Sample Reuse Techniques of Randomized Algorithms for Control under Uncertainty

Sample reuse techniques have significantly reduced the numerical complexity of probabilistic robustness analysis. Existing results show that for a nested collection of hyper-spheres the complexity of the problem of performing $N$ equivalent i.i.d. (identical and independent) experiments for each sphere is absolutely bounded, independent of the number of spheres and depending only on the initial and final radii. In this chapter we elevate sample reuse to a new level of generality and establish that the numerical complexity of performing $N$ equivalent i.i.d. experiments for a chain of sets is absolutely bounded if the sets are nested. Each set does not even have to be connected, as long as the nested property holds. Thus, for example, the result permits the integration of deterministic and probabilistic analysis to eliminate regions from an uncertainty set and reduce even further the complexity of some problems. With a more general view, the result enables the analysis of complex decision problems mixing real-valued and discrete-valued random variables.

On the Binomial Confidence Interval and Probabilistic Robust Control

The Clopper-Pearson confidence interval has ever been documented as an exact approach in some statistics literature. More recently, such approach of interval estimation has been introduced to probabilistic control theory and has been referred as non-conservative in control community. In this note, we clarify the fact that the so-called exact approach is actually conservative. In particular, we derive analytic results demonstrating the extent of conservatism in the context of probabilistic robustness analysis. This investigation encourages seeking better methods of confidence interval construction for robust control purpose.

Fast Construction of Robustness Degradation Function

We develop a fast algorithm to construct the robustness degradation function, which describes quantitatively the relationship between the proportion of systems guaranteeing the robustness requirement and the radius of the uncertainty set. This function can be applied to predict whether a controller design based on an inexact mathematical model will perform satisfactorily when implemented on the true system.