This paper proposes a novel discrete-time multi-virus SIR (susceptible-infected-recovered) model that captures the spread of competing SIR epidemics over a population network. First, we provide a sufficient condition for the infection level of all the viruses over the networked model to converge to zero in exponential time. Second, we propose an observation model which captures the summation of all the viruses' infection levels in each node, which represents the individuals who are infected by different viruses but share similar symptoms. We present a sufficient condition for the model to be locally observable. We propose a Luenberger observer for the system state estimation and show via simulations that the estimation error of the Luenberger observer converges to zero before the viruses die out. Copyright

The paper studies the spread of a virus over a (possibly) time-varying graph, with the spread being (possibly) worsened by the presence of a shared resource. We propose a time-varying susceptible-infected-water-susceptible (SIWS) model, with the water compartment representing the contamination level in the shared resource. We say that the system is in the disease-free equilibrium (DFE) if none of the nodes (representative of sub-populations, such as cities, districts, etc.) are infected, and the shared resource is contaminant-free. We identify multiple sufficient conditions for exponential convergence to the DFE. Based on one of the aforementioned sufficient conditions, an on/off lockdown strategy that eradicates the infection spread is proposed. More specifically, we design a switching rule between lockdown and free (i.e., no lockdown) modes to guarantee exponential convergence to the DFE.

The paper studies the problem of leakage localization in water distribution networks. For the case of a single pipe that suffers from a single leak, by taking recourse to pressure and flow measurements, and assuming those are noiseless, we provide a closed-form expression for leak localization, leak exponent and leak constant. For the aforementioned setting, but with noisy pressure and flow measurements, an expression for estimating the location of the leak is provided. Finally, assuming the existence of a single leak, for a network comprising of more than one pipe and assuming that the network has a tree structure, we provide a systematic procedure for determining the leak location, the leak exponent, and the leak constant.

This article studies epidemic processes over discrete-time periodic time-varying networks. We focus on the susceptible-infected-susceptible (SIS) model that accounts for a (possibly) mutating virus. We say that an agent is in the disease-free state if it is not infected by the virus. Our objective is to devise a control strategy which ensures that all agents in a network exponentially (respectively asymptotically) converge to the disease-free equilibrium (DFE). Toward this end, we first provide 1) sufficient conditions for exponential (respectively, asymptotic) convergence to the DFE and 2) a necessary and sufficient condition for asymptotic convergence to the DFE. The sufficient condition for global exponential stability (GES) [respectively global asymptotic stability (GAS)] of the DFE is in terms of the joint spectral radius of a set of suitably defined matrices, whereas the necessary and sufficient condition for GAS of the DFE involves the spectral radius of an appropriately defined product of matrices. Subsequently, we leverage the stability results in order to design a distributed control strategy for eradicating the epidemic.

The notion of security index quantifies the least effort involved in conducting perfectly undetectable attacks. Thus, the security index enables a systems operator to assess the vulnerability of a component, informs sensor placement strategies, and helps in deciding the feasibility of secure estimators and fault detectors. In this paper, we investigate the (possible) variation in this index as a consequence of variation in the system parameters. To this end, we adopt a structured systems approach, typically represented by a directed graph, with the edges of the said graph being in one-to-one correspondence with the system parameters. We first show that the security index is generic. That is, for almost all choices of edge weights, the security index of a component remains the same. We refer to such an index as the generic security index. Secondly, we derive graph-theoretic conditions (and based on those an algorithm) for computing the generic security index. Third, we provide graph-theoretic conditions for computing lower (resp. upper) bounds on the values that the security index of a component can take for all nonzero choices of the edge weights of the directed graph. Finally, we provide a brute force search method for calculating the said bounds.

The paper studies input and state observability (ISO) of discrete-time linear time-invariant network systems whose dynamics are affected by unknown inputs. More precisely, we aim at reconstructing the initial state and the sequence of unknown inputs from the system outputs, and we will use the term ISO when the input reconstruction is possible with delay one, namely the inputs up to time k - 1 and the states up to time k can be obtained from the outputs up to time k, while the term unconstrained ISO will refer to the case where there is some arbitrary delay in the input reconstruction. We focus on the problem of s-structural ISO (resp. s-structural unconstrained ISO) wherein the objective is to find conditions such that for all system matrices that carry the same network structure, the resulting system is ISO (resp. unconstrained ISO). We provide first a graphical characterization for s-structural unconstrained ISO, and subsequently, sufficient conditions and necessary conditions for s-structural ISO. For the latter, under the assumption of zero feedthrough, these conditions coincide and characterise ISO. The conditions presented are in terms of existence of suitable uniquely restricted matchings in bipartite graphs associated with the structured system. In order to test these conditions, we present polynomial-time algorithms. Finally, we discuss an equivalent reformulation of the main conditions in terms of coloring algorithms as in the literature of zero forcing sets.

This paper considers the susceptible-infected-susceptible (SIS) epidemic model with an underlying network structure and focuses on the effect of social distancing to regulate the epidemic level. We demonstrate that if each subpopulation is informed of its infection rate and reduces interactions accordingly, the fraction of the subpopulation infected stays below half for all time instants. To this end, we first modify the basic SIS model by introducing a state dependent parameter representing the frequency of interactions between subpopulations. Thereafter, we show that for this modified SIS model, the spectral radius of a suitably-defined matrix being not greater than one causes all the agents, regardless of their initial sickness levels, to converge to the healthy state; assuming non-trivial disease spread, the spectral radius being greater than one leads to the existence of a unique endemic equilibrium, which is also asymptotically stable. Finally, by leveraging the aforementioned results, we show that the fraction of (sub)populations infected never exceeds half. Copyright

Given a network with a set of vulnerable actuators (and sensors), the security index of an actuator equals the minimum number of sensors and actuators that needs to be compromised so as to conduct a perfectly undetectable attack using the said actuator. This paper deals with the problem of computing actuator security indices for discrete-time LTI network systems, using a structured systems framework. We show that the actuator security index is generic, that is for almost all realizations the actuator security index remains the same. We refer to such an index as generic security index (generic index) of an actuator. Given that the security index quantifies the vulnerability of a network, the generic index is quite valuable for large scale energy systems. Our second contribution is to provide graph-theoretic conditions for computing the generic index. The said conditions are in terms of existence of linkings on appropriately-defined directed (sub)graphs. Based on these conditions, we present an algorithm for computing the generic index.

In this paper, we introduce a continuous-time competing virus model with a shared resource. We say that the system is in the healthy state if all the agents are healthy, and the shared resource is not contaminated. If the epidemic remains persistent, and the shared resource is contaminated, we say that the system is in the endemic state. First of all we show, under appropriate assumptions, that the model we introduce is well-posed. Secondly, we establish sufficient conditions for exponential (resp. asymptotic) eradication of a virus. Thirdly, for the single-virus case with a shared resource, we establish conditions that lead to existence of an endemic equilibrium. Finally, we provide a necessary and sufficient condition for uniqueness of the healthy state.