arXiv subjects

Pan Li

Publications and source records attributed to Pan Li.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources

arXiv2019

A tractable ellipsoidal approximation for voltage regulation problems

We present a machine learning approach to the solution of chance constrained optimizations in the context of voltage regulation problems in power system operation. The novelty of our approach resides in approximating the feasible region of uncertainty with an ellipsoid. We formulate this problem using a learning model similar to Support Vector Machines (SVM) and propose a sampling algorithm that efficiently trains the model. We demonstrate our approach on a voltage regulation problem using standard IEEE distribution test feeders.

eess.SY↗

arXiv2019

Reflected wavefront manipulation by acoustic metasurface with anisotropic local resonant units

In this work, we develop the gradient metasurface is constructed of a locally anisotropic resonant structure, comprising a steel cylinder with an elliptical rubber coating embedded in epoxy. The deflective angles of rubber ellipses in the locally anisotropic resonant unit provide a method of controlling the reflected phase. Phase shifts of the reflected wave can cover the 2pi range. With an appropriate design of the phase profiles along the acoustic metasurface, we can achieve anomalous reflection and Bessel beam. The locally anisotropic resonant units have significant potential for engineering and manipulating acoustic wavefronts

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2019

Space-coiling Acoustic Metasurface with Independent Modulations of Phase and Amplitude

In this work, we propose a design of acoustic meta-surfaces in sub-wavelength scale enabling independent modulations of phase and amplitude. Each unit cell of the acoustic meta-surface consists of simple conventional space-coiling structure added with an air layer, which can be analyzed as two equivalent slabs with non-dispersion effective parameters. The amplitude depends on the space-coiling structure regardless of the air layer, and the phase can be further adjusted by the air layer independent to the amplitude. The acoustic meta-surface covers an entire phase change of 2-pi and amplitude change of one. We demonstrate an acoustic illusion effect by using the acoustic meta-surface screen, which works well as a full-control discontinuous boundary to support phase and amplitude differences between the original and illusion patterns. The incident field of a point source is transformed into a target field of the point source scattered by an object with shadow area behind it.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2018

$HS^2$: Active Learning over Hypergraphs

We propose a hypergraph-based active learning scheme which we term $HS^2$, $HS^2$ generalizes the previously reported algorithm $S^2$ originally proposed for graph-based active learning with pointwise queries [Dasarathy et al., COLT 2015]. Our $HS^2$ method can accommodate hypergraph structures and allows one to ask both pointwise queries and pairwise queries. Based on a novel parametric system particularly designed for hypergraphs, we derive theoretical results on the query complexity of $HS^2$ for the above described generalized settings. Both the theoretical and empirical results show that $HS^2$ requires a significantly fewer number of queries than $S^2$ when one uses $S^2$ over a graph obtained from the corresponding hypergraph via clique expansion.

cs.LG↗

arXiv2018

Distribution System Voltage Control under Uncertainties using Tractable Chance Constraints

Voltage control plays an important role in the operation of electricity distribution networks, especially with high penetration of distributed energy resources. These resources introduce significant and fast varying uncertainties. In this paper, we focus on reactive power compensation to control voltage in the presence of uncertainties. We adopt a chance constraint approach that accounts for arbitrary correlations between renewable resources at each of the buses. We show how the problem can be solved efficiently using historical samples via a stochastic quasi gradient method. We also show that this optimization problem is convex for a wide variety of probabilistic distributions. Compared to conventional per-bus chance constraints, our formulation is more robust to uncertainty and more computationally tractable. We illustrate the results using standard IEEE distribution test feeders.

math.OC↗

arXiv2018

Motif and Hypergraph Correlation Clustering

Motivated by applications in social and biological network analysis, we introduce a new form of agnostic clustering termed~\emph{motif correlation clustering}, which aims to minimize the cost of clustering errors associated with both edges and higher-order network structures. The problem may be succinctly described as follows: Given a complete graph $G$, partition the vertices of the graph so that certain predetermined `important' subgraphs mostly lie within the same cluster, while `less relevant' subgraphs are allowed to lie across clusters. Our contributions are as follows: We first introduce several variants of motif correlation clustering and then show that these clustering problems are NP-hard. We then proceed to describe polynomial-time clustering algorithms that provide constant approximation guarantees for the problems at hand. Despite following the frequently used LP relaxation and rounding procedure, the algorithms involve a sophisticated and carefully designed neighborhood growing step that combines information about both edge and motif structures. We conclude with several examples illustrating the performance of the developed algorithms on synthetic and real networks.

cs.DS↗

arXiv2018

Submodular Hypergraphs: p-Laplacians, Cheeger Inequalities and Spectral Clustering

We introduce submodular hypergraphs, a family of hypergraphs that have different submodular weights associated with different cuts of hyperedges. Submodular hypergraphs arise in clustering applications in which higher-order structures carry relevant information. For such hypergraphs, we define the notion of p-Laplacians and derive corresponding nodal domain theorems and k-way Cheeger inequalities. We conclude with the description of algorithms for computing the spectra of 1- and 2-Laplacians that constitute the basis of new spectral hypergraph clustering methods.

