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In recent years, the establishment of a substantial amount of academic groups on scientific social network has brought new opportunities for the collaboration among researchers. In this situation, conducting paper recommendation to these academic groups is of terrific necessity in that it can further facilitate group activities. However, when producing group recommendation, existing methods fail to make full use of the abundant group information, from which a great deal of valuable information can be inferred to facilitate the recommendation performance. In addition, those methods tend to assign an equal weight to each group member when aggregating their recommendations, which is unreasonable in practice. Although some improvements have been made to remedy this problem by assigning different weights to group members, they fail to take into account the reliabilities of group members. Therefore, a group-oriented paper recommendation method based on probabilistic matrix factorization and evidential reasoning (GPMF_ER) is proposed in this article to tackle these problems. More specifically, the group and paper content information are integrated into the probabilistic matrix factorization model to enhance the accuracy of individual recommendation. Afterward, evidential reasoning rule is introduced in the aggregation step to consider both the weights and reliabilities of group members. Extensive experiments have been conducted on the real world CiteULike dataset and the results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prospective authors are requested to submit new, unpublished manuscripts for inclusion in the upcoming event described in this call for papers. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper reconsiders the iterative learning control (ILC) problem for variable trial lengths via compensating output data by using an auxiliary predictive model when the controlled process does not reach the desired trial length. Moreover, this paper aims to propose a general and data-driven ILC method without requiring any explicit mechanistic model information. Specifically, an iterative difference with state transition expression is performed at first over the desired trial length in iteration domain to build an auxiliary predictive model for the iterative input–output dynamics of the linear discrete-time system. Then, an auxiliary predictive compensation-based ILC (APC-ILC) method is presented by defining an expanded output variable in which the predictive output is incorporated to compensate the unavailable output data due to the shorter operation length. The learning gain is iteration-time-varying and is updated using real-time data to adapt to system changes. Furthermore, the proposed learning control law contains additional input information to further improve the control performance. Theoretical analysis and simulations further verify the effectiveness of the proposed APC-ILC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the inherent nature of many applied high-technological systems and networks possesses switching behaviors, modeling, controlling, and stabilizing problems of the switching plants are becoming as the important research scenarios in the current literature. Moreover, consideration of the effects of mismatching uncertainties along with matching uncertain parts as well as unknown dynamics is a significant topic in the control engineering community. As a result, this paper is dedicated to the controlling problem of partially unknown nonlinear switched systems whose dynamics are perturbed by both matched and mismatched uncertainties. In addition, since the existence of gain deviations in real-world implementations of physical actuators can lessen the control act of the switching system, this paper handles the corresponding gain variations in the control inputs via some adaptation variables. In the design procedure, no limiting supposition is made for the switch signal of the switched plant. The proposed control algorithm is based on the variable structure control theory in which the selected sliding surface is able to deal with mismatching uncertainties and the deriving control law is robust against the lumped uncertain components. As a contribution, the Lyapunov functions are built such that not only to provide an asymptotic stable system but also to assure the global (practical) finite-time stability of the equilibrium state of the final closed-loop cascade switched plant. The robust performance of the developed control strategy is confirmed via two illustrative examples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the optimization of the finite-time consensus of a multiagent system is studied when the leader is disturbed by white noise. Different from the consensus problem itself, this paper is devoted to optimizing the performance of the consensus and the constructive method and martingale method are used to guarantee the effectiveness of the optimization. Another contribution is that the problem of the optimal control with the piecewise constant controller gains under a stochastic environment is solved, and the reformed dynamic principle and the reformed Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman (HJB) partial differential equations (PDEs) are proposed by using the splitting method and Feynman–Kac formula. Furthermore, since the multiagent system often runs on a high-dimensional space, a heuristic method is proposed based on the derivation of the reformed HJB PDEs and the scalar of the computational complexity of the PDEs is equivalent to that of a system of ordinary differential equations with the same dimensions when the multiagent system can be described as a piecewise linear system. Finally, the heuristic method is compared with usual filtering methods for solving engineering problems by a numerical example and it is found that the heuristic method achieves higher precision in finite time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose a novel class of networks named as quaternion-valued inertial memristor-based neural networks (QVIMNNs) by introducing inertial term and memristor into traditional quaternion-valued neural networks (QVNNs). The problem of fixed-time synchronization of the QVIMNNs is investigated based on the variable transformation and Lyapunov functional method. It is shown that two types of activation functions are considered and a novel criteria guaranteeing fixed-time synchronization for each cases are then achieved by designing different types of controllers. This paper attempts to pave a new way to investigate neural networks classes with numerical simulations support to demonstrate the correctness of the obtained results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is devoted to the consensus problem of networked nonlinear agents with multiple self-delays and time-varying coupling. We first establish a generalized Halanay’s inequality based on comparison theorem, and then convert the consensus problem into a stability problem of retarded differential equation with time-varying