Welcome to SYSOS

Please contact us in case you are interested in studying towards a DPhil (PhD) or MSc by Research.

SySOS: Systems of Systems and Sum of Squares

Our group develops tools and algorithms for the scalable analysis of nonlinear networked systems (System of Systems) and the design of control laws using computational tools based on the Sum of Squares decomposition and Semidefinite Programming. In particular, our group concentrates on:

• Nonlinear systems analysis, Sum of Squares optimization and Lyapunov techniques. In this spirit, we have developed methods for stability analysis of systems described by Ordinary, Delay and Partial Differential Equations.

• Systems and Synthetic Biology. We collaborate closely with groups in biochemistry for understanding biological pathways through mathematical modelling using experimental data and designing new experiments for model invalidation (Systems Biology), as well as proposing and implementing redesigns for existing biological systems for improved performance (Synthetic Biology).

• Software Development (SOSTOOLS). This can be found here. A new version is currently under development with many more examples.

• Large-scale Networked Systems analysis with communication and structural constraints. Examples in this field come from synchronization phenomena in oscillator networks, Network Congestion Control for the Internet and Power System analysis. We are also looking at multi-agent systems consensus under communication and structural constraints such as the effect of time delays and switching topologies.

• Fluid mechanics and Heat transfer, from a control perspective. We are taking a control engineering approach to understand questions in Hydrodynamic Stability and mechanisms for background noise energy amplification and subsequent reduction.

• Complexity reduction of networked systems. We are investigating methods based on model decomposition and reduction to facilitate computational analysis of large-scale and nonlinear systems. Systems of interest include biochemical reaction networks, power systems and consensus networks.

News

Previous Events:

• Warwick Systems Biology DTC Annual Conference: 27-29 July 2011, Stratford Apon Avon, UK.
• Third RoSBNet Workshop: 20-22 July 2011, St Annes' College, University of Oxford.
• Exeter Synthetic Biology Sandpit: 3 June 2011, University of Exeter, UK.
• Dynamics, Control and Pricing in Power Systems: 18-20 May 2011, Lund University, Sweden.
• CDC2010: The 49th Conference on Decision and Control, Atlanta, Georgia, 15-17 December 2010. Special session on Decentralised Network Analysis, Control and Optimisation.
• Synthetic Components Network: SCN annual conference, 23-24 September, Oulton Hall, Leeds, U.K.
• Frontiers of Multidisciplinary Research: Mathematics, engineering, and biology, 21-24 September 2010, University of Exeter, U.K.
• Dynamics Days Europe 2010: Minisymposium on Cell Dynamics and Systems Biology, 6-10 September, 2010, University of Bristol, U.K.
• Application of Control Theory and Optimization in Biochemical Pathways: A Satellite Meeting of the 2010 ICM, 16-18 August, 2010, Hyderabad, India.
• Second RoSBNet Workshop: 12-14 July, 2010, St Annes' College, University of Oxford.
• MTNS 2010: Invited Session: Real Algebraic Geometry and Applications, 5-9 July, 2010, Budapest, Hungary.
• Banff Workshop: Randomization, Relaxation, and Complexity, 28 February - 5 March 2010, Banff International Research Station, Banff, Canada.
• Lund Center for Control of Complex Engineering Systems: Multi-agent coordination and estimation, Jan 18 - Feb 19: Workshop Feb 3-5, 2010.
• CDC 2009 Preconference Workshop: Full-day CDC 2009 Pre-conference Workshop on Biomolecular Circuit Analysis and Design, 15th December 2009.
• NE{S|T}COC: Symposium on Recent Trends in Networked Systems and Cooperative Control & Workshop on Network Induced Constraints in Control, 28-29 September, 2009, University of Stuttgart, Germany
• ARCC Workshop on Convex Algebraic Geometry, Optimization and Applications: 21-25 September, 2009, Palo Alto, California, USA.
• RoSBNet First Year Workshop: 14-16 September 2009, St. Annes' College, University of Oxford, U.K.
• RoSBNet Launch Meeting: A Network in Synthetic Biology, 6 July 2009, University of Oxford, U.K.
• IMA Thematic Year on Mathematics of Molecular and Cellular Biology
  • Organization of Biological Networks, 3-7 March, 2008
  • Design Principles in Biological Systems, 21-25 April, 2008
• IMA Thematic Year on Applications of Algebraic Geometry
  • Software for Algebraic Geometry, 23-27 October, 2006
  • Optimization and Control, 16-20 January, 2007
• Banff Workshop: Positive Polynomials and Optimization, 7-12 October, 2006, Banff International Research Station, Banff, Canada
• ARCC Workshop: Theory and Algorithms of Linear Matrix Inequalities, 1-5 August 2005, American Institute of Mathematics, Palo Alto, California.

Current Members

• Dr Antonis Papachristodoulou

• Dr Bing Chu - Postdoctoral Research Assistant, June 2010-

• Mr James Anderson - DPhil candidate, October 2008-

• Mr Edward Hancock - DPhil candidate, October 2009-

• Mr Xuan Zhang - Probationary Research Student, October 2011-

• Mr Thomas P. Prescott - Probationary Research Student, October 2011-

• Mr Richard P. Mason - Probationary Research Student, October 2011-

Previous Members

• Dr Yo-Cheng (Mark) Chang DPhil, co-supervised with Professor Judith Armitage, Department of Biochemistry, January 2007-January 2011.

• Dr Bence Mélykúti, DPhil, co-supervised with Professor Alison Etheridge, Department of Statistics, January 2008-February 2011.

• Dr Abdullah Hamadeh, March 2009 - October 2009

• Miss Nassia Inglessis, September 2009 - October 2009

• Mr Christoph Maier, April 2009 - July 2009

• Dr Mark Roberts, October 2007 - December 2008

• Dr Elias August, October 2007 - December 2008

Current Projects

• Autonomous Behaviour and Learning in an Uncertain World

• Control Engineering Inspired Design Tools for Synthetic Biology

• Using Control Theory to Design Sustainable Policies for Greenhouse Gas Emissions in the Presence of Model Uncertainty [1]

Completed Projects

• RoSBNet: Network in Synthetic Biology.

• European Space Agency project with GMV (Spain), NGC (Canada) and the University of Leicester, "Worst-Case and Safety Analysis Tools for Autonomous Rendezvous Systems".

• Control Theory Tools for Elucidating the Phosphotransfer Network in Rhodobacter sphaeroides: A Feasibility Study

• Oxford-Princeton Collaboration on Network Science with Professor Mung Chiang.

Current Collaborations

• Analysis of Functional Differential Equations Using Sum of Squares Programming - IIT, U.S.A.
• A Control Engineering Approach for Modelling High-Shear Flows - Caltech [2]
• Multi-Agent-Systems and Delay Robustness in Cooperative Control - IST, Stuttgart

Useful Links

• Engineering Science Control Group

• Oxford Centre for Integrative Systems Biology

• Doctoral Training Centres