Quantifying identifiability in independent component analysis

We are interested in consistent estimation of the mixing matrix in the ICA model, when the error distribution is close to (but different from) Gaussian. In particular, we consider $n$ independent samples from the ICA model $X = A\epsilon$, where we assume that the coordinates of $\epsilon$ are independent and identically distributed according to a contaminated Gaussian distribution, and the amount of contamination is allowed to depend on $n$. We then investigate how the ability to consistently estimate the mixing matrix depends on the amount of contamination. Our results suggest that in an asymptotic sense, if the amount of contamination decreases at rate $1/\sqrt{n}$ or faster, then the mixing matrix is only identifiable up to transpose products. These results also have implications for causal inference from linear structural equation models with near-Gaussian additive noise.Comment: 22 pages, 2 figure

Lagrangian Becchi-Rouet-Stora-Tyutin treatment of collective coordinates

The Becchi-Rouet-Stora-Tyutin (BRST) treatment for the quantization of collective coordinates is considered in the Lagrangian formalism. The motion of a particle in a Riemannian manifold is studied in the case when the classical solutions break a non-abelian global invariance of the action. Collective coordinates are introduced, and the resulting gauge theory is quantized in the BRST antifield formalism. The partition function is computed perturbatively to two-loops, and it is shown that the results are independent of gauge-fixing parameters.Comment: LaTeX file, 26 pages, PostScript figures at end of fil

Vacuum Expectation Value of the Higgs Field and Dyon Charge Quantisation from Spacetime Dependent Lagrangians

The spacetime dependent lagrangian formalism of references [1-2] is used to obtain is used to obtain a classical solution of Yang-Mills theory. This is then used to obtain an estimate of the vacuum expectation value of the Higgs field,{\it viz.} $\phi_{a}=A/e$, where $A$ is a constant and $e$ is the Yang-Mills coupling (related to the usual electric charge).The solution can also accommodate non-commuting coordinates on the boundary of the theory which may be used to construct $D$-brane actions. The formalism is also used to obtain the Deser-Gomberoff-Henneaux-Teitelboim results [10] for dyon charge quantisation in abelian $p$-form theories in dimensions $D=2(p+1)$ for both even and odd $p$. PACS: 11.15.-q,11.27.+d,11.10.EfComment: Latex, 15 pages, a comprehensive paper incorporating material of hep-th/0210051, hence title and abstracts modified, typos correcte

Semiclassical action based on dynamical mean-field theory describing electrons interacting with local lattice fluctuations

We extend a recently introduced semiclassical approach to calculating the influence of local lattice fluctuations on electronic properties of metals and metallic molecular crystals. The effective action of electrons in degenerate orbital states coupling to Jahn-Teller distortions is derived, employing dynamical mean-field theory and adiabatic expansions. We improve on previous numerical treatments of the semiclassical action and present for the simplifying Holstein model results for the finite temperature optical conductivity at electron-phonon coupling strengths from weak to strong. Significant transfer of spectral weight from high to low frequencies is obtained on isotope substitution in the Fermi-liquid to polaron crossover regime.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figure

Manifestly Finite Perturbation Theory for the Short-Distance Expansion of Correlation Functions in the Two Dimensional Ising Model

In the spirit of classic works of Wilson on the renormalization group and operator product expansion, a new framework for the study of the theory space of euclidean quantum field theories has been introduced. This formalism is particularly useful for elucidating the structure of the short-distance expansions of the $n$-point functions of a renormalizable quantum field theory near a non-trivial fixed point. We review and apply this formalism in the study of the scaling limit of the two dimensional massive Ising model. Renormalization group analysis and operator product expansions determine all the non-analytic mass dependence of the short-distance expansion of the correlation functions. An extension of the first order variational formula to higher orders provides a manifestly finite scheme for the perturbative calculation of the operator product coefficients to any order in parameters. A perturbative expansion of the correlation functions follows. We implement this scheme for a systematic study of correlation functions involving two spin operators. We show how the necessary non-trivial integrals can be calculated. As two concrete examples we explicitly calculate the short-distance expansion of the spin-spin correlation function to third order and the spin-spin-energy density correlation function to first order in the mass. We also discuss the applicability of our results to perturbations near other non-trivial fixed points corresponding to other unitary minimal models.Comment: 38 pages with 1 figure, UCLA/93/TEP/4

Learning with Algebraic Invariances, and the Invariant Kernel Trick

When solving data analysis problems it is important to integrate prior knowledge and/or structural invariances. This paper contributes by a novel framework for incorporating algebraic invariance structure into kernels. In particular, we show that algebraic properties such as sign symmetries in data, phase independence, scaling etc. can be included easily by essentially performing the kernel trick twice. We demonstrate the usefulness of our theory in simulations on selected applications such as sign-invariant spectral clustering and underdetermined ICA