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The paper is devoted to convex-concave saddle point problems where the objective is a sum of a large number of functions. Such problems attract considerable attention of the mathematical community due to the variety of applications in machine learning, including adversarial learning, adversarial attacks and robust reinforcement learning, to name a few. The individual functions in the sum usually represent losses related to examples from a data set. Additionally, the formulation admits a possibly nonsmooth composite term. Such terms often reflect regularization in machine learning problems. We assume that the dimension of one of the variable groups is relatively small (about a hundred or less), and the other one is large. This case arises, for example, when one considers the dual formulation for a minimization problem with a moderate number of constraints. The proposed approach is based on using Vaidya’s cutting plane method to minimize with respect to the outer block of variables. This optimization algorithm is especially effective when the dimension of the problem is not very large. An inexact oracle for Vaidya’s method is calculated via an approximate solution of the inner maximization problem, which is solved by the accelerated variance reduced algorithm Katyusha. Thus, we leverage the structure of the problem to achieve fast convergence. Separate complexity bounds for gradients of different components with respect to different variables are obtained in the study. The proposed approach is imposing very mild assumptions about the objective. In particular, neither strong convexity nor smoothness is required with respect to the low-dimensional variable group. The number of steps of the proposed algorithm as well as the arithmetic complexity of each step explicitly depend on the dimensionality of the outer variable, hence the assumption that it is relatively small.

The article focuses on the problem of mechanisms’ co-design for robotic systems to perform adaptive physical interaction with an unstructured environment, including physical human robot interaction. The co-design means simultaneous optimization of mechanics and control system, ensuring optimal behavior and performance of the system. Mechanics optimization refers to the search for optimal structure, geometric parameters, mass distribution among the links and their compliance; control refers to the search for motion trajectories for mechanism’s joints. The paper presents a generalized method of structural-parametric synthesis of underactuated mechanisms with closed kinematics for robotic systems for various purposes, e. g., it was previously used for the co-design of fingers’ mechanisms for anthropomorphic gripper and legs’ mechanisms for galloping robots. The method implements the concept of morphological computation of control laws due to the features of mechanical design, minimizing the control effort from the algorithmic component of the control system, which reduces the requirements for the level of technical equipment and reduces energy consumption. In this paper, the proposed method is used to optimize the structure and geometric parameters of the passive mechanism of the back support module of an industrial exosuit. Human movements are diverse and non-deterministic when compared with the movements of autonomous robots, which complicates the design of wearable robotic devices. To reduce injuries, fatigue and increase the productivity of workers, the synthesized industrial exosuit should not only compensate for loads, but also not interfere with the natural human motions. To test the developed exosuit, kinematic datasets from motion capture of an entire human body during industrial operations were used. The proposed method of structural-parametric synthesis was used to improve the ergonomics of a wearable robotic device. Verification of the synthesized mechanism was carried out using simulation: the passive module of the back is attached to two geometric primitives that move the chest and pelvis of the exosuit operator in accordance with the motion capture data. The ergonomics of the back module is quantified by the distance between the joints connecting the upper and bottom parts of the exosuit; minimizing deviation from the average value corresponds to a lesser limitation of the operator’s movement, i. e. greater ergonomics. The article provides a detailed description of the method of structural-parametric synthesis, an example of synthesis of an exosuit module and the results of simulation.

A model of combustion of premixed mixture of gases with one global chemical reaction is considered, the model includes equations of the second order for temperature of mixture and concentrations of fuel and oxidizer, and the right-hand sides of these equations contain the reaction rate function. This function depends on five unknown parameters of the global reaction and serves as approximation to multistep reaction mechanism. The model is reduced, after replacement of variables, to one equation of the second order for temperature of mixture that transforms to a first-order equation for temperature derivative depending on temperature that contains a parameter of flame propagation velocity. Thus, for computing the parameter of burning velocity, one has to solve Dirichlet problem for first-order equation, and after that a model dependence of burning velocity on mixture equivalence ratio at specified reaction rate parameters will be obtained. Given the experimental data of dependence of burning velocity on mixture equivalence ratio, the problem of optimal selection of reaction rate parameters is stated, based on minimization of the mean square deviation of model values of burning velocity on experimental ones. The aim of our study is analysis of uniqueness of this problem solution. To this end, we apply computational experiment during which the problem of global search of optima is solved using multistart of gradient descent. The computational experiment clarifies that the inverse problem in this statement is underdetermined, and every time, when running gradient descent from a selected starting point, it converges to a new limit point. The structure of the set of limit points in the five-dimensional space is analyzed, and it is shown that this set can be described with three linear equations. Therefore, it might be incorrect to tabulate all five parameters of reaction rate based on just one match criterion between model and experimental data of flame propagation velocity. The conclusion of our study is that in order to tabulate reaction rate parameters correctly, it is necessary to specify the values of two of them, based on additional optimality criteria.

