Constantino M. Lagoa

Sarah Hojjatinia, Constantino M. Lagoa, Fabrizio Dabbene

The paper introduces a novel methodology for the identification of coefficients of switched autoregressive linear models. We consider the case when the system's outputs are contaminated by possibly large values of measurement noise. It is assumed that only partial information on the probability distribution of the noise is available. Given input-output data, we aim at identifying switched system coefficients and parameters of the distribution of the noise which are compatible with the collected data. System dynamics are estimated through expected values computation and by exploiting the strong law of large numbers. We demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed approach with several academic examples. The method is shown to be extremely effective in the situations where a large number of measurements is available; cases in which previous approaches based on polynomial or mixed-integer optimization cannot be applied due to very large computational burden.

Chiara Ravazzi, Sarah Hojjatinia, Constantino M. Lagoa et al.

In this paper, we propose a technique for the estimation of the influence matrix in a sparse social network, in which $n$ individual communicate in a gossip way. At each step, a random subset of the social actors is active and interacts with randomly chosen neighbors. The opinions evolve according to a Friedkin and Johnsen mechanism, in which the individuals updates their belief to a convex combination of their current belief, the belief of the agents they interact with, and their initial belief, or prejudice. Leveraging recent results of estimation of vector autoregressive processes, we reconstruct the social network topology and the strength of the interconnections starting from \textit{partial observations} of the interactions, thus removing one of the main drawbacks of finite horizon techniques. The effectiveness of the proposed method is shown on randomly generation networks.

Fiaz Hossain, Nilanjan Ray Chaudhuri, Constantino M. Lagoa

We propose a generalized dynamic phasor (DP) framework to analyze inverter-based resources (IBRs) connected to multi-machine systems under balanced and unbalanced conditions. It captures subsynchronous oscillations (SSOs) induced by grid-following (GFL) IBRs. The linearizability and time invariance of the framework enables us to perform eigen decomposition, which is a powerful tool for root-cause analysis of the SSO modes and damping controller design. The same framework also enables analysis of excitation of the SSO modes in presence of data center (DC) loads. The GFL IBRs are modeled in their respective $dq$-frame DPs and the detailed model of synchronous generators (SGs) along with dynamic transmission network models are represented in $pnz$-frame DPs. Several case studies are performed on the modified IEEE two-area benchmark system, where $2$ SGs are replaced by GFL IBRs and validated with EMTDC/PSCAD simulations. First, time- and frequency-domain analyses of the SSO mode are presented followed by the design of a robust decentralized $\mathcal{H}_\infty$ damping controller based on local signals of the GFL IBRs. Second, the dynamic behavior of the system following an unbalanced fault is demonstrated that is damped by the proposed damping controller. Finally, excitation of the SSO mode in presence of DC load is exhibited and its locational impact is analytically quantified.

Sarah Hojjatinia, Korkut Bekiroglu, Constantino M. Lagoa

In this short paper, we aim at developing algorithms for sparse Volterra system identification when the system to be identified has infinite impulse response. Assuming that the impulse response is represented as a sum of exponentials and given input-output data, the problem of interest is to find the "simplest" nonlinear Volterra model which is compatible with the a priori information and the collected data. By simplest, we mean the model whose impulse response has the least number of exponentials. The algorithms provided are able to handle both fragmented data and measurement noise. Academic examples at the end of paper show the efficacy of proposed approach.

Sarah Hojjatinia, Constantino M. Lagoa

This paper introduces a novel methodology for the identification of switching dynamics for switched autoregressive linear models. Switching behavior is assumed to follow a Markov model. The system's outputs are contaminated by possibly large values of measurement noise. Although the procedure provided can handle other noise distributions, for simplicity, it is assumed that the distribution is Normal with unknown variance. Given noisy input-output data, we aim at identifying switched system coefficients, parameters of the noise distribution, dynamics of switching and probability transition matrix of Markovian model. System dynamics are estimated using previous results which exploit algebraic constraints that system trajectories have to satisfy. Switching dynamics are computed with solving a maximum likelihood estimation problem. The efficiency of proposed approach is shown with several academic examples. Although the noise to output ratio can be high, the method is shown to be extremely effective in the situations where a large number of measurements is available.

