Projection based MOR

All the existing model order reduction (MOR) methods is based on projection. That is to find a subspace $S_1$ which approximates the manifold where the state vector $x(t)$ resides. Afterwards, $x(t)$ is approximated by a vector $\tilde x(t)$ in $S_1$. The reduced model is produced by Petrov-Galerkin projection onto a subspace $S_2$, or by Galerkin projection onto the same subspace $S_1$.

We use the system

$E \frac{dx(t)}{dt}=A x(t)+B u(t),$ $y(t)=Cx(t)+Du(t),$

as an example to explain the basic idea. Assuming that an orthonormal basis $V=(v_1,v_2, \ldots, v_q)$ of the subspace $S_1$ has been found, then the approximation $\tilde x(t)$ in $S_1$ can be represented by the basis as $\tilde x(t)=V z(t)$. Therefore $x(t)$ can be approximated by $x(t) \approx V z(t)$. Here $z$ is a vector of length $q \ll n$.

Once $z(t)$ is computed, we can get an approximate solution $\tilde x(t)=V z(t)$ for $x(t)$. The vector $z(t)$ can be computed from the reduced model which is derived by the following two steps.