coefficients, from which sufficient conditions for consensus are derived. Our results manifest that the time-average of coupling strength over intervals of certain length, together with the underlying topology and the values of self-delays, plays a crucial role in guaranteeing consensus. Based on the theoretical analysis, an estimation of the largest admissible delay is also available. This paper provides a general framework for achieving consensus in agents with time-varying coupling, such as coupling with external perturbations, intermittent control in on–off fashion, or pulse-modulated coupling strength, etc. Furthermore, useful criteria are given for various applications which have also been verified with numerical simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the effect of asynchronous communications on stationary solutions for discrete-time multiagent systems with a fixed topology. The asynchrony in this context implies that there is no global clock to synchronize the update time in each distributed agent and also each agent updates its own state asynchronously without waiting for values received from neighboring agents. It has been noted without much attention that asynchronous stationary solutions may not be unique and disagree with a synchronous stationary value. In some applications, this discrepancy may cause serious consequences, and thus it is critical to analyze the effect of asynchrony on stationary solutions. In this paper, we develop necessary and sufficient conditions for the uniqueness of stationary solutions for discrete-time multiagent systems. In the case of nonunique stationary solutions, the normalized expected error between synchronous and asynchronous stationary solutions is also analyzed. To validate the proposed methods, we provide three example problems: 1) containment control; 2) fixed-point iteration; and 3) distributed averaging formulated in a discrete-time setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The approach of feedback iteration in control theory is considered for solving the problem of control allocation algorithm for the case of three moments in this paper. The core of our novel idea is to introduce a closed-loop feedback iteration for obtaining an available solution to control allocation, which is referred to as control theoretic control allocation (CTCA). Two types of CTCA are investigated in this paper: linear case and nonlinear case, where, in the former, the control Lyapunov function (Lyapunov optimizing) and conjugate gradient are introduced, and in the latter, a nonlinear feedback theory is utilized. Thus, the control Lyapunov function and Lyapunov optimizing control allocation (CLF/LOCA), conjugate gradient control allocation (CGCA), and nonlinear CTCA (NCTCA) are proposed in this paper. The performance of each algorithm is evaluated for computational efficiency and accuracy by use of linear or nonlinear aircraft models, respectively. The simulation results show that the proposed CTCA algorithm will terminate in finite steps. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a force sensorless control scheme based on neural networks (NNs) is developed for interaction between robot manipulators and human arms in physical collision. In this scheme, the trajectory is generated by using geometry vector method with Kinect sensor. To comply with the external torque from the environment, this paper presents a sensorless admittance control approach in joint space based on an observer approach, which is used to estimate external torques applied by the operator. To deal with the tracking problem of the uncertain manipulator, an adaptive controller combined with the radial basis function NN (RBFNN) is designed. The RBFNN is used to compensate for uncertainties in the system. In order to achieve the prescribed tracking precision, an error transformation algorithm is integrated into the controller. The Lyapunov functions are used to analyze the stability of the control system. The experiments on the Baxter robot are carried out to demonstrate the effectiveness and correctness of the proposed control scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conventionally, the transition probabilities in the interacting multiple model (IMM) are often fixed based on the prior information. However, this conservative setting may result in inaccurate state estimations. To solve this problem, a Bayesian-based online correction function is proposed in this paper, which can adaptively adjust the transition probabilities. To deal with the response lag and the short-term peak estimation error problem during the respond to model jump, a model jumping threshold is defined, so that the current information of the models can be fully utilized by the IMM algorithm and the correction function of the transition probabilities can be further improved. Subsequently, an adaptive transition probability-based parallel IMM algorithm is proposed in this paper. Finally, three maneuvering target tracking simulations are conducted to verify the performance of the proposed algorithm, the results show that the proposed algorithm can improve the response speed of the system model jump and the state estimation accuracy. The effectiveness and feasibility of the algorithm are proven. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, classification of mental task-root brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) is being investigated. The mental tasks are dominant area of investigations in BCI, which utmost interest as these system can be augmented life of people having severe disabilities. The performance of BCI model primarily depends on the construction of features from brain, electroencephalography (EEG), signal, and the size of feature vector, which are obtained through multiple channels. The availability of training samples to features are minimal for mental task classification. The feature selection is used to increase the ratio for the mental task classification by getting rid of irrelevant and superfluous features. This paper suggests an approach to augment the performance of a learning algorithm for the mental task classification on the utility of power spectral density (PSD) using feature selection. This paper also deals a comparative analysis of multivariate and univariate feature selection for mental task classification. After applying the above stated method, the findings demonstrate substantial improvements in the performance of learning model for mental task classification. Moreover, the efficacy of the proposed approach is endorsed by carrying out a robust ranking algorithm and Friedman’s statistical test for finding the best combinations and compare various combinations of PSD and feature selection methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the co-design technique of quantization and event-driven control for reducing the negative influences of network on the system performance of networked control systems (NCSs). Event-driven strategy aims at reducing the frequency of transmission, while signal quantization reduces the amounts of data for each transmission. By combining