The work is devoted to the problem of creating a model with stationary parameters using historical data under conditions of unknown disturbances. The case is considered when a representative sample of object states can be formed using historical data accumulated only over a significant period of time. It is assumed that unknown disturbances can act in a wide frequency range and may have low-frequency and trend components. In such a situation, including data from different time periods in the sample can lead to inconsistencies and greatly reduce the accuracy of the model. The paper provides an overview of approaches and methods for data harmonization. In this case, the main attention is paid to data sampling. An assessment is made of the applicability of various data sampling options as a tool for reducing the level of uncertainty. We propose a method for identifying a self-leveling object model using data accumulated over a significant period of time under conditions of unknown disturbances with a wide frequency range. The method is focused on creating a model with stationary parameters that does not require periodic reconfiguration to new conditions. The method is based on the combined use of sampling and presentation of data from individual periods of time in the form of increments relative to the initial point in time for the period. This makes it possible to reduce the number of parameters that characterize unknown disturbances with a minimum of assumptions that limit the application of the method. As a result, the dimensionality of the search problem is reduced and the computational costs associated with setting up the model are minimized. It is possible to configure both linear and, in some cases, nonlinear models. The method was used to develop a model of closed cooling of steel on a unit for continuous hot-dip galvanizing of steel strip. The model can be used for predictive control of thermal processes and for selecting strip speed. It is shown that the method makes it possible to develop a model of thermal processes from a closed cooling section under conditions of unknown disturbances, including low-frequency components.

Inverse geophysical problems are difficult to solve due to their mathematically incorrect formulation and large computational complexity. Geophysical exploration in frontier areas is even more complicated due to the lack of reliable geological information. In this case, inversion methods that allow interpretation of several types of geophysical data together are recognized to be of major importance. This paper is dedicated to one of such inversion methods, which is based on minimization of the determinant of the Gram matrix for a set of model vectors. Within the framework of this approach, we minimize a nonlinear functional, which consists of squared norms of data residual of different types, the sum of stabilizing functionals and a term that measures the structural similarity between different model vectors. We apply this approach to seismic and electromagnetic synthetic data set. Specifically, we study joint inversion of acoustic pressure response together with controlled-source electrical field imposing structural constraints on resulting electrical conductivity and P-wave velocity distributions.

We start off this note with the problem formulation and present the numerical method for inverse problem. We implemented the conjugate-gradient algorithm for non-linear optimization. The efficiency of our approach is demonstrated in numerical experiments, in which the true 3D electrical conductivity model was assumed to be known, but the velocity model was constructed during inversion of seismic data. The true velocity model was based on a simplified geology structure of a marine prospect. Synthetic seismic data was used as an input for our minimization algorithm. The resulting velocity model not only fit to the data but also has structural similarity with the given conductivity model. Our tests have shown that optimally chosen weight of the Gramian term may improve resolution of the final models considerably.

First-order optimization methods are workhorses in a wide range of modern applications in economics, physics, biology, machine learning, control, and other fields. Among other first-order methods accelerated and momentum ones obtain special attention because of their practical efficiency. The heavy-ball method (HB) is one of the first momentum methods. The method was proposed in 1964 and the first analysis was conducted for quadratic strongly convex functions. Since then a number of variations of HB have been proposed and analyzed. In particular, HB is known for its simplicity in implementation and its performance on nonconvex problems. However, as other momentum methods, it has nonmonotone behavior, and for optimal parameters, the method suffers from the so-called peak effect. To address this issue, in this paper, we consider an averaged version of the heavy-ball method (AHB). We show that for quadratic problems AHB has a smaller maximal deviation from the solution than HB. Moreover, for general convex and strongly convex functions, we prove non-accelerated rates of global convergence of AHB, its weighted version WAHB, and for AHB with restarts R-AHB. To the best of our knowledge, such guarantees for HB with averaging were not explicitly proven for strongly convex problems in the existing works. Finally, we conduct several numerical experiments on minimizing quadratic and nonquadratic functions to demonstrate the advantages of using averaging for HB. Moreover, we also tested one more modification of AHB called the tail-averaged heavy-ball method (TAHB). In the experiments, we observed that HB with a properly adjusted averaging scheme converges faster than HB without averaging and has smaller oscillations.

An algorithm is proposed to identify parameters of a 2D vortex structure used on information about the flow velocity at a finite (small) set of reference points. The approach is based on using a set of point vortices as a model system and minimizing a functional that compares the model and known sets of velocity vectors in the space of model parameters. For numerical implementation, the method of gradient descent with step size control, approximation of derivatives by finite differences, and the analytical expression of the velocity field induced by the point vortex model are used. An experimental analysis of the operation of the algorithm on test flows is carried out: one and a system of several point vortices, a Rankine vortex, and a Lamb dipole. According to the velocity fields of test flows, the velocity vectors utilized for identification were arranged in a randomly distributed set of reference points (from 3 to 200 pieces). Using the computations, it was determined that: the algorithm converges to the minimum from a wide range of initial approximations; the algorithm converges in all cases when the reference points are located in areas where the streamlines of the test and model systems are topologically equivalent; if the streamlines of the systems are not topologically equivalent, then the percentage of successful calculations decreases, but convergence can also take place; when the method converges, the coordinates of the vortices of the model system are close to the centers of the vortices of the test configurations, and in many cases, the values of their circulations also; con-vergence depends more on location than on the number of vectors used for identification. The results of the study allow us to recommend the proposed algorithm for identifying 2D vortex structures whose streamlines are topologically close to systems of point vortices.

