Energy
Hybrid Reinforcement Learning for Optimizing Pump Sustainability in Real-World Water Distribution Networks
Patel, Harsh, Zhou, Yuan, Lamb, Alexander P, Wang, Shu, Luo, Jieliang
This article addresses the pump-scheduling optimization problem to enhance real-time control of real-world water distribution networks (WDNs). Our primary objectives are to adhere to physical operational constraints while reducing energy consumption and operational costs. Traditional optimization techniques, such as evolution-based and genetic algorithms, often fall short due to their lack of convergence guarantees. Conversely, reinforcement learning (RL) stands out for its adaptability to uncertainties and reduced inference time, enabling real-time responsiveness. However, the effective implementation of RL is contingent on building accurate simulation models for WDNs, and prior applications have been limited by errors in simulation training data. These errors can potentially cause the RL agent to learn misleading patterns and actions and recommend suboptimal operational strategies. To overcome these challenges, we present an improved "hybrid RL" methodology. This method integrates the benefits of RL while anchoring it in historical data, which serves as a baseline to incrementally introduce optimal control recommendations. By leveraging operational data as a foundation for the agent's actions, we enhance the explainability of the agent's actions, foster more robust recommendations, and minimize error. Our findings demonstrate that the hybrid RL agent can significantly improve sustainability, operational efficiency, and dynamically adapt to emerging scenarios in real-world WDNs.
Time Series Continuous Modeling for Imputation and Forecasting with Implicit Neural Representations
Naour, Etienne Le, Serrano, Louis, Migus, Léon, Yin, Yuan, Agoua, Ghislain, Baskiotis, Nicolas, Gallinari, Patrick, Guigue, Vincent
We introduce a novel modeling approach for time series imputation and forecasting, tailored to address the challenges often encountered in real-world data, such as irregular samples, missing data, or unaligned measurements from multiple sensors. Our method relies on a continuous-time-dependent model of the series' evolution dynamics. It leverages adaptations of conditional, implicit neural representations for sequential data. A modulation mechanism, driven by a meta-learning algorithm, allows adaptation to unseen samples and extrapolation beyond observed time-windows for long-term predictions. The model provides a highly flexible and unified framework for imputation and forecasting tasks across a wide range of challenging scenarios. It achieves state-of-the-art performance on classical benchmarks and outperforms alternative time-continuous models.
Energy-Aware Ergodic Search: Continuous Exploration for Multi-Agent Systems with Battery Constraints
Seewald, Adam, Lerch, Cameron J., Chancán, Marvin, Dollar, Aaron M., Abraham, Ian
Autonomous exploration without interruption is important in scenarios such as search and rescue and precision agriculture, where consistent presence is needed to detect events over large areas. Ergodic search already derives continuous coverage trajectories in these scenarios so that a robot spends more time in areas with high information density. However, existing literature on ergodic search does not consider the robot's energy constraints, limiting how long a robot can explore. In fact, if the robots are battery-powered, it is physically not possible to continuously explore on a single battery charge. Our paper tackles this challenge by integrating ergodic search methods with energy-aware coverage. We trade off battery usage and coverage quality, maintaining uninterrupted exploration of a given space by at least one agent. Our approach derives an abstract battery model for future state-of-charge estimation and extends canonical ergodic search to ergodic search under battery constraints. Empirical data from simulations and real-world experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of our energy-aware ergodic search, which ensures continuous and uninterrupted exploration and guarantees spatial coverage.
Learning nonlinear integral operators via Recurrent Neural Networks and its application in solving Integro-Differential Equations
Bassi, Hardeep, Zhu, Yuanran, Liang, Senwei, Yin, Jia, Reeves, Cian C., Vlcek, Vojtech, Yang, Chao
In this paper, we propose using LSTM-RNNs (Long Short-Term Memory-Recurrent Neural Networks) to learn and represent nonlinear integral operators that appear in nonlinear integro-differential equations (IDEs). The LSTM-RNN representation of the nonlinear integral operator allows us to turn a system of nonlinear integro-differential equations into a system of ordinary differential equations for which many efficient solvers are available. Furthermore, because the use of LSTM-RNN representation of the nonlinear integral operator in an IDE eliminates the need to perform a numerical integration in each numerical time evolution step, the overall temporal cost of the LSTM-RNN-based IDE solver can be reduced to $O(n_T)$ from $O(n_T^2)$ if a $n_T$-step trajectory is to be computed. We illustrate the efficiency and robustness of this LSTM-RNN-based numerical IDE solver with a model problem. Additionally, we highlight the generalizability of the learned integral operator by applying it to IDEs driven by different external forces. As a practical application, we show how this methodology can effectively solve the Dyson's equation for quantum many-body systems.
