Dwell-time stability and stabilization conditions for linear positive impulsive and switched systems

Several results regarding the stability and the stabilization of linear impulsive positive systems under arbitrary, constant, minimum, maximum and range dwell-time are obtained. The proposed stability conditions characterize the pointwise decrease of a linear copositive Lyapunov function and are formulated in terms of finite-dimensional or semi-infinite linear programs. To be applicable to uncertain systems and to control design, a lifting approach introducing a clock-variable is then considered in order to make the conditions affine in the matrices of the system. The resulting stability and stabilization conditions are stated as infinite-dimensional linear programs for which three asymptotically exact computational methods are proposed and compared with each other on numerical examples. Similar results are then obtained for linear positive switched systems by exploiting the possibility of reformulating a switched system as an impulsive system. Some existing stability conditions are retrieved and extended to stabilization using the proposed lifting approach. Several examples are finally given for illustration.     

Uniqueness properties in finite-continuous additive measurement

Let ? be a binary relation on A×X, and suppose that there are real valued functions f on A and g on X such that, for all ax, by ∈ A×X, ax ? by if and only if f (a)+g(x) ? f(b)+g(y). This paper establishes uniqueness properties for f and g when A is a finite set, X is a real interval with g increasing on X, and for any a, b and x there is a y for which f(a)+g(x)=f(b)+g(y). The resultant uniqueness properties occupy an intermediate position among uniqueness properties for other structural cases of two-factor additive measurement.It is shown that f is unique up to a positive affine transformation (αf+β₁ with α > 0), but that g is unique up to a similar positive affine transformation (αg+β₂) if and only if the ratio [f(a)?f(b)]/[f(a)?f(c)] is irrational for some a, b, c ∈ A. When the f ratios are rational for all cases where they are defined, there will be a half-open interval (x₀, x₁) in X such that the restriction of g on (x₀, x₁) can be any increasing function for which sup {g(x)?g(x₀): x₀ ? x < x₁} does not exceed a specified bound, and, when g is thus defines on (x₀, x₁), it will be uniquely determined on the rest of X. In general, g must be continuous only in the ‘irrational’ case.     

Nontrivial solutions for asymptotically linear hamiltonian systems with Lagrangian boundary conditions

In this article, we study the existence of nontrivial solutions for a class of asymptotically linear Hamiltonian systems with Lagrangian boundary conditions by the Galerkin approximation methods and the L-index theory developed by the first author.     

Shrinkage estimation for identification of linear components in additive models

In this short paper, we demonstrate that the popular penalized estimation method typically used for variable selection in parametric or semiparametric models can actually provide a way to identify linear components in additive models. Unlike most studies in the literature, we are NOT performing variable selection. Due to the difficulty in a priori deciding which predictors should enter the partially linear additive model as the linear components, such a method will prove useful in practice.     

General linear methods with external stages of different orders

The approach introduced recently by Albrecht to derive order conditions for Runge-Kutta formulas based on the theory of A-methods is also very powerful for the general linear methods. In this paper, using Albrecht's approach, we formulate the general theory of order conditions for a class of general linear methods where the components of the propagating vector of approximations to the solution have different orders. Using this theory we derive a class of diagonally implicit multistage integration methods (DIMSIMs) for which the global order is equal to the local order. We also derive a class of general linear methods with two nodal approximations of different orders which facilitate local error estimation. Our theory also applies to the class of two-step Runge-Kutta introduced recently by Jackiewicz and Tracogna.The work of the first author was supported by the National Science Foundation under grant NSF DMS-9208048. The work of the second author was supported by the Italian Consiglio Nazionale delle Richerche.     

Partial cancellation of modules

We investigate partial cancellation of modules and show that if an ideal I of an exchange ring R has stable range one, then A⊕B≌A⊕C implies B≌C for all A∈FP (I). The converse is true when R is a regular ring. For an ideal I of a regular ring, we also show that I has stable range one if and only if perspectivity is transitive in L(A) for all A∈ FP (I). These give nontrivial generalizations for unit-regularity. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Direct-sum cancellation for modules over real quadratic orders

Let R be an order in a real quadratic number field. We say that R has mixed cancellation, respectively, torsion-free cancellation if

L⊕M≅L⊕N⇒M≅N     

Extremum principles for optimal control in normed linear spaces

Extremum principles intended for use in optimal control are derived in the form of necessary conditions and sufficient conditions, formulated in general normed linear spaces. The method of application is illustrated by several examples involving optimal control problems, mathematical programming problems, lumped-parameter systems, and distributed-parameter systems. The basic theorems provide a unified approach which is applicable to a wide variety of problems in open-loop optimal control.     

