pwc-archive/papers-with-abstracts huggingface dataset:
Unicorn: A Unified Multi-tasking Model for Supporting Matching Tasks in Data Integration
Authors: Jianhong Tu, Ju Fan, Nan Tang, Peng Wang, Guoliang Li, Xiaoyong Du, Xiaofeng Jia, Song Gao
Date: 2023-05-01 00:00:00
Proceeding: SIGMOD/PODS 2023 5
Tasks: Data Integration, Entity Resolution, Mixture-of-Experts, Zero-Shot Learning

Data matching - which decides whether two data elements (e.g., string, tuple, column, or knowledge graph entity) are the "same" (a.k.a. a match) - is a key concept in data integration, such as entity matching and schema matching. The widely used practice is to build task-specific or even dataset-specific solutions, which are hard to generalize and disable the opportunities of knowledge sharing that can be learned from different datasets and multiple tasks. In this paper, we propose Unicorn, a unified model for generally supporting common data matching tasks. Unicorn can enable knowledge sharing by learning from multiple tasks and multiple datasets, and can also support zero-shot prediction for new tasks with zero labeled matching/non-matching pairs. However, building such a unified model is challenging due to heterogeneous formats of input data elements and various matching semantics of multiple tasks. To address the challenges, Unicorn employs one generic Encoder that converts any pair of data elements (a, b) into a learned representation, and uses a Matcher, which is a binary classifier, to decide whether a matches b. To align matching semantics of multiple tasks, Unicorn adopts a mixture-of-experts model that enhances the learned representation into a better representation. We conduct extensive experiments using 20 datasets on seven well-studied data matching tasks, and find that our unified model can achieve better performance on most tasks and on average, compared with the state-of-the-art specific models trained for ad-hoc tasks and datasets separately. Moreover, Unicorn can also well serve new matching tasks with zero-shot learning.
Complex-Valued End-to-end Deep Network with Coherency Preservation for Complex-Valued SAR Data Reconstruction and Classification
Authors: Reza M. Asiyabi, Mihai Datcu, Andrei Anghel, Holger Nies
Date: 2023-04-14 00:00:00
Proceeding: IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing 2023 4

Deep learning models have achieved remarkable success in many different fields and attracted many interests. Several researchers attempted to apply deep learning models to synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data processing, but it did not have the same breakthrough as the other fields, including optical remote sensing. SAR data are in complex domain by nature and processing them with real-valued (RV) networks neglects the phase component which conveys important and distinctive information. A complex-valued (CV) end-to-end deep network is developed in this study for the reconstruction and classification of CV-SAR data. Azimuth subaperture decomposition is utilized to incorporate physics-aware attributes of the CV-SAR into the deep model. Moreover, the correlation coefficient amplitude (coherence) of the CV-SAR images depends on the SAR system characteristics and physical properties of the target. This coherency should be considered and preserved in the processing chain of the CV-SAR data. The coherency preservation of the CV deep networks for CV-SAR images, which is mostly neglected in the literature, is evaluated in this study. Furthermore, a large-scale CV-SAR annotated dataset for the evaluation of the CV deep networks is lacking. A semantically annotated CV-SAR dataset from Sentinel-1 single look complex stripmap mode data [S1SLC_CVDL (complex-valued deep learning) dataset] is developed and introduced in this study. The experimental analysis demonstrated the better performance of the developed CV deep network for CV-SAR data classification and reconstruction in comparison with the equivalent RV model and more complicated RV architectures, as well as its coherency preservation and physics-aware capability.
Substructure Aware Graph Neural Networks
Authors: Zeng, D., Liu, Chen, W., Zhou, L., Zhang, M., & Qu, H
Date: 2023-06-26 00:00:00
Proceeding: Proceedings of the AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence 2023 6
Tasks: Graph Learning, Graph Regression

