"On synchronization effect in sense-and-response systems"
haha, probably a good Ph.D topic or a Nature paper topic.
Here is an abstract... Probably I will never be able to finish the whole work in my Ph.D:( So anyone interested to work on it feel free to contact us for details:P
On synchronization effect in sense-and-response systems
Abstract:
Many complex systems can be modeled as sense-and-response systems (SARS). Some examples include Internet congestion control, stock market, and human-beings' life cycles. In a sense-and-response system, agents keep sensing the change of environment (including other agents' behaviors) and response to the change. Hence the whole system becomes a dynamic system with feedback and it is interesting to study its convergence and steady state properties.
In this paper / thesis, we study one fundamental phenomenon in such sense-and-response systems -- the synchronization effect. It is very common that agents in a sense-and-response system are synchronized in some manner, because the signals they detect are broadcasted in a shared media. We will show that such synchronization may have positive effect in some scenarios and have negative effect in other scenarios.
For example, machines connected the same Internet router may be synchronized by the packet loss or delay in the router. When one machine detects excessive packet loss as a signal of network congestion and reduce its sending rate, other machines probably detect the same signal and reduce their rates at the same time, such synchronization may introduce queue oscillation and under-utilization of the bottleneck router.
Similar effect happens in the area of investment where people are synchronized by the price changes and rush to invest in a few hot spots, resulting in a cycle of oscillating between over-investment and under-investment and waste of resources.
On the other hand, human-beings in a close area may be synchronized by the common smell or heat. Such synchronization may help to coordinate a group's schedule and improve working efficiency.
In this paper / thesis, we study the nature of such synchronization, its impact in different scenarios, and techniques to strengthen or weaken such synchronization.
Here is an abstract... Probably I will never be able to finish the whole work in my Ph.D:( So anyone interested to work on it feel free to contact us for details:P
On synchronization effect in sense-and-response systems
Abstract:
Many complex systems can be modeled as sense-and-response systems (SARS). Some examples include Internet congestion control, stock market, and human-beings' life cycles. In a sense-and-response system, agents keep sensing the change of environment (including other agents' behaviors) and response to the change. Hence the whole system becomes a dynamic system with feedback and it is interesting to study its convergence and steady state properties.
In this paper / thesis, we study one fundamental phenomenon in such sense-and-response systems -- the synchronization effect. It is very common that agents in a sense-and-response system are synchronized in some manner, because the signals they detect are broadcasted in a shared media. We will show that such synchronization may have positive effect in some scenarios and have negative effect in other scenarios.
For example, machines connected the same Internet router may be synchronized by the packet loss or delay in the router. When one machine detects excessive packet loss as a signal of network congestion and reduce its sending rate, other machines probably detect the same signal and reduce their rates at the same time, such synchronization may introduce queue oscillation and under-utilization of the bottleneck router.
Similar effect happens in the area of investment where people are synchronized by the price changes and rush to invest in a few hot spots, resulting in a cycle of oscillating between over-investment and under-investment and waste of resources.
On the other hand, human-beings in a close area may be synchronized by the common smell or heat. Such synchronization may help to coordinate a group's schedule and improve working efficiency.
In this paper / thesis, we study the nature of such synchronization, its impact in different scenarios, and techniques to strengthen or weaken such synchronization.
