Vector extrapolation methods with applications to solution of large systems of equations and to PageRank computations

AbstractAn important problem that arises in different areas of science and engineering is that of computing the limits of sequences of vectors {xn}, where xn∈CN with N very large. Such sequences arise, for example, in the solution of systems of linear or nonlinear equations by fixed-point iterative methods, and limn→∞xn are simply the required solutions. In most cases of interest, however, these sequences converge to their limits extremely slowly. One practical way to make the sequences {xn} converge more quickly is to apply to them vector extrapolation methods. In this work, we review two polynomial-type vector extrapolation methods that have proved to be very efficient convergence accelerators; namely, the minimal polynomial extrapolation (MPE) and the reduced rank extrapolation (RRE). We discuss the derivation of these methods, describe the most accurate and stable algorithms for their implementation along with the effective modes of usage in solving systems of equations, nonlinear as well as linear, and present their convergence and stability theory. We also discuss their close connection with the method of Arnoldi and with GMRES, two well-known Krylov subspace methods for linear systems. We show that they can be used very effectively to obtain the dominant eigenvectors of large sparse matrices when the corresponding eigenvalues are known, and provide the relevant theory as well. One such problem is that of computing the PageRank of the Google matrix, which we discuss in detail. In addition, we show that a recent extrapolation method of Kamvar et al. that was proposed for computing the PageRank is very closely related to MPE. We present a generalization of the method of Kamvar et al. along with a very economical algorithm for this generalization. We also provide the missing convergence theory for it

Matrix Shanks Transformations

Shanks' transformation is a well know sequence transformation for accelerating the convergence of scalar sequences. It has been extended to the case of sequences of vectors and sequences of square matrices satisfying a linear difference equation with scalar coefficients. In this paper, a more general extension to the matrix case where the matrices can be rectangular and satisfy a difference equation with matrix coefficients is proposed and studied. In the particular case of square matrices, the new transformation can be recursively implemented by the matrix $arepsilon$-algorithm of Wynn. Then, the transformation is related to matrix Pad\ue9-type and Pad\ue9 approximants. Numerical experiments showing the interest of this transformation end the paper

Rational approximations from power series of vector-valued meromorphic functions

Let F(z) be a vector-valued function, F: C yields C(sup N), which is analytic at z = 0 and meromorphic in a neighborhood of z = 0, and let its Maclaurin series be given. In this work we developed vector-valued rational approximation procedures for F(z) by applying vector extrapolation methods to the sequence of partial sums of its Maclaurin series. We analyzed some of the algebraic and analytic properties of the rational approximations thus obtained, and showed that they were akin to Pade approximations. In particular, we proved a Koenig type theorem concerning their poles and a de Montessus type theorem concerning their uniform convergence. We showed how optical approximations to multiple poles and to Laurent expansions about these poles can be constructed. Extensions of the procedures above and the accompanying theoretical results to functions defined in arbitrary linear spaces was also considered. One of the most interesting and immediate applications of the results of this work is to the matrix eigenvalue problem. In a forthcoming paper we exploited the developments of the present work to devise bona fide generalizations of the classical power method that are especially suitable for very large and sparse matrices. These generalizations can be used to approximate simultaneously several of the largest distinct eigenvalues and corresponding eigenvectors and invariant subspaces of arbitrary matrices which may or may not be diagonalizable, and are very closely related with known Krylov subspace methods

Application of vector-valued rational approximations to the matrix eigenvalue problem and connections with Krylov subspace methods

Let F(z) be a vectored-valued function F: C approaches C sup N, which is analytic at z=0 and meromorphic in a neighborhood of z=0, and let its Maclaurin series be given. We use vector-valued rational approximation procedures for F(z) that are based on its Maclaurin series in conjunction with power iterations to develop bona fide generalizations of the power method for an arbitrary N X N matrix that may be diagonalizable or not. These generalizations can be used to obtain simultaneously several of the largest distinct eigenvalues and the corresponding invariant subspaces, and present a detailed convergence theory for them. In addition, it is shown that the generalized power methods of this work are equivalent to some Krylov subspace methods, among them the methods of Arnoldi and Lanczos. Thus, the theory provides a set of completely new results and constructions for these Krylov subspace methods. This theory suggests at the same time a new mode of usage for these Krylov subspace methods that were observed to possess computational advantages over their common mode of usage