Omar M. Sleem, Sahand Kiani, Constantino M. Lagoa

This paper proposes a method for estimating a surface that contains a given set of points from noisy measurements. More precisely, by assuming that the surface is described by the zero set of a function in the span of a given set of features and a parametric description of the distribution of the noise, a computationally efficient method is described that estimates both the surface and the noise distribution parameters. In the provided examples, polynomial and sinusoidal basis functions were used. However, any chosen basis that satisfies the outlined conditions mentioned in the paper can be approximated as a combination of trigonometric, exponential, and/or polynomial terms, making the presented approach highly generalizable. The proposed algorithm exhibits linear computational complexity in the number of samples. Our approach requires no hyperparameter tuning or data preprocessing and effectively handles data in dimensions beyond 2D and 3D. The theoretical results demonstrating the convergence of the proposed algorithm have been provided. To highlight the performance of the proposed method, comprehensive numerical results are conducted, evaluating our method against state-of-the-art algorithms, including Poisson Reconstruction and the Neural Network-based Encoder-X, on 2D and 3D shapes. The results demonstrate the superiority of our method under the same conditions.

Sahand Kiani, Constantino M. Lagoa

Willems' Fundamental Lemma enables parameterizing all trajectories generated by a Linear Time-Invariant (LTI) system directly from data. However, this lemma relies on the assumption of noiseless measurements. In this paper, we provide an approach that enables the applicability of Willems' Fundamental Lemma with a large noisy-input, noisy-output fragmented dataset, without requiring prior knowledge of the noise distribution. We introduce a computationally tractable and lightweight algorithm that, despite processing a large dataset, executes in the order of seconds to estimate the invariants of the underlying system, which is obscured by noise. The simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.

Sahand Kiani, Constantino M. Lagoa

The synthesis of robust invariant sets for nonlinear systems has traditionally been hindered by the inherent non convexity and a strict reliance on exact analytical models. This paper presents a purely data-driven framework to compute robust polytopic contractive sets for unknown nonlinear systems operating under persistent bounded process noise and state-input constraints. Rather than attempting to identify a single, potentially nominal model, we utilize a finite data set to construct a polytopic consistency set--a rigorous geometric boundary encapsulating all possible system dynamics compatible with the noisy measurements. The core contribution of this work extends an established sufficient condition for λ contractiveness into the data-driven setting. Crucially, we prove that enforcing this condition strictly over the vertices of the consistency set guarantees robust invariance.

Sahar Hojjatinia, Constantino M. Lagoa

Developing electrophysiological recordings of brain neuronal activity and their analysis provide a basis for exploring the structure of brain function and nervous system investigation. The recorded signals are typically a combination of spikes and noise. High amounts of background noise and possibility of electric signaling recording from several neurons adjacent to the recording site have led scientists to develop neuronal signal processing tools such as spike sorting to facilitate brain data analysis. Spike sorting plays a pivotal role in understanding the electrophysiological activity of neuronal networks. This process prepares recorded data for interpretations of neurons interactions and understanding the overall structure of brain functions. Spike sorting consists of three steps: spike detection, feature extraction, and spike clustering. There are several methods to implement each of spike sorting steps. This paper provides a systematic comparison of various spike sorting sub-techniques applied to real extracellularly recorded data from a rat brain basolateral amygdala. An efficient sorted data resulted from careful choice of spike sorting sub-methods leads to better interpretation of the brain structures connectivity under different conditions, which is a very sensitive concept in diagnosis and treatment of neurological disorders. Here, spike detection is performed by appropriate choice of threshold level via three different approaches. Feature extraction is done through PCA and Kernel PCA methods, which Kernel PCA outperforms. We have applied four different algorithms for spike clustering including K-means, Fuzzy C-means, Bayesian and Fuzzy maximum likelihood estimation. As one requirement of most clustering algorithms, optimal number of clusters is achieved through validity indices for each method. Finally, the sorting results are evaluated using inter-spike interval histograms.