cs.LG↗

arXiv2018

Quadratic Decomposable Submodular Function Minimization

We introduce a new convex optimization problem, termed quadratic decomposable submodular function minimization. The problem is closely related to decomposable submodular function minimization and arises in many learning on graphs and hypergraphs settings, such as graph-based semi-supervised learning and PageRank. We approach the problem via a new dual strategy and describe an objective that may be optimized via random coordinate descent (RCD) methods and projections onto cones. We also establish the linear convergence rate of the RCD algorithm and develop efficient projection algorithms with provable performance guarantees. Numerical experiments in semi-supervised learning on hypergraphs confirm the efficiency of the proposed algorithm and demonstrate the significant improvements in prediction accuracy with respect to state-of-the-art methods.

cs.LG↗

arXiv2018

Person-Job Fit: Adapting the Right Talent for the Right Job with Joint Representation Learning

Person-Job Fit is the process of matching the right talent for the right job by identifying talent competencies that are required for the job. While many qualitative efforts have been made in related fields, it still lacks of quantitative ways of measuring talent competencies as well as the job's talent requirements. To this end, in this paper, we propose a novel end-to-end data-driven model based on Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), namely Person-Job Fit Neural Network (PJFNN), for matching a talent qualification to the requirements of a job. To be specific, PJFNN is a bipartite neural network which can effectively learn the joint representation of Person-Job fitness from historical job applications. In particular, due to the design of a hierarchical representation structure, PJFNN can not only estimate whether a candidate fits a job, but also identify which specific requirement items in the job posting are satisfied by the candidate by measuring the distances between corresponding latent representations. Finally, the extensive experiments on a large-scale real-world dataset clearly validate the performance of PJFNN in terms of Person-Job Fit prediction. Also, we provide effective data visualization to show some job and talent benchmark insights obtained by PJFNN.

cs.IR↗

arXiv2018

Revisiting Decomposable Submodular Function Minimization with Incidence Relations

We introduce a new approach to decomposable submodular function minimization (DSFM) that exploits incidence relations. Incidence relations describe which variables effectively influence the component functions, and when properly utilized, they allow for improving the convergence rates of DSFM solvers. Our main results include the precise parametrization of the DSFM problem based on incidence relations, the development of new scalable alternative projections and parallel coordinate descent methods and an accompanying rigorous analysis of their convergence rates.

cs.LG↗

arXiv2018

Reflected wavefront manipulation by acoustic metasurface with anisotropic local resonant units

Metasurfaces with planar profile and wave front shaping capabilities would be ideally suitable to improve the performance of acoustic wave-based applications. It is significant that the general Snell's law provides a new approach to engineer the phase profile of reflected acoustic wave. Here, we present a new type of acoustic metasurface based on three-component composites which contain a steel ball coated with a thin elliptical layer of silicone rubber and embedded in epoxy. The acoustic metasurface with changeable radii of steel balls can realize the anomalous reflections, a planar acoustic lens through designed gradient phase profile. The acoustic metasurface contained with elaborately selected three-component composites, as a skin cloak, successfully achieve the acoustical invisibility.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2018

BEBP: An Poisoning Method Against Machine Learning Based IDSs

In big data era, machine learning is one of fundamental techniques in intrusion detection systems (IDSs). However, practical IDSs generally update their decision module by feeding new data then retraining learning models in a periodical way. Hence, some attacks that comprise the data for training or testing classifiers significantly challenge the detecting capability of machine learning-based IDSs. Poisoning attack, which is one of the most recognized security threats towards machine learning-based IDSs, injects some adversarial samples into the training phase, inducing data drifting of training data and a significant performance decrease of target IDSs over testing data. In this paper, we adopt the Edge Pattern Detection (EPD) algorithm to design a novel poisoning method that attack against several machine learning algorithms used in IDSs. Specifically, we propose a boundary pattern detection algorithm to efficiently generate the points that are near to abnormal data but considered to be normal ones by current classifiers. Then, we introduce a Batch-EPD Boundary Pattern (BEBP) detection algorithm to overcome the limitation of the number of edge pattern points generated by EPD and to obtain more useful adversarial samples. Based on BEBP, we further present a moderate but effective poisoning method called chronic poisoning attack. Extensive experiments on synthetic and three real network data sets demonstrate the performance of the proposed poisoning method against several well-known machine learning algorithms and a practical intrusion detection method named FMIFS-LSSVM-IDS.

