Data-based control, optimization, modeling and applications

Abstract

We are honored to organize this special issue of Neural Computation and Applications, based on contributions to the Ninth International Symposium on Neural Networks (ISNN 2012) held on July 11–14, 2012, in Shenyang, China. Evaluated by the contributions and the recommendation of ISNN 2012 organizers, 22 papers were selected for the further review process with their extended form. Each paper has been reviewed thoroughly by three independent experts in related research area. We are very grateful for the hard work of the reviewers, which help to facilitate the outcome of this special issue with greatly improved quality of the contributions. Finally, 20 papers are accepted, to be introduced as follows. In brief, the contributions of this special issue can be roughly classified into three major categories: data-based control, data-based optimization, and data-based modeling. In each category, not only the theoretical foundation is analyzed, but also some prospective applications are demonstrated. In this introduction, we like to borrow some ideas from the contributions, such as hierarchical, and cluster as the subsidiary category idea. The first category consisting of 6 papers is devoted to the data-based control and applications area, by which an optimal or near-optimal control can be derived from the input and output data. The first 4 papers focus on the hot research direction, adaptive dynamic programming and reinforcement learning (ADPRL), and the remaining 2 papers relate to iterative learning control and optimal control. Derong Liu et al. develop an online algorithm based on policy iteration for continuous-time optimal control with infinite horizon cost for nonlinear systems. In the proposed method, a discount value function is employed, which is considered to be a more general case for optimal control problems. Meanwhile, without knowledge of the internal system dynamics, the algorithm can converge uniformly online to the optimal solution of the modified Hamilton– Jacobi–Bellman equation. By means of two neural networks, the algorithm is able to find suitable approximations of both the optimal control and the optimal cost. Dual iterative adaptive dynamic programming for a class of discrete-time nonlinear systems with time-delays is investigated by Qinglai Wei et al. Dual iterative ADP algorithm is introduced to obtain the optimal solutions of the optimal performance index function and control, where in each iteration, the performance index function and the system states are both updated. Convergence analysis is presented to prove the performance index function to reach D. Zhao (&) State Key Laboratory of Management and Control for Complex Systems, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China e-mail: Dongbin.zhao@ia.ac.cn