these two techniques, this paper establishes the quantized event-driven control approaches for both the fixed and relative event threshold cases. The system stability and the existence of the minimum interevent interval (MIEI) are analyzed. Finally, the validity of the proposed approaches is illustrated by the numerical simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned with the problem of finite-time H∞ synchronization for a class of discrete-time switched neural networks with quantized feedback controllers. First, we take advantage of mode-dependent average dwell time approach and semi-time-dependent (STD) Lyapunov function method to establish new criteria for the finite-time synchronization. Based on the newly developed criteria, a finite-time bounded real lemma is presented and further, the quantized state feedback controller is designed to ensure the finite-time H∞ synchronization of the underlying neural networks. The conservatism is further reduced by the proposed mode-dependent and STD controller. Finally, we use two illustrative examples to show the effectiveness and superiority of the results obtained in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the dynamic performance of subway transportation systems. A three-layer model, consisting of a rail layer, a train layer, and a passenger layer, is proposed to describe the structure and operation of a metro system. Two parameters, namely, time efficiency and maximum load ratio, are proposed to assess the transport efficiency and the train utilization rate, respectively. Case studies of the metro networks in Beijing, Tokyo, and Hong Kong show that the time efficiency decreases nonlinearly with the increase of vehicle resource and passenger demand, whereas maximum load ratio varies in an opposite manner. For the three metro networks under study, the Tokyo metro system has the highest time efficiency when passengers adopt a shortest-path (SP) routing strategy, while the Hong Kong system’s highest time efficiency exceeds the others’ when passengers adopt a minimum-transfer-path (MTP) strategy. In general, the maximum time efficiency is higher when passengers adopt SP routing rather than MTP routing. Moreover, the Beijing metro system has the highest maximum load ratio, regardless of the passengers’ routing behavior. This paper can be applied to a metro network to optimize the train departure interval under a certain passenger entrance rate, with the aim to maximize the time efficiency and maximum load ratio. Our model permits assessment of the operational effectiveness of metro systems, which helps the metro operators to improve the performance and reduce the cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we address the finite-time and fixed-time synchronization of a general class of switched neural networks (SNNs) with time delays subject to stochastic disturbances. Considering two types of switching in this class of SNNs: 1) intra-SNN state-dependent switching and 2) inter-SNN Markovian switching, we develop three control laws and derive three sets of sufficient conditions for both finite-time and fixed-time synchronization of SNNs subject to stochastic disturbances. We make two remarks on the effects of control-law parameters on synchronization settling time. Moreover, we derive several upper bounds of synchronization settling time and evaluate their pros and cons. Finally, we elaborate on two numerical examples to illustrate the viability of the theoretical results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prospective authors are requested to submit new, unpublished manuscripts for inclusion in the upcoming event described in this call for papers. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article presents information on the topics such as modeling, simulation, and analysis of social systems covered by the journal IEEE Transactions on Computational Social Systems and the names of the websites where the papers can be submitted.

Compared with traditional models, semi-random epidemic network models may be more reasonable to describe the real dynamics of many epidemics. In this paper, we first investigate the optimal control problem (OCP) of semi-random epidemic networks. By using the Pontryagin’s minimum principle, we obtain the optimal control strategy aimed to minimize the total epidemic incidence and control cost. We then define a centrality index which can measure average control strength of the optimal control. Based on this index, the OCP is converted into a static OCP (SOCP), whose solution is utilized to design a nonidentical constant control (NCC). NCC is suboptimal as it is optimal on a subset of the whole control set, and is determined by only the network’s clustering coefficient and initial condition. We finally propose an effective targeted constant quarantine control by using this centrality index. The results uncover the relationship between the optimal control and the network’s topological structure, provide a convenient method to determine suboptimal control, and present a strategy for targeted constant control. This paper can help to design effective control strategies for more general epidemic networks in the real world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper includes some results of switched Boolean control networks. The switched signals considered in this paper is time variant and it follows a certain probabilistic distribution vector. Given a concept of stabilization with stochastic switched signals, we obtained a necessary and sufficient condition for stabilization. Then a state feedback control depending on switched signals is designed to stabilize the system considered. Later we investigate a case when the switched signal $\theta (t)$ is unknown at time $t$ , and what we have is the prediction switched signal $\hat {\theta }(t)$. For a given prediction matrix, a necessary and sufficient condition is given to preserve the stabilization. Except state feedback control, asynchronous pinning control for switched Boolean networks (BNs) is also considered. A necessary and sufficient condition is extended for the stability of BNs with stochastic switched signals. Moreover, algorithms are presented to find the minimal number of pinned nodes based on controlling minimal number of subsystems. Examples are shown to illustrate the effectiveness of the obtained results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the robust containment control problem of multiagent systems with heterogeneous uncertainty and nonlinearity while the nonlinear parts have to satisfy the Lipschitz condition. In this paper, both input time-delay and data transmission time-delay between the agents are considered simultaneously and communication topology of the multiagent systems may switch in the steady-state condition. Under the mentioned conditions, the objective of this paper is to make all the followers’ states converge to the convex hull shaped by the leaders’ states with an expected exponential rate. To this end, an appropriate smooth protocol is proposed. Then, a Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional composed of five terms is proposed and the stability condition is denoted by two linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). In addition to the stability assurance, solving the LMIs would obtain the suitable gains for the protocol. Finally, some numerical simulations are given to verify the theoretical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, robust exponential synchronization of memristor-based neural networks (MNNs) with nonidentical characteristics is investigated. Coefficient mismatch, time-varying delay mismatch, and activation function mismatch are considered between the drive and the response MNNs. Pinning control strategy is developed to realize robust exponential synchronization and the stability criteria is established by using the Lyapunov function method and differential inclusion theory. Furthermore, the stable region of controller parameters is computed to guarantee that the synchronization errors enter a predetermined error bound within given settling time. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed methods is verified by the numerical simulations. The methods presented in this paper offer novel schemes for robust exponential synchronization of nonidentical MNNs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a hybrid nonlinear control system, comprising of a conventional proportional-differential (PD) controller and a PD-type fuzzy logic autopilot for the trajectory tracking of a quadcopter drone. Given the inherent nature of traditional control, which is model-based, and the essence of fuzzy logic control, which is knowledge-based, the proposed hybrid controllers can provide a more robust solution in the face of uncertainties. Both controllers operate in a parallel incremental form to improve the transient performance and the robustness of the closed-loop control system. Through extensive computer simulations supported by real-time flight tests, this paper highlights the efficacy of the proposed hybrid control system in the presence of some parameter variations, nonlinear aerodynamic models, and some external disturbances (e.g., wind gusts). The Dryden and 1–cos turbulence models are employed to represent the effects of wind gusts under realistic flight environments. The stability analysis of the closed-loop control system is conducted using Lyapunov’s indirect method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feature selection is an optional preprocessing procedure and is frequently used to improve the classification accuracy of a machine learning algorithm by removing irrelevant and/or redundant features. However, in many real-world applications, the test cost is also required for making optimal decisions, in addition to the classification accuracy. To the best of our knowledge, thus far, few studies have been conducted on test-cost-sensitive feature selection (TCSFS). In TCSFS, the objectives are twofold: 1) to improve the classification accuracy and 2) to decrease the test cost. Therefore, in fact, it constitutes a multiobjective optimization problem. In this paper, we transformed this multiobjective optimization problem into a single-objective optimization problem by utilizing a new evaluation function and in this paper, we propose a new general wrapper framework for TCSFS. Specifically, in our proposed framework, we add a new term to the evaluation function of a wrapper feature selection method so that the test cost of measuring features is taken into account. We experimentally tested our proposed framework, using 36 classification problems from the University of California at Irvine (UCI) repository, and compared it to some other state-of-the-art feature selection frameworks. The experimental results showed that our framework allows users to select an optimal feature subset with the minimal test cost, while simultaneously maintaining a high classification accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uncertain data objects are objects that can be characterized by either a probability density function (PDF) or with multiple points. Because of existing levels of uncertainty for uncertain data objects, the scatter of this type of objects might be very different than the scatter of certain data objects. Measures of scatter for uncertain objects have not been defined before. In this paper, we define covariance matrix, within scatter matrix, and between scatter matrix as the measures of scatter for uncertain data objects. Also, in this paper, we extend the idea of Fisher linear discriminant analysis for uncertain objects (UFLDA). We also develop kernel Fisher discriminant analysis for uncertain objects (UKFDA). The developed uncertain kernel Fisher discriminants are for two cases: 1) when the uncertain objects are given with PDF and 2) when the uncertain objects are given with multiple points. We compare the performance of our developed uncertain Fisher discriminants (UFLDA and UKFDA) with a few other methods in classification of uncertain data objects through several examples on both simulated and real-world data. We will show in the experiments that our developed uncertain Fisher discriminants outperform other methods in classifying uncertain data objects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the resilient ${H_{\infty }}$ filter design for event-triggered networked systems subject to nonperiodic denial-of-service (DoS) jamming attacks. In this paper, a new resilient event-triggered transmission strategy is first proposed to improve the efficiency of network resource utilization while counteracting the nonperiodic DoS jamming attacks. Then, by using a time-delay approach, the filtering error system is modeled as a switched system, which characterizes the effects of the event-triggering scheme and nonperiodic DoS jamming attacks simultaneously. Based on the established model, by using the piecewise Lyapunov–Krasovskii functional method, linear matrix inequality (LMI)-based sufficient conditions are formulated to achieve the globally exponential stability as well as the weighted ${H_{\infty }}$ performance of the resulting switched system under the DoS jamming attacks. Consequently, the co-design method for the desired filter parameters and event-triggering parameters can be formulated provided that the above LMIs are feasible. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated by a practical example. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learning a good graph similarity matrix in data clustering is very crucial. The goal of clustering is to construct a good graph similarity matrix such that the similarity of points between the same classes is largest, and the similarity of points between different classes is smallest. In this paper, a more efficient subspace segmentation approach to learn a similarity matrix with large spectral gap is proposed. In our model, a robust self-representation coefficient matrix is learned by utilizing the Schatten- ${p}$ norm instead of the conventional rank function. Besides, the fast block-diagonal structure of the coefficient representation matrix is enhanced by learning and optimizing the co-association matrix with the soft label of clustering results simultaneously in a unified framework. The affinity graphs constructed in this paper can clearly reveal the intrinsic structures of the data sets. Extensive experiments on the real data sets demonstrate that our proposed method can perform better than the state-of-the-art methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Single-link flexible-joint manipulator (FJM) is a kind of time-varying nonlinear system with underactuated characteristics. This paper takes the uncertain single-link FJM (USLFJM) as the object, and presents a novel robust control approach based on equivalent input disturbance (EID) method for motion control (i.e., position control and trajectory tracking control) of the USLFJM. Based on the uncertain dynamic model and desired target of this system, an error system is constructed. The error system is considered as a linear system with a nonlinear virtual disturbance. The motion control objective of the USLFJM can be realized by globally asymptotically stabilizing this linear system and compensating the influence of the nonlinear virtual disturbance. Then, an EID-based control system is designed to realize this control objective. Only position measurements are utilized in this paper, and the stability of the control system is proved. The simulation results are presented to illustrate the validity and the robustness of the proposed control method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we study the stabilization and finite-time stabilization of probabilistic Boolean control networks (PBCNs). A complete family of reachable sets is defined first, based on which, feedback stabilization conditions are obtained. Then a way to find all possible state feedback controllers are presented for the stabilization of PBCNs accordingly. Moreover, it has been stated that the approach in this paper can also be applied to finite-time stabilization via some changes in the construction of set sequence. Finally, an evolutionary networked game is given as an example to illustrate the efficiency of the obtained results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the issue of reliable sliding mode control for descriptor systems with semi-Markov parameters using the Takagi–Sugeno fuzzy model, in which an average dwell time approach is utilized to tackle generic uncertain transition rates (TRs). From the analysis of the inner mechanism of switching singular system, a continuous sliding surface function is proposed. Different from continuity with probability one for stochastic systems, the absolute continuity of system solution is a key point in this paper being ensured for application of the average dwell time approach. Then, the mean-square exponential stability of the obtained sliding mode is analyzed based on two types of uncertain TRs. Moreover, a sliding mode controller is constructed to ensure the reachability condition in finite time. Lastly, the method is verified numerically by a single-link robot arm model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned with iterative learning control (ILC) algorithms for two-dimensional (2-D) linear discrete systems described by the first Fornasini–Marchesini model (FMMI) with iteration-varying reference trajectories/profiles. The variation of reference trajectories in iteration domain is represented by a high-order internal model (HOIM) formula. Robustness and convergence of two types of HOIM-based ILC laws with different boundary conditions are investigated, respectively. A strategy employed in this paper is to reconstruct the HOIM-based ILC process of the 2-D linear FMMI system into a set of 2-D linear inequalities or a 2-D linear Roesser model such that sufficient robustness/convergence conditions of the HOIM-based ILC laws are obtained. Under random boundary conditions, the designed ILC law (9) is capable to drive the ILC tracking error into a bounded range. Moreover, under the HOIM-based boundary conditions, a perfect tracking to the iteration-varying reference trajectories can be achieved by utilizing the proposed ILC law (32). Two simulation examples are given to validate the effectiveness of the two proposed ILC algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we address the adaptive neural tracking control problem for a class of uncertain switched stochastic nonlinear pure-feedback systems with nonlower triangular form. The significant design difficulty is the completely unknown nonlinear functions with all state variables that can neither be directly estimated by radial basis function (RBF) neural networks (NNs) nor be eliminated by the traditional backstepping technique. To achieve the control objective of this paper, a common state-feedback controller for all subsystems is first systematically constructed by using the common coordinate transformation, the variable separation technique, and the universal approximation capability of RBF NNs. Then the stability analysis shows that the semi-global bounded in probability of the whole closed-loop switched system can be obtained and the desired tracking performance can also be insured under a class of switching signals with the average dwell time property. Finally, simulation results are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the obtained control scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A substantial body of literature on global design optimization techniques is based on an implicit assumption that a system under optimization is designed by a perfectly centralized design team with all team members committed to a global optimum solution. This assumption enables the system engineers to minimize all the objective functions simultaneously while controlling all design decisions at the same time. Recent research suggested that this inherent assumption may need to be revisited. This paper proposes a novel framework for design optimization using game theory, which represents a design process as a normal-form game and unifies two fundamental decisions of discipline designers, namely a system-global or a discipline-local optimum solution. This paper provides a general mathematical formulation of the framework for a design process with any number of discipline designers. The framework introduces the notion of the Nash front, which is a set of design solutions consisting of the Nash equilibria derived through the reallocation of design authority between discipline designers. This paper then tests the framework on a numerical optimization case study of a Stirling micro combined heat and power plant with two discipline designers. The result indicates that for the system capital cost and the system power output the difference between global Pareto-optimum designs and the Nash front designs on average across five different scenarios of design authority allocation was 22% and 16%, correspondingly. The application of the novel framework in different fields of engineering could help to build models that are more realistic and prevent impractical technical objectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper deals with