An intercausal cancellation model for Bayesian-network engineering

When constructing Bayesian networks with domain experts, network engineers often use the noisy-OR model, and causal interaction models more generally, to alleviate the burden of probability elicitation: the use of such a model serves to reduce the number of probabilities to be elicited on the one hand, and on the other hand forestalls experts having to give assessments for probabilities with compound conditions which they feel are hard to envision. Recently, we have shown that ill-considered use of the noisy-OR model specifically can substantially decrease a network's performance, especially in domains in which causal mechanisms include cancellation effects. Motivated by this observation, we designed a new causal interaction model, with the same engineering advantages as the noisy-OR model, to describe such effects. We detail properties of our intercausal cancellation model, and compare it against existing causal interaction models. We further illustrate the application of our model in the real-world domain of pharmacology.     

The cancellation property of rings

A ring R is said to have the finitely generated cancellation property provided that the module isomorphism R⊕B?R⊕C implies B?C for any finitely generated R-modules B and C. It is proved that R has this property is equivalent to the existence of the cancellation matrices over R. Moreover, the structure of such matrices is investigated and finite weakly stable rings are characterized in terms of their cancellation matrices.     

Partial reconstruction of the source term in a linear parabolic initial problem with first order boundary conditions

We consider the inverse problem of identifying a factor in the source term of a parabolic mixed system with first-order boundary conditions. The supplementary information, which is needed to do it, is given by the knowledge of the evolution in time of a certain integral with respect to a suitable Borel measure.     

Well-posed constraint-preserving boundary conditions for the AA formulation of Einstein's equations

In this paper, we address the problem of artificial boundary conditions for the symmetric linearized hyperbolic formulation of Einstein's equations introduced in [A.M. Alekseenko, D.N. Arnold, New first-order formulation for the Einstein equations, Phys. Rev. D (3) 68 (6) (2003) 064013, 6 pp.]. We prescribe simple boundary conditions that make the problem well-posed and preserve the constraints.     

NP-hardness results for the aggregation of linear orders into median orders

Given a collection Π of individual preferences defined on a same finite set of candidates, we consider the problem of aggregating them into a collective preference minimizing the number of disagreements with respect to Π and verifying some structural properties. We study the complexity of this problem when the individual preferences belong to any set containing linear orders and when the collective preference must verify different properties, for instance transitivity. We show that the considered aggregation problems are NP-hard for different types of collective preferences (including linear orders, acyclic relations, complete preorders, interval orders, semiorders, quasi-orders or weak orders), if the number of individual preferences is sufficiently large.     

Some sufficient conditions for the observability of nonlinear systems

Some sufficient conditions are presented for the observability of systems described by nonlinear, ordinary differential equations with linear observations. The point which the authors especially emphasize is the fact that the results obtained are global in some sense. In the beginning, the observability problem is reduced to the uniqueness problem of solutions of some nonlinear integral equations for general nonlinear systems with linear observations. Then, for some restricted systems, a simple sufficient condition is derived. The relation between global and local observability for nonlinear systems is also considered.The authors wish to thank their colleagues in Nagoya University.     

Necessary and sufficient global optimality conditions for NLP reformulations of linear SDP problems

In this paper we consider the standard linear SDP problem, and its low rank nonlinear programming reformulation, based on a Gramian representation of a positive semidefinite matrix. For this nonconvex quadratic problem with quadratic equality constraints, we give necessary and sufficient conditions of global optimality expressed in terms of the Lagrangian function.     

Computing centre conditions for certain cubic systems

We present necessary and sufficient conditions for a critical point of certain two-dimensional cubic differential systems to be a centre. Extensive use of the computer algebra system REDUCE is involved. The search for necessary and sufficient conditions for a centre has long been of considerable interest in the theory of nonlinear differential equations. It has proved to be a difficult problem, and full conditions are known for very few classes of systems. Such conditions are also required in the investigation of Hilbert's sixteenth problem concerning the number of limit cycles of polynomial systems.     

Necessary and sufficient conditions for distinguishability of linear control systems

Distinguishability plays a crucial rule in studying observability of hybrid system such as switched system. Recently, for two linear systems, Lou and Si gave a condition not only necessary but also sufficient to the distinguishability of linear systems. However, the condition is not easy enough to verify. This paper will give a new equivalent condition which is relatively easy to verify.     

A problem with normal derivatives in boundary conditions for a system of differential equations

We seek for a solution to a system of differential equations, using linear relations connecting normal derivatives of the desired functions at the domain boundary.