Laboratory for Control, Learning, and Systems Biology

synchronization

2016
  1. Z. Aminzare, E.D. Sontag, "Some remarks on spatial uniformity of solutions of reaction-diffusion PDEs", Nonlinear Analysis, vol. 147, pp. 125-144, 2016. pdf
    Abstract

    This paper presents a condition which guarantees spatial uniformity for the asymptotic behavior of the solutions of a reaction diffusion partial differential equation (PDE) with Neumann boundary conditions in one dimension, using the Jacobian matrix of the reaction term and the first Dirichlet eigenvalue of the Laplacian operator on the given spatial domain. The estimates are based on logarithmic norms in non-Hilbert spaces, which allow, in particular for a class of examples of interest in biology, tighter estimates than other previously proposed methods.

2014
  1. Z. Aminzare, E.D. Sontag, "Synchronization of diffusively-connected nonlinear systems: results based on contractions with respect to general norms", IEEE Transactions on Network Science and Engineering, vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 91-106, 2014. pdf
    Abstract

    Contraction theory provides an elegant way to analyze the behavior of certain nonlinear dynamical systems. In this paper, we discuss the application of contraction to synchronization of diffusively interconnected components described by nonlinear differential equations. We provide estimates of convergence of the difference in states between components, in the cases of line, complete, and star graphs, and Cartesian products of such graphs. We base our approach on contraction theory, using matrix measures derived from norms that are not induced by inner products. Such norms are the most appropriate in many applications, but proofs cannot rely upon Lyapunov-like linear matrix inequalities, and different techniques, such as the use of the Perron-Frobenious Theorem in the cases of L1 or L-infinity norms, must be introduced.

  2. Z. Aminzare, E.D. Sontag, "Remarks on diffusive-link synchronization using non-Hilbert logarithmic norms", In Proc. IEEE Conf. Decision and Control, Los Angeles, Dec. 2014, pp. 6086-6091, 2014.
    Abstract

    In this paper, we sketch recent results for synchronization in a network of identical ODE models which are diffusively interconnected. In particular, we provide estimates of convergence of the difference in states between components, in the cases of line, complete, and star graphs, and Cartesian products of such graphs.

  3. Z. Aminzare, Y. Shafi, M. Arcak, E.D. Sontag, "Guaranteeing spatial uniformity in reaction-diffusion systems using weighted L_2-norm contractions", In A Systems Theoretic Approach to Systems and Synthetic Biology I: Models and System Characterizations, pp. 73-101, 2014. pdf
    Abstract

    This paper gives conditions that guarantee spatial uniformity of the solutions of reaction-diffusion partial differential equations, stated in terms of the Jacobian matrix and Neumann eigenvalues of elliptic operators on the given spatial domain, and similar conditions for diffusively-coupled networks of ordinary differential equations. Also derived are numerical tests making use of linear matrix inequalities that are useful in certifying these conditions.

2013
  1. Z. Aminzare, E.D. Sontag, "Logarithmic Lipschitz norms and diffusion-induced instability", Nonlinear Analysis: Theory, Methods & Applications, vol. 83, pp. 31-49, 2013. pdf
    Abstract

    This paper proves that ordinary differential equation systems that are contractive with respect to L^p norms remain so when diffusion is added. Thus, diffusive instabilities, in the sense of the Turing phenomenon, cannot arise for such systems, and in fact any two solutions converge exponentially to each other. The key tools are semi-inner products and logarithmic Lipschitz constants in Banach spaces. An example from biochemistry is discussed, which shows the necessity of considering non-Hilbert spaces. An analogous result for graph-defined interconnections of systems defined by ordinary differential equations is given as well.

  2. G. Russo, M. di Bernardo, E.D. Sontag, "A contraction approach to the hierarchical analysis and design of networked systems", IEEE Transactions Autom. Control, vol. 58, pp. 1328-1331, 2013. pdf
    Abstract

    This paper studies networks of components, and shows that a contraction property on the interconnection matrix, coupled with contractivity of the individual component subsystems, suffices to insure contractivity of the overall system.

  3. Y. Shafi, Z. Aminzare, M. Arcak, E.D. Sontag, "Spatial uniformity in diffusively-coupled systems using weighted L2 norm contractions", In Proc. American Control Conference, pp. 5639-5644, 2013. pdf
    Abstract

    We present conditions that guarantee spatial uniformity in diffusively-coupled systems. Diffusive coupling is a ubiquitous form of local interaction, arising in diverse areas including multiagent coordination and pattern formation in biochemical networks. The conditions we derive make use of the Jacobian matrix and Neumann eigenvalues of elliptic operators, and generalize and unify existing theory about asymptotic convergence of trajectories of reaction-diffusion partial differential equations as well as compartmental ordinary differential equations. We present numerical tests making use of linear matrix inequalities that may be used to certify these conditions. We discuss an example pertaining to electromechanical oscillators. The paper's main contributions are unified verifiable relaxed conditions that guarantee synchrony.

2010
  1. G. Russo, M. di Bernardo, E.D. Sontag, "Stability of networked systems: a multi-scale approach using contraction", In Proc. IEEE Conf. Decision and Control, Atlanta, Dec. 2010, pp. FrB14.3, 2010.
    Abstract

    Preliminary conference version of ''A contraction approach to the hierarchical analysis and design of networked systems''.

  2. E.D. Sontag, "Contractive systems with inputs", In Perspectives in Mathematical System Theory, Control, and Signal Processing, pp. 217-228, 2010. pdf
    Abstract

    Contraction theory provides an elegant way of analyzing the behaviors of systems subject to external inputs. Under sometimes easy to check hypotheses, systems can be shown to have the incremental stability property that all trajectories converge to a unique solution. This property is especially interesting when forcing functions are periodic (globally attracting limit cycles result), as well as in the context of establishing synchronization results. The present paper provides a self-contained introduction to some basic results, with a focus on contractions with respect to non-Euclidean metrics.