Despite the great achievements of Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) in graph learning, conventional GNNs struggle to break through the upper limit of the expressiveness of first-order Weisfeiler-Leman graph isomorphism test algorithm (1-WL) due to the consistency of the propagation paradigm of GNNs with the 1-WL.Based on the fact that it is easier to distinguish the original graph through subgraphs, we propose a novel framework neural network framework called Substructure Aware Graph Neural Networks (SAGNN) to address these issues. We first propose a Cut subgraph which can be obtained from the original graph by continuously and selectively removing edges. Then we extend the random walk encoding paradigm to the return probability of the rooted node on the subgraph to capture the structural information and use it as a node feature to improve the expressiveness of GNNs. We theoretically prove that our framework is more powerful than 1-WL, and is superior in structure perception. Our extensive experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of our framework, achieving state-of-the-art performance on a variety of well-proven graph tasks, and GNNs equipped with our framework perform flawlessly even in 3-WL failed graphs. Specifically, our framework achieves a maximum performance improvement of 83% compared to the base models and 32% compared to the previous state-of-the-art methods.
Decomposing cryptocurrency high-frequency price dynamics into recurring and noisy components
Authors: Marcin Wątorek, Maria Skupień, Jarosław Kwapień, Stanisław Drożdż
Date: 2023-06-29 00:00:00
Tasks: Algorithmic Trading

This paper investigates the temporal patterns of activity in the cryptocurrency market with a focus on Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin, and WINkLink from January 2020 to December 2022. Market activity measures - logarithmic returns, volume, and transaction number, sampled every 10 seconds, were divided into intraday and intraweek periods and then further decomposed into recurring and noise components via correlation matrix formalism. The key findings include the distinctive market behavior from traditional stock markets due to the nonexistence of trade opening and closing. This was manifest in three enhanced-activity phases aligning with Asian, European, and U.S. trading sessions. An intriguing pattern of activity surge in 15-minute intervals, particularly at full hours, was also noticed, implying the potential role of algorithmic trading. Most notably, recurring bursts of activity in bitcoin and ether were identified to coincide with the release times of significant U.S. macroeconomic reports such as Nonfarm payrolls, Consumer Price Index data, and Federal Reserve statements. The most correlated daily patterns of activity occurred in 2022, possibly reflecting the documented correlations with U.S. stock indices in the same period. Factors that are external to the inner market dynamics are found to be responsible for the repeatable components of the market dynamics, while the internal factors appear to be substantially random, which manifests itself in a good agreement between the empirical eigenvalue distributions in their bulk and the random matrix theory predictions expressed by the Marchenko-Pastur distribution. The findings reported support the growing integration of cryptocurrencies into the global financial markets.
Would Friedman Burn your Tokens?
Authors: Aggelos Kiayias, Philip Lazos, Jan Christoph Schlegel
Date: 2023-06-29 00:00:00

Cryptocurrencies come with a variety of tokenomic policies as well as aspirations of desirable monetary characteristics that have been described by proponents as 'sound money' or even 'ultra sound money.' These propositions are typically devoid of economic analysis so it is a pertinent question how such aspirations fit in the wider context of monetary economic theory. In this work, we develop a framework that determines the optimal token supply policy of a cryptocurrency, as well as investigate how such policy may be algorithmically implemented. Our findings suggest that the optimal policy complies with the Friedman rule and it is dependent on the risk free rate, as well as the growth of the cryptocurrency platform. Furthermore, we demonstrate a wide set of conditions under which such policy can be implemented via contractions and expansions of token supply that can be realized algorithmically with block rewards, taxation of consumption and burning the proceeds, and blockchain oracles.
Evaluation of Virtual Acoustic Environments with Different Acoustic Level of Detail
Authors: Stefan Fichna, Steven van de Par, Stephan D. Ewert
Date: 2023-06-29 00:00:00
Tasks: valid

