arXiv subjects

Francesco Sorrentino

Publications and source records attributed to Francesco Sorrentino.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2022

Failure of the simultaneous block diagonalization technique applied to complete and cluster synchronization of random networks

We discuss here the application of the simultaneous block diagonalization (SBD) of matrices to the study of the stability of both complete and cluster synchronization in random (generic) networks. For both problems, we define indices that measure success (or failure) of application of the SBD technique in decoupling the stability problem into problems of lower dimensionality. We then see that in the case of random networks the extent of the dimensionality reduction achievable is the same as that produced by application of a trivial transformation.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv2022

Reservoir Computers with Random and Optimized Time-Shifts

We investigate the effects of application of random time-shifts to the readouts of a reservoir computer in terms of both accuracy (training error) and performance (testing error.) For different choices of the reservoir parameters and different `tasks', we observe a substantial improvement in both accuracy and performance. We then develop a simple but effective technique to optimize the choice of the time-shifts, which we successfully test in numerical experiments.

eess.SY↗

arXiv2022

Selecting Energy Efficient Inputs using Graph Structure

Selecting appropriate inputs for systems described by complex networks is an important but difficult problem that largely remains open in the field of control of networks. Recent work has proposed two methods for energy efficient input selection; a gradient based heuristic and a greedy approximation algorithm. We propose here an alternative method for input selection based on the analytic solution of the controllability Gramian of the `balloon graph', a special model graph that captures the role of both \emph{distance} and \emph{redundant paths} between a driver node and a target node. The method presented is especially applicable for large networks where one is interested in controlling only a small number of outputs, or target nodes, for which current methods may not be practical because they require computing a typically very ill-conditioned matrix, called the controllability Gramian. Our method produces comparable results to the previous methods while being more computational efficient.

math.OC↗

arXiv2022

Matryoshka and Disjoint Cluster Synchronization of Networks

The main motivation for this paper is to present a definition of network synchronizability for the case of cluster synchronization (CS), in an analogous fashion to Barahona and Pecora for the case of complete synchronization. We find this problem to be substantially more complex than the original one. We distinguish between the two cases of networks with intertwined clusters and no intertwined clusters and between {the two cases that the master stability function is negative either in a bounded range or in an unbounded range of its argument. We first obtain a definition of synchronizability that applies to each individual cluster within a network and then attempt to generalize this definition to the entire network. For CS, the synchronous solution of each cluster may be stable independent of the stability of the other clusters, which results in possibly different ranges in which each cluster synchronizes (isolated CS.) For each pair of clusters, we distinguish between three different cases: Matryoshka Cluster Synchronization (when the range of the stability of the synchronous solution for one cluster is included in that of the other cluster), Partially Disjoint Cluster Synchronization (when the ranges of stability of the synchronous solutions partially overlap), and Complete Disjoint Cluster Synchronization (when the ranges of stability of the synchronous solutions do not overlap.)

eess.SY↗

arXiv2021

Group synchrony, parameter mismatches, and intragroup connections

Group synchronization arises when two or more synchronization patterns coexist in a network formed of oscillators of different types, with the systems in each group synchronizing on the same time-evolution, but systems in different groups synchronizing on distinct time-evolutions. Group synchronization has been observed and characterized when the systems in each group are identical and the couplings between the systems satisfy specific conditions. By relaxing these constraints and allowing them to be satisfied in an approximate rather than exact way, we observe that stable group synchronization may still occur in the presence of small deviations of the parameters of the individual systems and of the couplings from their nominal values. We analyze this case and provide necessary and sufficient conditions for stability through a master stability function approach, {which also allows us to quantify the synchronization error}. We also investigate the stability of group synchronization in the presence of intra group connections and for this case, extend some of the existing results in the literature. Our analysis points out a broader class of matrices describing intra group connections for which the stability problem can be reduced in a low-dimensional form.

nlin.CD↗

arXiv2021

Cluster Synchronization of Networks via a Canonical Transformation for Simultaneous Block Diagonalization of Matrices

We study cluster synchronization of networks and propose a canonical transformation for simultaneous block diagonalization of matrices that we use to analyze stability of the cluster synchronous solution. Our approach has several advantages as it allows us to: (1) decouple the stability problem into subproblems of minimal dimensionality while preserving physically meaningful information; (2) study stability of both orbital and equitable partitions of the network nodes and (3) obtain a parametrization of the problem in a small number of parameters. For the last point, we show how the canonical transformation decouples the problem into blocks that preserve key physical properties of the original system. We also apply our proposed algorithm to analyze several real networks of interest, and we find that it runs faster than alternative algorithms from the literature.

eess.SY↗

arXiv2021

Modal Decomposition of the Linear Swing Equation in Networks with Symmetries

Symmetries are widespread in physical, technological, biological, and social systems and networks, including power grids. The swing equation is a classic model for the dynamics of powergrid networks. The main goal of this paper is to explain how network symmetries affect the swing equation transient and steady state dynamics. We introduce a modal decomposition that allows us to study transient effects, such as the presence of overshoots in the system response. This modal decomposition provides insight into the peak flows within the network lines and allows a rigorous characterization of the effects of symmetries in the network topology on the dynamics. Our work applies to both cases of homogeneous and heterogeneous parameters. Further, the model is used to show how small perturbations propagate in networks with symmetries. Finally, we present an application of our approach to a large power grid network that displays symmetries.

