Low-rank Approximation of Linear Maps

This work provides closed-form solutions and minimal achievable errors for a large class of low-rank approximation problems in Hilbert spaces. The proposed theorem generalizes to the case of linear bounded operators and p-th Schatten norms previous results obtained in the finite dimensional case for the Frobenius norm. The theorem is illustrated in various settings, including low-rank approximation problems with respect to the trace norm, the 2-induced norm or the Hilbert-Schmidt norm. The theorem provides also the basics for the design of tractable algorithms for kernel-based or continuous DM

Principal bundle structure of matrix manifolds

In this paper, we introduce a new geometric description of the manifolds of matrices of fixed rank. The starting point is a geometric description of the Grassmann manifold $\mathbb{G}_r(\mathbb{R}^k)$ of linear subspaces of dimension $r<k$ in $\mathbb{R}^k$ which avoids the use of equivalence classes. The set $\mathbb{G}_r(\mathbb{R}^k)$ is equipped with an atlas which provides it with the structure of an analytic manifold modelled on $\mathbb{R}^{(k-r)\times r}$. Then we define an atlas for the set $\mathcal{M}_r(\mathbb{R}^{k \times r})$ of full rank matrices and prove that the resulting manifold is an analytic principal bundle with base $\mathbb{G}_r(\mathbb{R}^k)$ and typical fibre $\mathrm{GL}_r$, the general linear group of invertible matrices in $\mathbb{R}^{k\times k}$. Finally, we define an atlas for the set $\mathcal{M}_r(\mathbb{R}^{n \times m})$ of non-full rank matrices and prove that the resulting manifold is an analytic principal bundle with base $\mathbb{G}_r(\mathbb{R}^n) \times \mathbb{G}_r(\mathbb{R}^m)$ and typical fibre $\mathrm{GL}_r$. The atlas of $\mathcal{M}_r(\mathbb{R}^{n \times m})$ is indexed on the manifold itself, which allows a natural definition of a neighbourhood for a given matrix, this neighbourhood being proved to possess the structure of a Lie group. Moreover, the set $\mathcal{M}_r(\mathbb{R}^{n \times m})$ equipped with the topology induced by the atlas is proven to be an embedded submanifold of the matrix space $\mathbb{R}^{n \times m}$ equipped with the subspace topology. The proposed geometric description then results in a description of the matrix space $\mathbb{R}^{n \times m}$, seen as the union of manifolds $\mathcal{M}_r(\mathbb{R}^{n \times m})$, as an analytic manifold equipped with a topology for which the matrix rank is a continuous map

Convergence results for projected line-search methods on varieties of low-rank matrices via \L{}ojasiewicz inequality

The aim of this paper is to derive convergence results for projected line-search methods on the real-algebraic variety $\mathcal{M}_{\le k}$ of real $m \times n$ matrices of rank at most $k$. Such methods extend Riemannian optimization methods, which are successfully used on the smooth manifold $\mathcal{M}_k$ of rank-$k$ matrices, to its closure by taking steps along gradient-related directions in the tangent cone, and afterwards projecting back to $\mathcal{M}_{\le k}$. Considering such a method circumvents the difficulties which arise from the nonclosedness and the unbounded curvature of $\mathcal{M}_k$. The pointwise convergence is obtained for real-analytic functions on the basis of a \L{}ojasiewicz inequality for the projection of the antigradient to the tangent cone. If the derived limit point lies on the smooth part of $\mathcal{M}_{\le k}$, i.e. in $\mathcal{M}_k$, this boils down to more or less known results, but with the benefit that asymptotic convergence rate estimates (for specific step-sizes) can be obtained without an a priori curvature bound, simply from the fact that the limit lies on a smooth manifold. At the same time, one can give a convincing justification for assuming critical points to lie in $\mathcal{M}_k$: if $X$ is a critical point of $f$ on $\mathcal{M}_{\le k}$, then either $X$ has rank $k$, or $\nabla f(X) = 0$