Virtual acoustic environments enable the creation and simulation of realistic and ecologically valid daily-life situations with applications in hearing research and audiology. Hereby, reverberant indoor environments play an important role. For real-time applications, simplifications in the room acoustics simulation are required, however, it remains unclear what acoustic level of detail (ALOD) is necessary to capture all perceptually relevant effects. This study investigates the effect of varying ALOD in the simulation of three different real environments, a living room with a coupled kitchen, a pub, and an underground station. ALOD was varied by generating different numbers of image sources for early reflections, or by excluding geometrical room details specific for each environment. The simulations were perceptually evaluated using headphones in comparison to binaural room impulse responses measured with a dummy head in the corresponding real environments, and partly using loudspeakers. The study assessed the perceived overall difference for a pulse, and a speech token. Furthermore, plausibility and externalization were evaluated. The results show that a strong reduction in ALOD is possible while obtaining similar plausibility and externalization as with the dummy head recordings. The number and accuracy of early reflections appear less relevant, provided diffuse late reverberation is appropriately accounted for.
Computationally-efficient and perceptually-motivated rendering of diffuse reflections in room acoustics simulation
Authors: Stephan D. Ewert, Nico Gößling, Oliver Buttler, Steven van de Par, Hongmei Hu
Date: 2023-06-29 00:00:00

Geometrical acoustics is well suited for simulating room reverberation in interactive real-time applications. While the image source model (ISM) is exceptionally fast, the restriction to specular reflections impacts its perceptual plausibility. To account for diffuse late reverberation, hybrid approaches have been proposed, e.g., using a feedback delay network (FDN) in combination with the ISM. Here, a computationally-efficient, digital-filter approach is suggested to account for effects of non-specular reflections in the ISM and to couple scattered sound into a diffuse reverberation model using a spatially rendered FDN. Depending on the scattering coefficient of a room boundary, energy of each image source is split into a specular and a scattered part which is added to the diffuse sound field. Temporal effects as observed for an infinite ideal diffuse (Lambertian) reflector are simulated using cascaded all-pass filters. Effects of scattering and multiple (inter-) reflections caused by larger geometric disturbances at walls and by objects in the room are accounted for in a highly simplified manner. Using a single parameter to quantify deviations from an empty shoebox room, each reflection is temporally smeared using cascaded all-pass filters. The proposed method was perceptually evaluated against dummy head recordings of real rooms.
Nonlinear Data-Driven Control Part II: qLPV Predictive Control using Parameter Extrapolation
Authors: Marcelo Menezes Morato, Julio Elias Normey-Rico, Olivier Sename
Date: 2023-06-29 00:00:00
Tasks: LEMMA, Model Predictive Control, Scheduling

We present a novel data-driven Model Predictive Control (MPC) algorithm for nonlinear systems. The method is based on recent extensions of behavioural theory and Willem's Fundamental Lemma for nonlinear systems by the means of adequate Input-Output (IO) quasi-Linear Parameter Varying (qLPV) embeddings. Thus, the MPC is formulated to ensure regulation and IO constraints satisfaction, based only on measured datasets of sufficient length (and under persistent excitation). Instead of requiring the availability of the scheduling trajectories (as in recent papers), we consider an estimate of the function that maps the qLPV realisation. Specifically, we use an extrapolation procedure in order to generate the future scheduling trajectories, at each sample, which is shown to be convergent and generated bounded errors. Accordingly, we discuss the issues of closed-loop IO stability and recursive feasibility certificates of the method. The algorithm is tested and discussed with the aid of a numerical application.
Nonlinear Data-Driven Control Part I: Trajectory Representation under quasi-Linear Parameter Varying Embeddings
Authors: Marcelo Menezes Morato, Julio Elias Normey-Rico, Olivier Sename
Date: 2023-06-29 00:00:00
Tasks: Scheduling

