inability to deliver as promised. We show a significant computational improvement in using our method in place of straightforward scenario simulation. As an extension, we present an approximation to this method which allows the determined fleet capability to be applied to any chosen service, rather than having to re-solve the chance-constrained optimisation each time.

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arXiv2019

Minimising Unserved Energy Using Heterogeneous Storage Units

This paper considers the optimal dispatch of energy-constrained heterogeneous storage units to maximise security of supply. A policy, requiring no knowledge of the future, is presented and shown to minimise unserved energy during supply-shortfall events, regardless of the supply and demand profiles. It is accompanied by a graphical means to rapidly determine unavoidable energy shortfalls, which can then be used to compare different device fleets. The policy is well-suited for use within the framework of system adequacy assessment; for this purpose, a discrete time optimal policy is conceived, in both analytic and algorithmic forms, such that these results can be applied to discrete time systems and simulation studies. This is exemplified via a generation adequacy study of the British system.

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arXiv2019

A Graphical Measure of Aggregate Flexibility for Energy-Constrained Distributed Resources

We consider the problem of dispatching a fleet of heterogeneous energy storage units to provide grid support. Under the restriction that recharging is not possible during the time frame of interest, we develop an aggregate measure of fleet flexibility with an intuitive graphical interpretation. This analytical expression summarises the full set of demand traces that the fleet can satisfy, and can be used for immediate and straightforward determination of the feasibility of any service request. This representation therefore facilitates a wide range of capability assessments, such as flexibility comparisons between fleets or the determination of a fleet's ability to deliver ancillary services. Examples are shown of applications to fleet flexibility comparisons, signal feasibility assessment and the optimisation of ancillary service provision.

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arXiv2019

On Adversary Robust Consensus protocols through joint-agent interactions

A generalized family of Adversary Robust Consensus protocols is proposed and analyzed. These are distributed algorithms for multi-agents systems seeking to agree on a common value of a shared variable, even in the presence of faulty or malicious agents which are updating their local state according to the protocol rules. In particular, we adopt monotone joint-agent interactions, a very general mechanism for processing locally available information and allowing cross-comparisons between state-values of multiple agents simultaneously. The salient features of the proposed class of algorithms are abstracted as a Petri Net and convergence criteria for the resulting time evolutions formulated by employing structural invariants of the net.

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arXiv2018

Robustly Maximal Utilisation of Energy-Constrained Distributed Resources

We consider the problem of dispatching a fleet of distributed energy reserve devices to collectively meet a sequence of power requests over time. Under the restriction that reserves cannot be replenished, we aim to maximise the survival time of an energy-constrained islanded electrical system; and we discuss realistic scenarios in which this might be the ultimate goal of the grid operator. We present a policy that achieves this optimality, and generalise this into a set-theoretic result that implies there is no better policy available, regardless of the realised energy requirement scenario.

eess.SY↗

arXiv2017

On Path-Complete Lyapunov Functions: Geometry and Comparison

We study optimization-based criteria for the stability of switching systems, known as Path-Complete Lyapunov Functions, and ask the question "can we decide algorithmically when a criterion is less conservative than another". Our contribution is twofold. First, we show that a Path-Complete Lyapunov Function, which is a multiple Lyapunov function by nature, can always be expressed as a common Lyapunov function taking the form of a combination of minima and maxima of the elementary functions that compose it. Geometrically, our results provide for each Path-Complete criterion an implied invariant set. Second, we provide a linear programming criterion allowing to compare the conservativeness of two arbitrary given Path-Complete Lyapunov functions.

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arXiv2017

Robust Lyapunov Functions for Reaction Networks: An Uncertain System Framework

We present a framework to transform the problem of finding a Lyapunov function of a Chemical Reaction Network (CRN) in concentration coordinates with arbitrary monotone kinetics into finding a common Lyapunov function for a linear parameter varying system in reaction coordinates. Alternative formulations of the proposed Lyapunov function is presented also. This is applied to reinterpret previous results by the authors on Piecewise Linear in Rates Lyapunov functions, and to establish a link with contraction analysis. Persistence and uniqueness of equilibria are discussed also.

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arXiv2016

Path-Complete Graphs and Common Lyapunov Functions

A Path-Complete Lyapunov Function is an algebraic criterion composed of a finite number of functions, called its pieces, and a directed, labeled graph defining Lyapunov inequalities between these pieces. It provides a stability certificate for discrete-time switching systems under arbitrary switching. In this paper, we prove that the satisfiability of such a criterion implies the existence of a Common Lyapunov Function, expressed as the composition of minima and maxima of the pieces of the Path-Complete Lyapunov function. The converse, however, is not true even for discrete-time linear systems: we present such a system where a max-of-2 quadratics Lyapunov function exists while no corresponding Path-Complete Lyapunov function with 2 quadratic pieces exists. In light of this, we investigate when it is possible to decide if a Path-Complete Lyapunov function is less conservative than another. By analyzing the combinatorial and algebraic structure of the graph and the pieces respectively, we provide simple tools to decide when the existence of such a Lyapunov function implies that of another.