the problem of controller design for normal nonlinear switched systems with unknown dynamics. The situation assumes that the nonlinear component of the system dynamics is unknown and there are extra uncertain terms and external perturbations affecting the system responses. Unlike previous methods that usually apply artificial neural networks to obtain an approximate model for an unknown dynamics, we use simple adaptive laws to surmount such fluctuations as well as to circumvent the steady state errors in the approaches provided by neural networks or fuzzy logics. No information on the bounds and parameters of the uncertain parts is needed. We design a twofold sliding mode control methodology to stabilize the whole switched system with arbitrary switching signals. To handle the consequences of the inherent chattering, a smooth integral type control signal is constructed. It is proved that once the system states attain the developed sliding manifold, the system becomes insensitive to both the lumped uncertainties and the dynamics of the switched system. The common assumption of a known Lyapunov functions for the subsystems is relaxed and the derived adaptive approach provides nonconservative circumstances for guaranteeing the global stability of the equilibrium state. The theoretical results of this paper are generalized for the canonical nonlinear systems with mismatched uncertainties and a novel adaptive sliding manifold is proposed to suppress the effects of the system mismatching uncertain parts. A comparative computer simulation is developed to examine the effective performance of the introduced controllers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Learning a prototype from a set of given objects is a core problem in machine learning and pattern recognition. A commonly used approach for consensus learning is to formulate it as an optimization problem in terms of generalized median computation. Recently, a prototype-embedding approach has been proposed to transform the objects into a vector space, compute the geometric median, and then inversely transform back into the original space. This vector space embedding approach has been successfully applied in several domains, where the generalized median problem has inherent high-computational complexity (typically $\mathcal {NP}$ -hard) and thus approximate solutions are required. Generally, it can be expected that the embedding should be done in a distance-preserving manner. However, the previous work based on the prototype-embedding approach did not take this embedding aspect into account. In this paper, we discuss the drawbacks of the current prototype-embedding approach and present an extensive empirical study that provides strong evidence of significantly improved quality of generalized median computation using distance-preserving embedding (DPE) methods. We also give concrete suggestions about suitable DPE methods. Moreover, we show that this framework can be used to effectively compute other consensus objects like the closest string. Finally, a MATLAB toolbox resulting from this paper is made publically available in order to encourage other researchers to explore the embedding-based consensus computation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents and experimentally implements three different adaptive and robust adaptive controllers as the first steps toward using model-based controllers for transfemoral prostheses. The goal of this paper is to translate these control methods to the robotic domain, from bipedal robotic walking to prosthesis walking, including a rigorous stability analysis. The human/prosthesis system is first modeled as a two-domain hybrid asymmetric system. An optimization problem is formulated to obtain a stable human-like gait. The proposed controllers are then developed for the combined human/prosthesis model and the optimized reference gait. The stability of all three controllers is proven using the Lyapunov stability theorem, ensuring convergence to the desired gait. The proposed controllers are first verified on a bipedal walking robot as a hybrid human/prosthesis model in simulation. They are then experimentally tested on a treadmill with an able-bodied subject using third iteration of AMBER Prosthetic (AMPRO3), a custom self-contained powered transfemoral prosthesis. Finally, outdoor tests are carried out using AMPRO3 with three test subjects walking on level ground, uphill slopes, and downhill slopes at slope angles of 3° and 8°, to demonstrate walking in different real-world environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different spreading processes in multiplex networks may interact with each other and display intertwined effects. In this paper, we propose a theoretical framework called infection-probability-dependent interlayer interaction propagation processes in multiplex networks with an arbitrary number of layers, to more precisely depict the intertwined effects which bring challenges to the existing state-dependent interlayer interaction models. Specifically, the spreading rate of each node is regulated by the proposed spreading rate function (SRF) which depends on both the intrinsic dynamics in its layer and the infection probabilities of its counterparts. We propose an algorithm to obtain the spreading threshold of each layer of the proposed theoretical framework. We analyze the three-layer tuberculosis-awareness-flu model with the SRF of each node being the expectation of infection-probability-dependent spreading rate. This paper gives a thorough and detailed numerical investigation of the impact and interaction of system settings and the spreading threshold of each layer. We find that for tuberculosis spreading which is in competing relation with awareness and cooperation relation with flu, the epidemic threshold is a constant when other layers’ intrinsic spreading rates are small. The cooperation layer has dramatic influence on the constant while the competing layer has no effect on it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the controller design problem of networked control systems subject to cyber attacks. A hybrid-triggering communication strategy is employed to save the limited communication resources. State measurements are transmitted over a communication network and may be corrupted by cyber attacks. The aim of this paper is to design a controller for a new closed-loop system model with consideration of randomly occurring cyber attacks and the hybrid-triggering scheme. A stability criterion is obtained for the system stabilization by employing Lyapunov stability theory and stochastic analysis techniques. Moreover, the desired controller gain is derived by resorting to some matrix inequalities. Finally, a numerical example is exploited to demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the design problem of the attack strategy for cyber-physical systems (CPSs). In this paper, a finite frequency attack strategy is designed for CPSs such that the performance of the state estimator can be reduced with a low attack detection probability. Different from the existing methods with a