eess.SY↗

arXiv2021

One-way dependent clusters and stability of cluster synchronization in directed networks

Cluster synchronization in networks of coupled oscillators is the subject of broad interest from the scientific community, with applications ranging from neural to social and animal networks and technological systems. Most of these networks are directed, with flows of information or energy that propagate unidirectionally from given nodes to other nodes. Nevertheless, most of the work on cluster synchronization has focused on undirected networks. Here we characterize cluster synchronization in general directed networks. Our first observation is that, in directed networks, a cluster A of nodes might be one-way dependent on another cluster B: in this case, A may remain synchronized provided that B is stable, but the opposite does not hold. The main contribution of this paper is a method to transform the cluster stability problem in an irreducible form. In this way, we decompose the original problem into subproblems of the lowest dimension, which allows us to immediately detect inter-dependencies among clusters. We apply our analysis to two examples of interest, a human network of violin players executing a musical piece for which directed interactions may be either activated or deactivated by the musicians, and a multilayer neural network with directed layer-to-layer connections.

math.DS↗

arXiv2021

Data-driven Optimized Control of the COVID-19 Epidemics

Optimizing the impact on the economy of control strategies aiming at containing the spread of COVID-19 is a critical challenge. We use daily new case counts of COVID-19 patients reported by local health administrations from different Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) within the US to parametrize a model that well describes the propagation of the disease in each area. We then introduce a time-varying control input that represents the level of social distancing imposed on the population of a given area and solve an optimal control problem with the goal of minimizing the impact of social distancing on the economy in the presence of relevant constraints, such as a desired level of suppression for the epidemics at a terminal time. We find that with the exception of the initial time and of the final time, the optimal control input is well approximated by a constant, specific to each area, which contrasts with the implemented system of reopening `in phases'. For all the areas considered, this optimal level corresponds to stricter social distancing than the level estimated from data. Proper selection of the time period for application of the control action optimally is important: depending on the particular MSA this period should be either short or long or intermediate. We also consider the case that the transmissibility increases in time (due e.g. to increasingly colder weather), for which we find that the optimal control solution yields progressively stricter measures of social distancing. {We finally compute the optimal control solution for a model modified to incorporate the effects of vaccinations on the population and we see that depending on a number of factors, social distancing measures could be optimally reduced during the period over which vaccines are administered to the population.

q-bio.PE↗

arXiv2021

Reservoir Computers Modal Decomposition and Optimization

The topology of a network associated with a reservoir computer is often taken so that the connectivity and the weights are chosen randomly. Optimization is hardly considered as the parameter space is typically too large. Here we investigate this problem for a class of reservoir computers for which we obtain a decomposition of the reservoir dynamics into modes, which can be computed independently of one another. Each mode depends on an eigenvalue of the network adjacency matrix. We then take a parametric approach in which the eigenvalues are parameters that can be appropriately designed and optimized. In addition, we introduce the application of a time shift to each individual mode. We show that manipulations of the individual modes, either in terms of the eigenvalues or the time shifts, can lead to dramatic reductions in the training error.

cond-mat.dis-nn↗

arXiv2020

Controlling consensus in networks with symmetries

We study networks with linear dynamics where the presence of symmetries of the pair (A,B) induces a partition of the network nodes in clusters and the matrix A is not restricted to be in Laplacian form. For these networks, an invariant group consensus subspace can be defined, in which the nodes in the same cluster evolve along the same trajectory in time. We prove that the network dynamics is uncontrollable in directions orthogonal to this subspace. Under the assumption that the dynamics parallel to this subspace is controllable, we design optimal controllers that drive the group consensus dynamics towards a desired state. Then, we consider the problem of selecting additional control inputs that stabilize the group consensus subspace and obtain bounds on the minimum number of additional inputs and driver nodes needed to this end. Altogether, our results indicate that it is possible to design independently the control action along and transverse to the group consensus subspace.

math.OC↗

arXiv2020

Analyzing synchronized clusters in neuron networks

The presence of synchronized clusters in neuron networks is a hallmark of information transmission and processing. The methods commonly used to study cluster synchronization in networks of coupled oscillators ground on simplifying assumptions, which often neglect key biological features of neuron networks. Here we propose a general framework to study presence and stability of synchronous clusters in more realistic models of neuron networks, characterized by the presence of delays, different kinds of neurons and synapses. Application of this framework to the directed network of the macaque cerebral cortex provides an interpretation key to explain known functional mechanisms emerging from the combination of anatomy and neuron dynamics. The cluster synchronization analysis is carried out also by changing parameters and studying bifurcations. Despite some simplifications with respect to the real network, the obtained results are in good agreement with previously reported biological data.