Recent literature has shown how linear time-invariant (LTI) systems can be represented by trajectories features, that is relying on a single input-output (IO) data dictionary to span all possible system trajectories, as long as the input is persistently exciting. The so-called behavioural framework is a promising alternative for controller synthesis without the necessity of system identification. In this paper, we benefit from differential inclusion in order to adapt previous results to the case quasi-Linear Parameter Varying (qLPV) embeddings, which are use to represent nonlinear dynamical systems along suitable IO coordinates. Accordingly, we propose a set of data-driven analysis tools for a wide class of nonlinear systems, which enable nonlinear data-driven simulation and predictions. Furthermore, a parameter-dependent dissipativity analysis verification setup is also presented, which serves to assess stability of the system within a bounded operation region. The major requirement is that there should exist a scheduling function which maps the nonlinear outputs into a finite number of scheduling variables, and this function should be analytically known. The effectiveness of the proposed tools is tested in practice and shown to provide accurate descriptions of the nonlinear dynamics by the means of a linear representation structure. For such, we consider a high-fidelity nonlinear simulator of a rotational pendulum benchmark simulator and an electro-mechanical positioning experimental validation test-bench. We also show that, even if the scheduling function is erroneously selected, the proposed framework is still able to offer a trustworthy representation of the output dynamics.
An Exact Characterisation of Flexibility in Populations of Electric Vehicles
Authors: Karan Mukhi, Alessandro Abate
Date: 2023-06-29 00:00:00

Increasing penetrations of electric vehicles (EVs) presents a large source of flexibility, which can be used to assist balancing the power grid. The flexibility of an individual EV can be quantified as a convex polytope and the flexibility of a population of EVs is the Minkowski sum of these polytopes. In general computing the exact Minkowski sum is intractable. However, exploiting symmetry in a restricted but significant case, enables an efficient computation of the aggregate flexibility. This results in a polytope with exponentially many vertices and facets with respect to the time horizon. We show how to use a lifting procedure to provide a representation of this polytope with a reduced number of facets, which makes optimising over more tractable. Finally, a disaggregation procedure that takes an aggregate signal and computes dispatch instructions for each EV in the population is presented. The complexity of the algorithms presented is independent of the size of the population and polynomial in the length of the time horizon. We evaluate this work against existing methods in the literature, and show how this method guarantees optimality with lower computational burden than existing methods.
Online learning for robust voltage control under uncertain grid topology
Authors: Christopher Yeh, Jing Yu, Yuanyuan Shi, Adam Wierman
Date: 2023-06-29 00:00:00

Voltage control generally requires accurate information about the grid's topology in order to guarantee network stability. However, accurate topology identification is challenging for existing methods, especially as the grid is subject to increasingly frequent reconfiguration due to the adoption of renewable energy. In this work, we combine a nested convex body chasing algorithm with a robust predictive controller to achieve provably finite-time convergence to safe voltage limits in the online setting where there is uncertainty in both the network topology as well as load and generation variations. In an online fashion, our algorithm narrows down the set of possible grid models that are consistent with observations and adjusts reactive power generation accordingly to keep voltages within desired safety limits. Our approach can also incorporate existing partial knowledge of the network to improve voltage control performance. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach in a case study on a Southern California Edison 56-bus distribution system. Our experiments show that in practical settings, the controller is indeed able to narrow the set of consistent topologies quickly enough to make control decisions that ensure stability in both linearized and realistic non-linear models of the distribution grid.
Losing Control of your Network? Try Resilience Theory
Authors: Jean-Baptiste Bouvier, Sai Pushpak Nandanoori, Melkior Ornik
Date: 2023-06-28 00:00:00

Resilience of cyber-physical networks to unexpected failures is a critical need widely recognized across domains. For instance, power grids, telecommunication networks, transportation infrastructures and water treatment systems have all been subject to disruptive malfunctions and catastrophic cyber-attacks. Following such adverse events, we investigate scenarios where a node of a linear network suffers a loss of control authority over some of its actuators. These actuators are not following the controller's commands and are instead producing undesirable outputs. The repercussions of such a loss of control can propagate and destabilize the whole network despite the malfunction occurring at a single node. To assess system vulnerability, we establish resilience conditions for networks with a subsystem enduring a loss of control authority over some of its actuators. Furthermore, we quantify the destabilizing impact on the overall network when such a malfunction perturbs a nonresilient subsystem. We illustrate our resilience conditions on two academic examples, on an islanded microgrid, and on the linearized IEEE 39-bus system.
Performance Analysis of Empirical Open-Circuit Voltage Modeling in Lithium Ion Batteries, Part-3: Experimental Results
Authors: Prarthana Pillai, James Nguyen, Balakumar Balasingam
Date: 2023-06-28 00:00:00
Tasks: Management