Integrating Symbolic Reasoning into Neural Generative Models for Design Generation
Jacobson, Maxwell Joseph, Xue, Yexiang
Design generation requires tight integration of neural and symbolic reasoning, as good design must meet explicit user needs and honor implicit rules for aesthetics, utility, and convenience. Current automated design tools driven by neural networks produce appealing designs, but cannot satisfy user specifications and utility requirements. Symbolic reasoning tools, such as constraint programming, cannot perceive low-level visual information in images or capture subtle aspects such as aesthetics. We introduce the Spatial Reasoning Integrated Generator (SPRING) for design generation. SPRING embeds a neural and symbolic integrated spatial reasoning module inside the deep generative network. The spatial reasoning module decides the locations of objects to be generated in the form of bounding boxes, which are predicted by a recurrent neural network and filtered by symbolic constraint satisfaction. Embedding symbolic reasoning into neural generation guarantees that the output of SPRING satisfies user requirements. Furthermore, SPRING offers interpretability, allowing users to visualize and diagnose the generation process through the bounding boxes. SPRING is also adept at managing novel user specifications not encountered during its training, thanks to its proficiency in zero-shot constraint transfer. Quantitative evaluations and a human study reveal that SPRING outperforms baseline generative models, excelling in delivering high design quality and better meeting user specifications.
Near-optimal Differentially Private Client Selection in Federated Settings
Alam, Syed Eqbal, Shukla, Dhirendra, Rao, Shrisha
We develop an iterative differentially private algorithm for client selection in federated settings. We consider a federated network wherein clients coordinate with a central server to complete a task; however, the clients decide whether to participate or not at a time step based on their preferences -- local computation and probabilistic intent. The algorithm does not require client-to-client information exchange. The developed algorithm provides near-optimal values to the clients over long-term average participation with a certain differential privacy guarantee. Finally, we present the experimental results to check the algorithm's efficacy.
Augmented Computational Design: Methodical Application of Artificial Intelligence in Generative Design
Nourian, Pirouz, Azadi, Shervin, Uijtendaal, Roy, Bai, Nan
The core of the performance-driven computational design is to trace the sensitivity of variations of some performance indicators to the differences between design alternatives. Therefore any argument about the utility of AI for performancebased design must necessarily discuss the representation of such differences, as explicitly as possible. The existing data models and data representations in the field of Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC), such as CAD and BIM are heavily focused on geometrically representing building elements and facilitating the process of construction management. Unfortunately, the field of AEC does not currently have a structured discourse based on an explicit representation of decision variables and outcomes of interest. Specifically, the notion of design representation and the idea of data modelling for representing "what needs to be attained from buildings" is rather absent in the literature.
Multinational AGI Consortium (MAGIC): A Proposal for International Coordination on AI
Hausenloy, Jason, Miotti, Andrea, Dennis, Claire
This paper proposes a Multinational Artificial General Intelligence Consortium (MAGIC) to mitigate existential risks from advanced artificial intelligence (AI). MAGIC would be the only institution in the world permitted to develop advanced AI, enforced through a global moratorium by its signatory members on all other advanced AI development. MAGIC would be exclusive, safety-focused, highly secure, and collectively supported by member states, with benefits distributed equitably among signatories. MAGIC would allow narrow AI models to flourish while significantly reducing the possibility of misaligned, rogue, breakout, or runaway outcomes of general-purpose systems. We do not address the political feasibility of implementing a moratorium or address the specific legislative strategies and rules needed to enforce a ban on high-capacity AGI training runs. Instead, we propose one positive vision of the future, where MAGIC, as a global governance regime, can lay the groundwork for long-term, safe regulation of advanced AI.
Quantum Machine Learning in Climate Change and Sustainability: a Review
Nammouchi, Amal, Kassler, Andreas, Theorachis, Andreas
While quantum mechanics, while classical computation is built classical machine learning techniques have been applied on the rules of classical physics (Nielsen and Chuang to several problems in this area, Quantum machine learning 2010)(Desurvire 2009). Classical computers operate by manipulating (QML) offers a promising approach to overcome classical bits, while in quantum computers, the information machine learning (ML) limitations in climate change is processed via the means of its building blocks called research by leveraging quantum computing (Singh et al. qubits. Quantum bits or qubits live in a two-dimensional linear 2021). This section introduces the need for significant actions vector or Hilbert space, unlike bits that can assume discrete to face climate change, most importantly, by introducing values of either 0 or 1. The two computational basis new cutting-edge technologies such as quantum machine states that span the Hilbert space of a qubit are denoted by learning (QML) (Wittek 2014) to help accelerate the CO2-the states |0 and |1, as shown in Eq. (1).
Optimal Scheduling of Electric Vehicle Charging with Deep Reinforcement Learning considering End Users Flexibility
Menos-Aikateriniadis, Christoforos, Sykiotis, Stavros, Georgilakis, Pavlos S.
The rapid growth of decentralized energy resources and especially Electric Vehicles (EV), that are expected to increase sharply over the next decade, will put further stress on existing power distribution networks, increasing the need for higher system reliability and flexibility. In an attempt to avoid unnecessary network investments and to increase the controllability over distribution networks, network operators develop demand response (DR) programs that incentivize end users to shift their consumption in return for financial or other benefits. Artificial intelligence (AI) methods are in the research forefront for residential load scheduling applications, mainly due to their high accuracy, high computational speed and lower dependence on the physical characteristics of the models under development. The aim of this work is to identify households' EV cost-reducing charging policy under a Time-of-Use tariff scheme, with the use of Deep Reinforcement Learning, and more specifically Deep Q-Networks (DQN). A novel end users flexibility potential reward is inferred from historical data analysis, where households with solar power generation have been used to train and test the designed algorithm. The suggested DQN EV charging policy can lead to more than 20% of savings in end users electricity bills.