math.DS↗

arXiv2020

Controlling network ensembles

The field of optimal control typically requires the assumption of perfect knowledge of the system one desires to control, which is an unrealistic assumption for biological systems, or networks, typically affected by high levels of uncertainty. Here, we investigate the minimum energy control of network ensembles, which may take one of a finite number of possible realizations. We ensure the controller derived can perform the desired control with a tunable amount of accuracy and we study how the control energy and the overall control cost scale with the number of possible realizations. We verify the theory in three examples of interest: a unidirectional chain network with uncertain edge weights and self-loop weights, a network where each edge weight is drawn from a given distribution, and the Jacobian of the dynamics corresponding to the cell signaling network of autophagy in the presence of uncertain parameters. Our work sheds fundamental insight into the relationship between optimality and uncertainty. Our main result is that the optimal cost corresponding to the solution of the optimal control problem remains finite for possibly infinitely many network realizations as long as uncertainty is bounded.

math.OC↗

arXiv2019

Stability Analysis of Reservoir Computers Dynamics via Lyapunov Functions

A Lyapunov design method is used to analyze the nonlinear stability of a generic reservoir computer for both the cases of continuous-time and discrete-time dynamics. Using this method, for a given nonlinear reservoir computer, a radial region of stability around a fixed point is analytically determined. We see that the training error of the reservoir computer is lower in the region where the analysis predicts global stability but is also affected by the particular choice of the individual dynamics for the reservoir systems. For the case that the dynamics is polynomial, it appears to be important for the polynomial to have nonzero coefficients corresponding to at least one odd power (e.g., linear term) and one even power (e.g., quadratic term).

eess.SY↗

arXiv2019

Symmetry Induced Group Consensus

There has been substantial work studying consensus problems for which there is a single common final state, although there are many real-world complex networks for which the complete consensus may be undesirable. More recently, the concept of group consensus whereby subsets of nodes are chosen to reach a common final state distinct from others has been developed, but the methods tend to be independent of the underlying network topology. Here, an alternative type of group consensus is achieved for which nodes that are symmetric achieve a common final state. The dynamic behavior may be distinct between nodes that are not symmetric. We show how group consensus for heterogeneous linear agents can be achieved via a simple coupling protocol that exploits the topology of the network. We see that group consensus is possible on both stable and unstable trajectories. We observe and characterize the phenomenon of isolated group consensus, where one or more clusters may achieve group consensus while the other clusters do not.

physics.soc-ph↗

arXiv2019

Optimal Regulation of Blood Glucose Level in Type I Diabetes using Insulin and Glucagon

The Glucose-Insulin-Glucagon nonlinear model [1-4] accurately describes how the body responds to exogenously supplied insulin and glucagon in patients affected by Type I diabetes. Based on this model, we design infusion rates of either insulin (monotherapy) or insulin and glucagon (dual therapy) that can optimally maintain the blood glucose level within desired limits after consumption of a meal and prevent the onset of both hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia. This problem is formulated as a nonlinear optimal control problem, which we solve using the numerical optimal control package PSOPT. Interestingly, in the case of monotherapy, we find the optimal solution is close to the standard method of insulin based glucose regulation, which is to assume a variable amount of insulin half an hour before each meal. We also find that the optimal dual therapy (that uses both insulin and glucagon) is better able to regulate glucose as compared to using insulin alone. We also propose an ad-hoc rule for both the dosage and the time of delivery of insulin and glucagon.

q-bio.TO↗

arXiv2019

On node controllability and observability in complex dynamical networks

We analyze in detail the subtle yet critical differences between the structural controllability and observability of the triplet $(A,B,C)$ in the two cases that this is viewed as a linear dynamical network of interconnected nodes or as a a single complex system. Investigating the controllability and observability properties of each single node when the network is not completely controllable and/or observable, we show that the first point of view requires the development of novel tools leading, ultimately, to a state space decomposition that is different from the one proposed in 1963 by R.E. Kalman for linear systems.

math.DS↗

arXiv2019

Prediction of Optimal Drug Schedules for Controlling Autophagy

The effects of molecularly targeted drug perturbations on cellular activities and fates are difficult to predict using intuition alone because of the complex behaviors of cellular regulatory networks. An approach to overcoming this problem is to develop mathematical models for predicting drug effects. Such an approach beckons for co-development of computational methods for extracting insights useful for guiding therapy selection and optimizing drug scheduling. Here, we present and evaluate a generalizable strategy for identifying drug dosing schedules that minimize the amount of drug needed to achieve sustained suppression or elevation of an important cellular activity/process, the recycling of cytoplasmic contents through (macro)autophagy. Therapeutic targeting of autophagy is currently being evaluated in diverse clinical trials but without the benefit of a control engineering perspective. Using a nonlinear ordinary differential equation (ODE) model that accounts for activating and inhibiting influences among protein and lipid kinases that regulate autophagy (MTORC1, ULK1, AMPK and VPS34) and methods guaranteed to find locally optimal control strategies, we find optimal drug dosing schedules (open-loop controllers) for each of six classes of drugs and drug pairs. Our approach is generalizable to designing monotherapy and multi therapy drug schedules that affect different cell signaling networks of interest.

eess.SY↗