predefined finite frequency range, the attack strategy is designed for the system to satisfy ${H}{\_{}}/{H}_{\infty}$ performance index in different finite frequency ranges in the proposed method, and a suitable frequency interval can be selected as that of the attack signal. Since the property of the finite frequency of the attack signal could be made full use of such that a good attack effect can be obtained in the proposed method. Finally, an example is given to illustrate the effectiveness of the developed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an alternative adaptive parameter estimation framework for nonlinear systems with time-varying parameters. Unlike existing techniques that rely on the polynomial approximation of time-varying parameters, the proposed method can directly estimate the unknown time-varying parameters. Moreover, this paper proposes several new adaptive laws driven by the derived information of parameter estimation errors, which achieve faster convergence rate than conventional gradient descent algorithms. In particular, the exponential error convergence can be rigorously proved under the well-recognized persistent excitation condition. The robustness of the developed adaptive estimation schemes against bounded disturbances is also studied. Comparative simulation results reveal that the proposed approaches can achieve better estimation performance than several other estimation algorithms. Finally, the proposed parameter estimation methods are verified by conducting experiments based on a roto-magnet plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper concerns a positive $\mathcal {L}_{1}$ observer for positive nonlinear semi-Markovian switching systems (MSSs) via the expansion of Taylor formula and the fuzzy Lyapunov function approach, in which semi-Markovian switching parameters, positivity, Takagi–Sugeno (T–S) fuzzy, and external disturbance are all considered in a unified framework. A fuzzy Lyapunov function approach with less conservativeness is introduced into the research of positive systems. In the system under consideration, positive S-MSSs with the semi-Markovian process can describe more complex systems in a practical control process. The main motivation of this paper is that the practical system subject to positivity and abrupt changes can be described by positive nonlinear S-MSSs, which always needs to consider the external disturbance. First, by using the normalized membership function approach, positive nonlinear S-MSSs can be represented by local positive T–S fuzzy S-MSSs. Second, by constructing the fuzzy Lyapunov function, some sufficient conditions are proposed for stochastic stability and $\mathcal {L}_{1}$ -gain performance analysis, respectively. Then, a positive $\mathcal {L}_{1}$ observer in a novel standard linear programming condition is designed to guarantee the resulting closed–loop augmented system is positive and stochastically stable with a required $\mathcal {L}_{1}$ -gain performance. Finally, a practical example about the epidemiological model is introduced to show the effectiveness of the main theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern military operations in high-tech information warfare settings are dynamic processes involving various types of combat systems connected via multiple channels, which can be abstracted as a type of complex temporal combat network (TCN). The equipment contribution analysis in TCNs is of significant military value for optimizing operation process planning and improving network resilience in complex electromagnetic battlefields. This paper presents an integrated framework called capability oriented equipment contribution analysis (CECA) to analyze key equipment in TCNs. Specifically, a temporal network model is proposed to characterize TCNs by considering their dynamic nature and the heterogeneity capabilities of different types of functional entities during military operations. Based on this model, an operation capability contribution index is proposed to measure the contribution of each piece of equipment involved in executing operational tasks. Finally, the reliability and effectiveness of the CECA are demonstrated based on a TCN case study. This paper provides a detailed and precise quantitative analysis of the equipment contributions in TCNs, which yields useful insights for operation guidance and designing a more resilient combat system-of-systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper addresses trajectory planning and control for a dual-arm free-floating space robot (FFSR) based on predefinedtime stability. Firstly, a class of general nonsingular terminal sliding mode control strategy is proposed to achieve global predefined-time stability by switching a control parameter in a form of function. Then, a high-precision trajectory planning method is proposed for a FFSR using the proposed predefined-time stability theorem, which can make the end-effector and the base reach the desired pose within a prespecified time, and reduce the adverse effect on planning accuracy resulted from the singularity avoidance algorithm and the obstacle avoidance one. Subsequently, a trajectory tracking control strategy is proposed for a FFSR employing the proposed general nonsingular predefined-time terminal sliding mode, and the tracking errors can converge within a predefined time to an arbitrarily small neighborhood of zero in the presence of persistent disturbances. The proposed trajectory planning method has the advantage of pose feedback, so can be combined with the trajectory tracking controller in the control process to further enhance the control performance for the FFSR. Simulation results validate the effectiveness of the proposed methodologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is to develop a new cooperative path following control scheme for a team of autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) which track one curve with nonlinear uncertainties. Individual path-following controllers are designed to guarantee that each AUV meets the desired tracking performance. For the cooperative path following, a containment control approach is incorporated into the design, where each AUV is forced to evenly disperse on a path that is parameterized by a continuous variable over a communication network. The main features of the paper that unlike the existing designs are that: first, by employing the command filtered control technique, the assumption of second-order derivative of the reference path is removed. Second, a globally uniformly ultimately bounded (GUUB) path following control structure is proposed that enables two kinds of controllers to switch under different cases. Third, coordination between multiple AUVs is achieved through a containment design, and a path variable containment cooperative path following controller is derived that enables multiple AUVs to be evenly dispersed and guided by the virtual leaders. Finally, the stability analysis and simulation example are given to verify the proposed control strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is written in