cs.LG↗

arXiv2018

Bayesian Renewables Scenario Generation via Deep Generative Networks

We present a method to generate renewable scenarios using Bayesian probabilities by implementing the Bayesian generative adversarial network~(Bayesian GAN), which is a variant of generative adversarial networks based on two interconnected deep neural networks. By using a Bayesian formulation, generators can be constructed and trained to produce scenarios that capture different salient modes in the data, allowing for better diversity and more accurate representation of the underlying physical process. Compared to conventional statistical models that are often hard to scale or sample from, this method is model-free and can generate samples extremely efficiently. For validation, we use wind and solar times-series data from NREL integration data sets to train the Bayesian GAN. We demonstrate that proposed method is able to generate clusters of wind scenarios with different variance and mean value, and is able to distinguish and generate wind and solar scenarios simultaneously even if the historical data are intentionally mixed.

math.OC↗

arXiv2017

Measuring the Popularity of Job Skills in Recruitment Market: A Multi-Criteria Approach

To cope with the accelerating pace of technological changes, talents are urged to add and refresh their skills for staying in active and gainful employment. This raises a natural question: what are the right skills to learn? Indeed, it is a nontrivial task to measure the popularity of job skills due to the diversified criteria of jobs and the complicated connections within job skills. To that end, in this paper, we propose a data driven approach for modeling the popularity of job skills based on the analysis of large-scale recruitment data. Specifically, we first build a job skill network by exploring a large corpus of job postings. Then, we develop a novel Skill Popularity based Topic Model (SPTM) for modeling the generation of the skill network. In particular, SPTM can integrate different criteria of jobs (e.g., salary levels, company size) as well as the latent connections within skills, thus we can effectively rank the job skills based on their multi-faceted popularity. Extensive experiments on real-world recruitment data validate the effectiveness of SPTM for measuring the popularity of job skills, and also reveal some interesting rules, such as the popular job skills which lead to high-paid employment.

cs.CY↗

arXiv2017

Inhomogeneous Hypergraph Clustering with Applications

Hypergraph partitioning is an important problem in machine learning, computer vision and network analytics. A widely used method for hypergraph partitioning relies on minimizing a normalized sum of the costs of partitioning hyperedges across clusters. Algorithmic solutions based on this approach assume that different partitions of a hyperedge incur the same cost. However, this assumption fails to leverage the fact that different subsets of vertices within the same hyperedge may have different structural importance. We hence propose a new hypergraph clustering technique, termed inhomogeneous hypergraph partitioning, which assigns different costs to different hyperedge cuts. We prove that inhomogeneous partitioning produces a quadratic approximation to the optimal solution if the inhomogeneous costs satisfy submodularity constraints. Moreover, we demonstrate that inhomogenous partitioning offers significant performance improvements in applications such as structure learning of rankings, subspace segmentation and motif clustering.

cs.LG↗

arXiv2017

A Distributed Online Pricing Strategy for Demand Response Programs

We study a demand response problem from utility (also referred to as operator)'s perspective with realistic settings, in which the utility faces uncertainty and limited communication. Specifically, the utility does not know the cost function of consumers and cannot have multiple rounds of information exchange with consumers. We formulate an optimization problem for the utility to minimize its operational cost considering time-varying demand response targets and responses of consumers. We develop a joint online learning and pricing algorithm. In each time slot, the utility sends out a price signal to all consumers and estimates the cost functions of consumers based on their noisy responses. We measure the performance of our algorithm using regret analysis and show that our online algorithm achieves logarithmic regret with respect to the operating horizon. In addition, our algorithm employs linear regression to estimate the aggregate response of consumers, making it easy to implement in practice. Simulation experiments validate the theoretic results and show that the performance gap between our algorithm and the offline optimality decays quickly.

math.OC↗

arXiv2017

Linear Estimation of Treatment Effects in Demand Response: An Experimental Design Approach

Demand response aims to stimulate electricity consumers to modify their loads at critical time periods. In this paper, we consider signals in demand response programs as a binary treatment to the customers and estimate the average treatment effect, which is the average change in consumption under the demand response signals. More specifically, we propose to estimate this effect by linear regression models and derive several estimators based on the different models. From both synthetic and real data, we show that including more information about the customers does not always improve estimation accuracy: the interaction between the side information and the demand response signal must be carefully modeled. In addition, we compare the traditional linear regression model with the modified covariate method which models the interaction between treatment effect and covariates. We analyze the variances of these estimators and discuss different cases where each respective estimator works the best. The purpose of these comparisons is not to claim the superiority of the different methods, rather we aim to provide practical guidance on the most suitable estimator to use under different settings. Our results are validated using data collected by Pecan Street and EnergyPlus.

math.OC↗

arXiv2017

Isochronous Dynamics in Pulse Coupled Oscillator Networks with Delay

We consider a network of identical pulse-coupled oscillators with delay and all-to-all coupling. We demonstrate that the discontinuous nature of the dynamics induces the appearance of isochronous regions---subsets of the phase space filled with periodic orbits having the same period. For fixed values of the network parameters each such isochronous region corresponds to a subset of initial states on an appropriate surface of section with non-zero dimension such that all periodic orbits in this set have qualitatively similar dynamical behaviour. We analytically and numerically study in detail such an isochronous region, give a proof of its existence, and describe its properties. We further describe other isochronous regions that appear in the system.

math.DS↗