Identification of Sparse Reciprocal Graphical Models

In this paper we propose an identification procedure of a sparse graphical model associated to a Gaussian stationary stochastic process. The identification paradigm exploits the approximation of autoregressive processes through reciprocal processes in order to improve the robustness of the identification algorithm, especially when the order of the autoregressive process becomes large. We show that the proposed paradigm leads to a regularized, circulant matrix completion problem whose solution only requires computations of the eigenvalues of matrices of dimension equal to the dimension of the process

Rational Covariance Extension, Multivariate Spectral Estimation, and Related Moment Problems: Further Results and Applications

This dissertation concerns the problem of spectral estimation subject to moment constraints. Its scalar counterpart is well-known under the name of rational covariance extension which has been extensively studied in past decades. The classical covariance extension problem can be reformulated as a truncated trigonometric moment problem, which in general admits infinitely many solutions. In order to achieve positivity and rationality, optimization with entropy-like functionals has been exploited in the literature to select one solution with a fixed zero structure. Thus spectral zeros serve as an additional degree of freedom and in this way a complete parametrization of rational solutions with bounded degree can be obtained. New theoretical and numerical results are provided in this problem area of systems and control and are summarized in the following. First, a new algorithm for the scalar covariance extension problem formulated in terms of periodic ARMA models is given and its local convergence is demonstrated. The algorithm is formally extended for vector processes and applied to finite-interval model approximation and smoothing problems. Secondly, a general existence result is established for a multivariate spectral estimation problem formulated in a parametric fashion. Efforts are also made to attack the difficult uniqueness question and some preliminary results are obtained. Moreover, well-posedness in a special case is studied throughly, based on which a numerical continuation solver is developed with a provable convergence property. In addition, it is shown that solution to the spectral estimation problem is generally not unique in another parametric family of rational spectra that is advocated in the literature. Thirdly, the problem of image deblurring is formulated and solved in the framework of the multidimensional moment theory with a quadratic penalty as regularization

New Acceleration of Nearly Optimal Univariate Polynomial Root-findERS

Univariate polynomial root-finding has been studied for four millennia and is still the subject of intensive research. Hundreds of efficient algorithms for this task have been proposed. Two of them are nearly optimal. The first one, proposed in 1995, relies on recursive factorization of a polynomial, is quite involved, and has never been implemented. The second one, proposed in 2016, relies on subdivision iterations, was implemented in 2018, and promises to be practically competitive, although user's current choice for univariate polynomial root-finding is the package MPSolve, proposed in 2000, revised in 2014, and based on Ehrlich's functional iterations. By proposing and incorporating some novel techniques we significantly accelerate both subdivision and Ehrlich's iterations. Moreover our acceleration of the known subdivision root-finders is dramatic in the case of sparse input polynomials. Our techniques can be of some independent interest for the design and analysis of polynomial root-finders.Comment: 89 pages, 5 figures, 2 table