Simple Approximations of Semialgebraic Sets and their Applications to Control

Many uncertainty sets encountered in control systems analysis and design can be expressed in terms of semialgebraic sets, that is as the intersection of sets described by means of polynomial inequalities. Important examples are for instance the solution set of linear matrix inequalities or the Schur/Hurwitz stability domains. These sets often have very complicated shapes … Read more

Remark on multi-target,robust linear-quadratic control problem on semi-infinite interval

We consider multi-target,robust linear-quadratic control problem on semi-infinite interval. Using functional-analytic approach developed in [2], we reduce this problem to a convex optimization problem on the simplex. Explicit procedure for the reduced optimization problem is described. Citation Preprint, University of Notre Dame, August,2015 Article Download View Remark on multi-target,robust linear-quadratic control problem on semi-infinite interval

Semidefinite approximations of the polynomial abscissa

Given a univariate polynomial, its abscissa is the maximum real part of its roots. The abscissa arises naturally when controlling linear differential equations. As a function of the polynomial coefficients, the abscissa is H\”older continuous, and not locally Lipschitz in general, which is a source of numerical difficulties for designing and optimizing control laws. In … Read more

A BFGS-SQP Method for Nonsmooth, Nonconvex, Constrained Optimization and its Evaluation using Relative Minimization Profiles

We propose an algorithm for solving nonsmooth, nonconvex, constrained optimization problems as well as a new set of visualization tools for comparing the performance of optimization algorithms. Our algorithm is a sequential quadratic optimization method that employs Broyden-Fletcher-Goldfarb-Shanno (BFGS) quasi-Newton Hessian approximations and an exact penalty function whose parameter is controlled using a steering strategy. … Read more

An extension of the projected gradient method to a Banach space setting with application in structural topology optimization

For the minimization of a nonlinear cost functional under convex constraints the relaxed projected gradient process is a well known method. The analysis is classically performed in a Hilbert space. We generalize this method to functionals which are differentiable in a Banach space. The search direction is calculated by a quadratic approximation of the cost … Read more

Nonsmooth Methods for Control Design with Integral Quadratic Constraints

We develop an optimization technique to compute local solutions to synthesis problems subject to integral quadratic constraints (IQCs). We use the fact that IQCs may be transformed into semi-infinite maximum eigenvalue constraints over the frequency axis and approach them via nonsmooth optimization methods. We develop a suitable spectral bundle method and prove its convergence in … Read more

Error estimates for the Euler discretization of an optimal control problem with first-order state constraints

We study the error introduced in the solution of an optimal control problem with first order state constraints, for which the trajectories are approximated with a classical Euler scheme. We obtain order one approximation results in the $L^\infty$ norm (as opposed to the order 2/3 obtained in the literature). We assume either a strong second … Read more

Linear conic optimization for inverse optimal control

We address the inverse problem of Lagrangian identification based on trajectories in the context of nonlinear optimal control. We propose a general formulation of the inverse problem based on occupation measures and complementarity in linear programming. The use of occupation measures in this context offers several advantages from the theoretical, numerical and statistical points of … Read more

Semi-definite relaxations for optimal control problems with oscillation and concentration effects

Converging hierarchies of finite-dimensional semi-definite relaxations have been proposed for state-constrained optimal control problems featuring oscillation phenomena, by relaxing controls as Young measures. These semi-definite relaxations were later on extended to optimal control problems depending linearly on the control input and typically featuring concentration phenomena, interpreting the control as a measure of time with a … Read more

Preconditioning of Active-Set Newton Methods for PDE-constrained Optimal Control Problems

We address the problem of preconditioning a sequence of saddle point linear systems arising in the solution of PDE-constrained optimal control problems via active-set Newton methods, with control and (regularized) state constraints. We present two new preconditioners based on a full block matrix factorization of the Schur complement of the Jacobian matrices, where the active-set … Read more