recognition of W. Bledsoe, who with Browning, introduced the N-tuple subspace classifier in 1959. This 1959 article was the first article to introduce subspace classifiers and the sum rule to combine the outputs of the classifiers. A mathematical notation is given to easily express in a precise and unambiguous way everything going on in the N-tuple subspace classifier. Extensions of the N-tuple method are discussed using a generalized product expression and we relate the generalization to graphical models. We discuss the sum rule, the product rule, and the plurality voting rule for combining the scores of the subspace classifiers. We selected a representative sample of papers that the 1959 N-tuple subspace classifier inspired. Some of the papers introduced specialized improvements. Many of the papers showed the value of the N-tuple subspace classifier in all kinds of applications and compared the results of one or more varieties of the N-tuple subspace classifier with other state-of-the-art classifiers. Their experiments showed that the N-tuple subspace classifier was competitive with the state-of-the-art classifiers and often had a higher accuracy. Finally, we highlight some papers that describe experiments of the N-tuple subspace classifier executing in a quantum computer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is concerned with the motor skill learning from human demonstrations using the framework of dynamic regressive models (DRMs). The DRM-based motion planner is preferred as it generates the end-effector trajectory dynamically based on the current state of the end-effector. Within existing frameworks, a single DRM can learn a single motion profile. In addition, such learned DRMs from the data may not be stable. This paper addresses both these issues in a comprehensive manner. In this paper a single DRM has been used to encode human demonstrations involving multitask profiles and multiple task-equilibriums which is novel. We have introduced the idea that the learned DRM will generate human-like stable motion if the energy dissipation rate (EDR) of the generated trajectory follows that of the human demonstration. Thus, the DRM structure has been modified by adding a continuous guiding signal which can be called as the control signal. This signal has been derived using control theoretic principle to ensure asymptotic stability while maintaining the EDR equivalent to that of the human demonstration. The asymptotic stability of the learned DRM has been established by involving a nonmonotonic Lyapunov function consisting of first derivative of a quadratic function and the energy function associated with the DRM. The proposed framework can be learned using many existing regression techniques in this paper Gaussian mixture regression, locally weighted projection regression, and support vector regression techniques have been used successfully. During the pick and place tasks, human demonstrations involving multiple task profiles and multiple task-equilibriums are generated using a 7 DOF commercial robot manipulator. Experimental validations show that the DRMs learned using these three regression schemes are able to guide the robot along the multitask profiles in a stable manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the sampled-based consensus problem is investigated for a class of nonlinear multiagent systems subjected to deception attacks. Due to network fluctuations and limited resources, deception attacks might destroy the sampled-data in communication networks. Additionally, the success of deception attacks greatly depends on some randomly fluctuated factors. This paper takes into account the deception attacks that are randomly launched at each sampling instant. The eigenvector of Laplacian matrix is utilized to construct a novel Lyapunov functional. Then, the decoupled criterion connected with eigenvalues of Laplacian matrix is obtained such that the addressed multiagent systems achieve the mean square consensus. Furthermore, the solutions of a set of matrix inequalities represent the controller gain matrix. Finally, a numerical example is provided to validate the effectiveness of the derived results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose a modified strategy using sparse representation to identify the authorship of online handwritten documents. The note-worthy aspect of this paper lies in the introduction of a-priori information for each dictionary atom, that in a way indicates its degree of importance with respect to the dynamic characteristics of the writer. The methodology behind obtaining this information for the dictionary atoms is based on the computation of entropy values over histograms that are generated from the sparse coefficients during the training phase. The prelearned values are incorporated on the traditional schemes of “max” and “mean” pooling of sparse codes, thereby resulting in a modified writer descriptor. Experiments performed with the proposed sparse classification strategy on the handwritten samples of the IAM and IBM-UB1 online handwriting databases demonstrate promising results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the time-varying formation problem is studied under directed topologies. An adaptive approach is utilized to develop a fully distributed formation controller for general linear multiagent systems. To achieve distributed time-varying formations, a feasible formation set is proposed by proposing some conditions. By using adaptive techniques, the main contribution of this paper is that a fully distributed formation algorithm is designed for achieving time-varying formation under directed graphs, which relies only on the local measurements without requiring any global information. By analyzing the Lyapunov stability, the proposed fully distributed formation algorithm can ensure the multiagent systems achieving the goal of time-varying formations. To verify the theoretical results, some simulation examples are shown finally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The finite-time state estimation issue is addressed in this paper for discrete time-delayed neural networks (NNs). More than one communication channel is utilized to improve the communication performance. The transmission delays of each channel are modeled by a family of stochastic variables which are independent and identically distributed. The main purpose of this paper is to construct an appropriate state estimation scheme under which the corresponding state estimation error dynamics is finite-time bounded in the mean square. By employing the stochastic analysis approach and introducing a special Lyapunov-like functional, we have developed certain sufficient conditions to achieve the prescribed estimation performance. Furthermore, the exact expressions of the achieved estimator parameters are given by solving a special minimization problem subject to certain inequality constraints. Finally, we propose an illustrative simulation to examine the correctness, as well as the effectiveness, of our proposed state estimation method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]