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arXiv2016

New Approach to the Stability of Chemical Reaction Networks: Piecewise Linear in Rates Lyapunov Functions

Piecewise-Linear in Rates (PWLR) Lyapunov functions are introduced for a class of Chemical Reaction Networks (CRNs). In addition to their simple structure, these functions are robust with respect to arbitrary monotone reaction rates, of which mass-action is a special case. The existence of such functions ensures the convergence of trajectories towards equilibria, and guarantee their asymptotic stability with respect to the corresponding stoichiometric compatibility class. We give the definition of these Lyapunov functions, prove their basic properties, and provide algorithms for constructing them. Examples are provided, relationship with consensus dynamics are discussed, and future directions are elaborated.

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arXiv2015

Shaping Pulses to Control Bistable Biological Systems

In this paper we study how to shape temporal pulses to switch a bistable system between its stable steady states. Our motivation for pulse-based control comes from applications in synthetic biology, where it is generally difficult to implement real-time feedback control systems due to technical limitations in sensors and actuators. We show that for monotone bistable systems, the estimation of the set of all pulses that switch the system reduces to the computation of one non-increasing curve. We provide an efficient algorithm to compute this curve and illustrate the results with a genetic bistable system commonly used in synthetic biology. We also extend these results to models with parametric uncertainty and provide a number of examples and counterexamples that demonstrate the power and limitations of the current theory. In order to show the full potential of the framework, we consider the problem of inducing oscillations in a monotone biochemical system using a combination of temporal pulses and event-based control. Our results provide an insight into the dynamics of bistable systems under external inputs and open up numerous directions for future investigation.

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arXiv2013

Combinatorial approaches to Hopf bifurcations in systems of interacting elements

We describe combinatorial approaches to the question of whether families of real matrices admit pairs of nonreal eigenvalues passing through the imaginary axis. When the matrices arise as Jacobian matrices in the study of dynamical systems, these conditions provide necessary conditions for Hopf bifurcations to occur in parameterised families of such systems. The techniques depend on the spectral properties of additive compound matrices: in particular, we associate with a product of matrices a signed, labelled digraph termed a DSR^[2] graph, which encodes information about the second additive compound of this product. A condition on the cycle structure of this digraph is shown to rule out the possibility of nonreal eigenvalues with positive real part. The techniques developed are applied to systems of interacting elements termed "interaction networks", of which networks of chemical reactions are a special case.

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arXiv2009

Convergence in strongly monotone systems with an increasing first integral

In this paper we generalise a useful result due to J. Mierczynski which states that for a strictly cooperative system on the positive orthant, with increasing first integral, all bounded orbits are convergent. Moreover any equilibrium attracts its entire level set, and there can be no more than one equilibrium on any level set. Here, more general state spaces and more general orderings are considered. Let Y subset K subset R^n be any two proper cones. Given a local semiflow phi on Y which is strongly monotone with respect to K, and which preserves a K-increasing first integral, we show that every bounded orbit converges. Again, each equilibrium attracts its entire level set, and there can be no more than one equilibrium on any level set. An application from chemical dynamics is provided.

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arXiv2009

On persistence and cascade decompositions of chemical reaction networks

New checkable criteria for persistence of chemical reaction networks are proposed, which extend and complement those obtained by the authors in previous work. The new results allow the consideration of reaction rates which are time-varying, thus incorporating the effects of external signals, and also relax the assumption of existence of global conservation laws, thus allowing for inflows (production) and outflows (degradation). For time-invariant networks parameter-dependent conditions for persistence of certain classes of networks are provided. As an illustration, two networks arising in the systems biology literature are analyzed, namely a hypoxia and an apoptosis network.

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arXiv2007

Convergence speed of unsteady distributed consensus: decay estimate along the settling spanning-trees

Results for estimating the convergence rate of non-stationary distributed consensus algorithms are provided, on the basis of qualitative (mainly topological) as well as basic quantitative information (lower-bounds on the matrix entries). The results appear to be tight in a number of instances and are illustrated through simple as well as more sophisticated examples. The main idea is to follow propagation of information along certain spanning trees which arise in the communication graph.

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arXiv2007

Attractors in coherent systems of differential equations

Attractors of cooperative dynamical systems are particularly simple; for example, a nontrivial periodic orbit cannot be an attractor. This paper provides characterizations of attractors for the wider class of coherent systems, defined by the property that no directed feedback loops are negative. Several new results for cooperative systems are obtained in the process.

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