More Like this

1. The switch point algorithm applied to a harvesting problem

   Atkins, S; Aghaee, M; Martcheva, M; Hager, W (May 2024, Mathematical biosciences and engineering)

   In this paper, we investigate an optimal harvesting problem of a spatially explicit fishery model that was previously analyzed. On the surface, this problem looks innocent, but if parameters are set to where a singular arc occurs, two complex questions arise. The first question pertains to Fuller's phenomenon (or chattering), a phenomenon in which the optimal control possesses a singular arc that cannot be concatenated with the bang-bang arcs without prompting infinite oscillations over a finite region. 1) How do we numerically assess whether or not a problem chatters in cases when we cannot analytically prove such a phenomenon? The second question focuses on implementation of an optimal control. 2) When an optimal control has regions that are difficult to implement, how can we find alternative strategies that are both suboptimal and realistic to use? Although the former question does not apply to all optimal harvesting problems, most fishery managers should be concerned about the latter. Interestingly, for this specific problem, our techniques for answering the first question results in an answer to the the second. Our methods involve using an extended version of the switch point algorithm (SPA), which handles control problems having initial and terminal conditions on the states. In our numerical experiments, we obtain strong empirical evidence that the harvesting problem chatters, and we find three alternative harvesting strategies with fewer switches that are realistic to implement and near optimal. 

   more » « less
2. Optimal Sensor Gain Control for Minimum-Information Estimation of Continuous-Time Gauss-Markov Processes

   Zinage, V.; Tanaka, T.; & Ugrinovskii, V. (June 2022, American Control Conference)

   We consider the scenario in which a continuous-time Gauss-Markov process is estimated by the Kalman-Bucy filter over a Gaussian channel (sensor) with a variable sensor gain. The problem of scheduling the sensor gain over a finite time interval to minimize the weighted sum of the data rate (the mutual information between the sensor output and the underlying Gauss-Markov process) and the distortion (the mean-square estimation error) is formulated as an optimal control problem. A necessary optimality condition for a scheduled sensor gain is derived based on Pontryagin’s minimum principle. For a scalar problem, we show that an optimal sensor gain control is of bang-bang type, except the possibility of taking an intermediate value when there exists a stationary point on the switching surface in the phase space of canonical dynamics. Furthermore, we show that the number of switches is at most two and the time instants at which the optimal gain must be switched can be computed from the analytical solutions to the canonical equations. 

   more » « less
3. Trading under the proof‐of‐stake protocol – A continuous‐time control approach

   https://doi.org/10.1111/mafi.12403  

   Tang, Wenpin; Yao, David D. (May 2023, Mathematical Finance)

   Abstract We develop a continuous‐time control approach to optimal trading in a Proof‐of‐Stake (PoS) blockchain, formulated as a consumption‐investment problem that aims to strike the optimal balance between a participant's (or agent's) utility from holding/trading stakes and utility from consumption. We present solutions via dynamic programming and the Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman (HJB) equations. When the utility functions are linear or convex, we derive close‐form solutions and show that the bang‐bang strategy is optimal (i.e., always buy or sell at full capacity). Furthermore, we bring out the explicit connection between the rate of return in trading/holding stakes and the participant's risk‐adjusted valuation of the stakes. In particular, we show when a participant is risk‐neutral or risk‐seeking, corresponding to the risk‐adjusted valuation being a martingale or a sub‐martingale, the optimal strategy must be to either buy all the time, sell all the time, or first buy then sell, and with both buying and selling executed at full capacity. We also propose a risk‐control version of the consumption‐investment problem; and for a special case, the “stake‐parity” problem, we show a mean‐reverting strategy is optimal. 

   more » « less
4. Extension of switch point algorithm to boundary-value problems

   https://doi.org/10.1007/s10589-023-00530-y  

   Hager, William W. (December 2023, Computational Optimization and Applications)

   In an earlier paper (https://doi.org/10.1137/21M1393315), the switch point algorithm was developed for solving optimal control problems whose solutions are either singular or bang-bang or both singular and bang-bang, and which possess a finite number of jump discontinuities in an optimal control at the points in time where the solution structure changes. The class of control problems that were considered had a given initial condition, but no terminal constraint. The theory is now extended to include problems with both initial and terminal constraints, a structure that often arises in boundary-value problems. Substantial changes to the theory are needed to handle this more general setting. Nonetheless, the derivative of the cost with respect to a switch point is again the jump in the Hamiltonian at the switch point. 

   more » « less
5. A sequential estimation problem with control and discretionary stopping

   https://doi.org/10.3934/puqr.2022011  

   Ekström, Erik; Karatzas, Ioannis (January 2022, Probability, Uncertainty and Quantitative Risk)

   We show that “full-bang” control is optimal in a problem which combines features of (i) sequential least-squares estimation with Bayesian updating, for a random quantity observed in a bath of white noise; (ii) bounded control of the rate at which observations are received, with a superquadratic cost per unit time; and (iii) “fast” discretionary stopping. We develop also the optimal filtering and stopping rules in this context. 

   more » « less