Structure Learning in Critical Infrastructure Networks

This is the public website for the graduate summer course on ‘Structure Learning in Critical Infrastructure Networks.’ This course is part of the Graduate School in Systems, Optimization, Control and Networks (SOCN).

Lecturer

Course description

Critical infrastructure networks are important assets in our society. Examples include power, water, transportation, and communication systems. The knowledge of structure (connectivity of nodes in the network) is crucial for implementing real-time decision-making algorithms. However, due to practical limitations, such knowledge is either partially or fully unavailable. Lately, many structure learning methods have been proposed to overcome this limitation. This workshop aims to provide some of the important methodological ideas in an introductory manner. A Detailed list of topics is on the second page.

Key learning outcomes

Prerequisites

Basic concepts in Linear Algebra, optimization, and probability.

About the instructor

Rajasekhar Anguluri is an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, USA. He holds the Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering, and the master’s degree in Statistics from the University of California, Riverside, USA. He was a 2022-2023 Mistletoe Research fellow. He enjoys taking weird selfies (as shown on the side).

His research centers on systems theory and statistical signal/data processing. He develops interpretable solutions for inference problems (e.g. estimation and security) in cyber-physical networks by making non-interpretable assumptions.

Schedule

The tentative schedule is as follows.

  1. Learning problem in Infrastructure networks (July 3, 9:30-11:00 AM)

    1. Introduction to Graphs and Kirchhoff’s conservation laws

    2. Explicit modeling examples from power and water network systems

    3. Measurementmodelsandpartialobservability

    4. Structure learning framework: linear and covariance models

  2. Sparse estimation: some theory and algorithms (July 4, 9:30-11:30 AM)

    1. Sparse linear regression problem

    2. Sparse inverse covariance estimation problem

    3. ADMM algorithm to solve both estimation problems

    4. Python or MATLAB demonstration/tutorial

  3. Learning structure in sparse infrastructure networks (July 5, 9:30-11:00 AM)

    1. Identifiability conditions including latent variables

    2. Indirect (two-stage) learning method via ADMM

    3. DirectlearningmethodviaADMM

    4. Extensions: differential analysis, stationary time series data.

I will mention a few open problems during the course and provide a lecture- notes before the workshop. These notes contain interesting exercise problems for participants. Senior undergraduate and graduate students with interest in mathematical engineering (e.g., controls, statistical signal processing, network theory, data sciences, and optimization) will benefit from this course.

Resources

Password: SOCN_anguluri

Practical information

Course registration

Organizers

Gianluca Bianchin
Assistant professor
UC Louvain

Rajasekhar Anguluri
Assistant professor
University of Maryland