This paper is the third part of a series of papers about empirical approaches to open circuit voltage (OCV) modeling of lithium-ion batteries. The first part of the series proposed models to quantify various sources of uncertainties in the OCV models; and, the second part of the series presented systematic data collection approaches to compute the uncertainties in the OCV-SOC models. This paper uses data collected from 28 OCV characterization experiments, performed according to the data collection plan presented, to compute and analyze the following three different OCV uncertainty metrics: cell-to-cell variations, cycle-rate error, and curve fitting error. From the computed metrics, it was observed that a lower C-Rate showed smaller errors in the OCV-SOC model and vice versa. The results reported in this paper establish a relationship between the C-Rate and the uncertainty of the OCV-SOC model. This research can be thus useful to battery researchers for quantifying the tradeoff between the time taken to complete the OCV characterization test and the corresponding uncertainty in the OCV-SOC modeling. Further, quantified uncertainty model parameters can be used to accurately characterize the uncertainty in various battery management functionalities, such as state of charge and state of health estimation.
Performance Analysis of Empirical Open-Circuit Voltage Modeling in Lithium Ion Batteries, Part-2: Data Collection Procedure
Authors: Prarthana Pillai, James Nguyen, Balakumar Balasingam
Date: 2023-06-28 00:00:00
Tasks: Management

This paper is the second part of a series of papers about empirical approaches to open circuit voltage (OCV) modeling and its performance comparison in lithium-ion batteries. The first part of the series introduced various sources of uncertainties in the OCV models and established a theoretical relationship between uncertainties and the performance of a battery management system. In this paper, clearly defined approaches for low-rate OCV data collection are defined and described in detail. The data collection is designed with consideration to several parameters that affect the experimental time. Firstly, a more suitable method to fully charge the battery at different C-Rates is defined. Secondly, the OCV characterization following the full charge is described for various performance comparisons. Finally, optimal and efficient resistance estimation profiles are discussed. From the voltage, current and time data recorded using the procedure described in this paper, the OCV-SOC relationship is characterized and its uncertainties are modeled in the third part of this series of papers.
Performance Analysis of Empirical Open-Circuit Voltage Modeling in Lithium Ion Batteries, Part-1: Performance Measures
Authors: Prarthana Pillai, James Nguyen, Balakumar Balasingam
Date: 2023-06-28 00:00:00
Tasks: Capacity Estimation, Management

The open circuit voltage to the state of charge (OCVSOC) characteristic is crucial for battery management systems. Using the OCV-SOC curve, the SOC and the battery capacity can be estimated in real-time. Accurate SOC and capacity information are important to carry out the majority of battery management functionalities that ensure a safe, efficient, and reliable battery pack power system. Numerous approaches have been reported in the literature for improved SOC estimation and battery capacity estimation. These approaches focus on various estimation and filtering techniques to reduce the effect of measurement noise and uncertainties due to hysteresis and relaxation effects. Even though all the existing approaches to SOC estimation rely on the OCV-SOC characterization, little attention was paid to investigating the possibility of errors in the OCV-SOC characterization and the effect of uncertainty in the OCV-SOC curve on SOC and capacity estimates. In this paper, which is the first part of a series of three papers, the effect of OCV-SOC modeling error in the overall battery management system is discussed. The different sources of uncertainties in the OCV-SOC curve include cell-to-cell variation, temperature variation, aging drift, cycle rate effect, curve-fitting error, and measurement/estimation error. The proposed uncertainty models can be incorporated into battery management systems to improve their safety, performance, and reliability.