Lipschitz gradients for global optimization in a one-point-based partitioning scheme

A global optimization problem is studied where the objective function $f(x)$ is a multidimensional black-box function and its gradient $f'(x)$ satisfies the Lipschitz condition over a hyperinterval with an unknown Lipschitz constant $K$. Different methods for solving this problem by using an a priori given estimate of $K$, its adaptive estimates, and adaptive estimates of local Lipschitz constants are known in the literature. Recently, the authors have proposed a one-dimensional algorithm working with multiple estimates of the Lipschitz constant for $f'(x)$ (the existence of such an algorithm was a challenge for 15 years). In this paper, a new multidimensional geometric method evolving the ideas of this one-dimensional scheme and using an efficient one-point-based partitioning strategy is proposed. Numerical experiments executed on 800 multidimensional test functions demonstrate quite a promising performance in comparison with popular DIRECT-based methods.Comment: 25 pages, 4 figures, 5 tables. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:1103.205

Deterministic global optimization using space-filling curves and multiple estimates of Lipschitz and Holder constants

In this paper, the global optimization problem $\min_{y\in S} F(y)$ with $S$ being a hyperinterval in $\Re^N$ and $F(y)$ satisfying the Lipschitz condition with an unknown Lipschitz constant is considered. It is supposed that the function $F(y)$ can be multiextremal, non-differentiable, and given as a `black-box'. To attack the problem, a new global optimization algorithm based on the following two ideas is proposed and studied both theoretically and numerically. First, the new algorithm uses numerical approximations to space-filling curves to reduce the original Lipschitz multi-dimensional problem to a univariate one satisfying the H\"{o}lder condition. Second, the algorithm at each iteration applies a new geometric technique working with a number of possible H\"{o}lder constants chosen from a set of values varying from zero to infinity showing so that ideas introduced in a popular DIRECT method can be used in the H\"{o}lder global optimization. Convergence conditions of the resulting deterministic global optimization method are established. Numerical experiments carried out on several hundreds of test functions show quite a promising performance of the new algorithm in comparison with its direct competitors.Comment: 26 pages, 10 figures, 4 table

Lipschitz optimization methods for fitting a sum of damped sinusoids to a series of observations

A general nonlinear regression model is considered in the form of fitting a sum of damped sinusoids to a series of non-uniform observations. The problem of parameter estimation in this model is important in many applications like signal processing. The corresponding continuous optimization problem is typically difficult due to the high multiextremal character of the objective function. It is shown how Lipschitz-based deterministic methods can be well-suited for studying these challenging global optimization problems, when a limited computational budget is given and some guarantee of the found solution is required

Selection and Estimation for Mixed Graphical Models

We consider the problem of estimating the parameters in a pairwise graphical model in which the distribution of each node, conditioned on the others, may have a different parametric form. In particular, we assume that each node's conditional distribution is in the exponential family. We identify restrictions on the parameter space required for the existence of a well-defined joint density, and establish the consistency of the neighbourhood selection approach for graph reconstruction in high dimensions when the true underlying graph is sparse. Motivated by our theoretical results, we investigate the selection of edges between nodes whose conditional distributions take different parametric forms, and show that efficiency can be gained if edge estimates obtained from the regressions of particular nodes are used to reconstruct the graph. These results are illustrated with examples of Gaussian, Bernoulli, Poisson and exponential distributions. Our theoretical findings are corroborated by evidence from simulation studies

Quantum Thermodynamics

Quantum thermodynamics addresses the emergence of thermodynamical laws from quantum mechanics. The link is based on the intimate connection of quantum thermodynamics with the theory of open quantum systems. Quantum mechanics inserts dynamics into thermodynamics giving a sound foundation to finite-time-thermodynamics. The emergence of the 0-law I-law II-law and III-law of thermodynamics from quantum considerations is presented. The emphasis is on consistence between the two theories which address the same subject from different foundations. We claim that inconsistency is the result of faulty analysis pointing to flaws in approximations