In this paper we consider the controlled motion of a helical body with three blades in an ideal fluid, which is executed by rotating three internal rotors. We set the problem of selecting control actions, which ensure the motion of the body near the predetermined trajectory. To determine controls that guarantee motion near the given curve, we propose methods based on the application of hybrid genetic algorithms (genetic algorithms with real encoding and with additional learning of the leader of the population by a gradient method) and artificial neural networks. The correctness of the operation of the proposed numerical methods is estimated using previously obtained differential equations, which define the law of changing the control actions for the predetermined trajectory.

In the approach based on hybrid genetic algorithms, the initial problem of minimizing the integral functional reduces to minimizing the function of many variables. The given time interval is broken up into small elements, on each of which the control actions are approximated by Lagrangian polynomials of order 2 and 3. When appropriately adjusted, the hybrid genetic algorithms reproduce a solution close to exact. However, the cost of calculation of 1 second of the physical process is about 300 seconds of processor time.

To increase the speed of calculation of control actions, we propose an algorithm based on artificial neural networks. As the input signal the neural network takes the components of the required displacement vector. The node values of the Lagrangian polynomials which approximately describe the control actions return as output signals . The neural network is taught by the well-known back-propagation method. The learning sample is generated using the approach based on hybrid genetic algorithms. The calculation of 1 second of the physical process by means of the neural network requires about 0.004 seconds of processor time, that is, 6 orders faster than the hybrid genetic algorithm. The control calculated by means of the artificial neural network differs from exact control. However, in spite of this difference, it ensures that the predetermined trajectory is followed exactly.

In the paper, it is represented a linearization method for the stress-strain curves of nonlinearly deformable beams and circular plates in order to generalize the pure bending vibration equations. It is considered composite, on average isotropic prismatic beams of a constant rectangular cross-section and circular plates of a constant thickness made of nonlinearly elastic materials. The technique consists in determining the approximate Young’s moduli from the initial stress-strain state of beam and plate subjected to the action of the bending moment.

The paper proposes two criteria for linearization: the equality of the specific potential energy of deformation and the minimization of the standard deviation in the state equation approximation. The method allows obtaining in the closed form the estimated value of the natural frequencies of layered and structurally heterogeneous, on average isotropic nonlinearly elastic beams and circular plates. This makes it possible to significantly reduce the resources in the vibration analysis and modeling of these structural elements. In addition, the paper shows that the proposed linearization criteria allow to estimate the natural frequencies with the same accuracy.

Since in the general case even isotropic materials exhibit different resistance to tension and compression, it is considered the piecewise-linear Prandtl’s diagrams with proportionality limits and tangential Young’s moduli that differ under tension and compression as the stress-strain curves of the composite material components. As parameters of the stress-strain curve, it is considered the effective Voigt’s characteristics (under the hypothesis of strain homogeneity) for a longitudinally layered material structure; the effective Reuss’ characteristics (under the hypothesis of strain homogeneity) for a transversely layered beam and an axially laminated plate. In addition, the effective Young’s moduli and the proportionality limits, obtained by the author’s homogenization method, are given for a structurally heterogeneous, on average isotropic material. As an example, it is calculated the natural frequencies of two-phase beams depending on the component concentrations.

We consider one of the problems of transport modelling — searching the equilibrium distribution of traffic flows in the network. We use the classic Beckman’s model to describe time costs and flow distribution in the network represented by directed graph. Meanwhile agents’ behavior is not completely rational, what is described by the introduction of Markov logit dynamics: any driver selects a route randomly according to the Gibbs’ distribution taking into account current time costs on the edges of the graph. Thus, the problem is reduced to searching of the stationary distribution for this dynamics which is a stochastic Nash – Wardrope equilibrium in the corresponding population congestion game in the transport network. Since the game is potential, this problem is equivalent to the problem of minimization of some functional over flows distribution. The stochasticity is reflected in the appearance of the entropy regularization, in contrast to non-stochastic case. The dual problem is constructed to obtain a solution of the optimization problem. The universal primal-dual gradient method is applied. A major specificity of this method lies in an adaptive adjustment to the local smoothness of the problem, what is most important in case of the complex structure of the objective function and an inability to obtain a prior smoothness bound with acceptable accuracy. Such a situation occurs in the considered problem since the properties of the function strongly depend on the transport graph, on which we do not impose strong restrictions. The article describes the algorithm including the numerical differentiation for calculation of the objective function value and gradient. In addition, the paper represents a theoretical estimate of time complexity of the algorithm and the results of numerical experiments conducted on a small American town.