ep5 - Sean Meyn: Markov chains, networks, reinforcement learning, beekeeping and jazz

08/18/22 • 53 min

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In this episode, our guest is Sean Meyn, Professor and Robert C. Pittman Eminent Scholar Chair in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Florida. The episode features Sean’s adventures in the areas of Markov chains, networks and Reinforcement Learning (RL) as well as anecdotes and trivia about beekeeping and jazz.
Outline
00:00 - Intro
00:22 - Sean’s early steps
03:53 - Markov chains
08:45 - Networks
18:26 - Stochastic approximation
25:00 - Reinforcement Learning
38:57 - The intersection of Reinforcement Learning and Control
42:37 - Favourite theorem
44:05 - Beekeeping and jazz
48:47 - Outro
Episode links
Sean’s website: https://meyn.ece.ufl.edu/
Sean’s books: shorturl.at/CFGRY (and T. Sargent's review: shorturl.at/hlGNR)
G. Zames: shorturl.at/JPRWX (see also: shorturl.at/chiw5)
State space model: shorturl.at/hST07
The life and work of A.A. Markov: shorturl.at/qsv35
Fluid model: shorturl.at/HKN56
M/M/1 queue: shorturl.at/dQW36
Borkar-Meyn theorem: shorturl.at/eSTV4
NCCR Automation Symposia: shorturl.at/csv03 (see also shorturl.at/ekpZ3)
V. Konda’s PhD Thesis: shorturl.at/bdrv7

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Podcast info
Podcast website: https://www.incontrolpodcast.com/
Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/5n84j85j
Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/4rwztj3c
RSS: https://tinyurl.com/yc2fcv4y
Youtube: https://tinyurl.com/bdbvhsj6
Facebook: https://tinyurl.com/3z24yr43
Twitter: https://twitter.com/IncontrolP
Instagram: https://tinyurl.com/35cu4kr4
Acknowledgments and sponsors
This episode was supported by the National Centre of Competence in Research on «Dependable, ubiquitous automation» and the IFAC Activity fund. The podcast benefits from the help of an incredibly talented and passionate team. Special thanks to L. Seward, E. Cahard, F. Banis, F. Dörfler, J. Lygeros, ETH studio and mirrorlake . Music was composed by A New Element.

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Previous Episode

ep4 - Alessandro Chiuso: From system identification to computer vision and back

In this episode, our guest is Alessandro Chiuso. Alessandro is a Professor in the Department of Information Engineering at the University of Padova. The episode covers several topics, including Alessandro’s research trajectory, his work in system identification and vision, and his passion for skiing. Check out Alessandro’s website here: http://automatica.dei.unipd.it/people/chiuso.html
Outline
00:00 - Intro
01:51 - Research trajectory
03:52 - Influential figures
08:20 - System identification
17:07 - Regularized system identification
23:30 - Vision
28:40 - Data-driven methods
30:32 - Future of system identification
33:40 - Question from the audience
34:19 - Advice to future students
35:50 - Skiing at a semi-professional level

Episode links
Giorgio Picci's website: http://www.dei.unipd.it/~picci/
Stefano Soatto's website: http://web.cs.ucla.edu/~soatto/
ERNSI: https://people.kth.se/~bo/ERNSI/
System identification: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/System_identification
Regularized system identification: https://tinyurl.com/yc7b7myt
Origin of “regularization”: https://tinyurl.com/y4jmk75f
Hirotugu Akaike: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hirotugu_Akaike
Structure from motion: https://tinyurl.com/35canfnx
Dynamic textures: https://tinyurl.com/28bdwhwm
Skiing: https://tinyurl.com/2p8xzau6

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Next Episode

ep6 - Norbert Wiener and Cybernetics

In this episode, we delve into the extraordinary life of Norbert Wiener, the founding father of cybernetics - the science “control and communication in the animal and the machine”.
Outline
00:00 - Intro
02:06 - The early years of Norbert
09:00 - Europe and WWI
15:50 - MIT days
19:30 - Norbert’s marriage
22:39 - Generalised harmonic analysis
28:18 - The interactions with Hopf and Paley
31:14 - Bush and the analog computer program
35:55 - WWII, Bigelow and prediction theory
40:41 - Rosenbleuth and teleological machines
47:56 - Mexico and Norbert’s biological investigations
51:25 - Cybernetics
1:00:16 - The human behind Norbert Wiener
1:01:53 - Outro
Episode links
Things named after Wiener: https://tinyurl.com/mt37xn93
Autobiography: https://tinyurl.com/2umws9nd
Biography: https://tinyurl.com/nhawc9az
Wiener filter: https://tinyurl.com/n9u5ukxe
Paley-Wiener theorem: https://tinyurl.com/mr3z3f89
Wiener-Kinchin theorem: https://tinyurl.com/3mxm54ac
Vannevar Bush: https://tinyurl.com/y6s7kz6t
Julian Bigelow: https://tinyurl.com/28m4a6as
Behavior, Purpose and Teleology: https://tinyurl.com/3ut2afjz
Arturo Rosenblueth: https://tinyurl.com/57wp67vh
Cybernetics: https://tinyurl.com/5e3tnn6e
Out of control: https://tinyurl.com/3rnhn3xh
A scientist rebels: https://tinyurl.com/5f2d3urc
Moral and technical consequences of automation: https://tinyurl.com/72tvzuxy