On Unconstrained Quasi-Submodular Function Optimization

With the extensive application of submodularity, its generalizations are constantly being proposed. However, most of them are tailored for special problems. In this paper, we focus on quasi-submodularity, a universal generalization, which satisfies weaker properties than submodularity but still enjoys favorable performance in optimization. Similar to the diminishing return property of submodularity, we first define a corresponding property called the {\em single sub-crossing}, then we propose two algorithms for unconstrained quasi-submodular function minimization and maximization, respectively. The proposed algorithms return the reduced lattices in $\mathcal{O}(n)$ iterations, and guarantee the objective function values are strictly monotonically increased or decreased after each iteration. Moreover, any local and global optima are definitely contained in the reduced lattices. Experimental results verify the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed algorithms on lattice reduction.Comment: 11 page

Simplifying Algebra in Feynman Graphs, Part III: Massive Vectors

A T-dualized selfdual inspired formulation of massive vector fields coupled to arbitrary matter is generated; subsequently its perturbative series modeling a spontaneously broken gauge theory is analyzed. The new Feynman rules and external line factors are chirally minimized in the sense that only one type of spin index occurs in the rules. Several processes are examined in detail and the cross-sections formulated in this approach. A double line formulation of the Lorentz algebra for Feynman diagrams is produced in this formalism, similar to color ordering, which follows from a spin ordering of the Feynman rules. The new double line formalism leads to further minimization of gauge invariant scattering in perturbation theory. The dualized electroweak model is also generated.Comment: 39 pages, LaTeX, 8 figure

Convex Relaxations for Permutation Problems

Seriation seeks to reconstruct a linear order between variables using unsorted, pairwise similarity information. It has direct applications in archeology and shotgun gene sequencing for example. We write seriation as an optimization problem by proving the equivalence between the seriation and combinatorial 2-SUM problems on similarity matrices (2-SUM is a quadratic minimization problem over permutations). The seriation problem can be solved exactly by a spectral algorithm in the noiseless case and we derive several convex relaxations for 2-SUM to improve the robustness of seriation solutions in noisy settings. These convex relaxations also allow us to impose structural constraints on the solution, hence solve semi-supervised seriation problems. We derive new approximation bounds for some of these relaxations and present numerical experiments on archeological data, Markov chains and DNA assembly from shotgun gene sequencing data.Comment: Final journal version, a few typos and references fixe

Reduced Complexity Filtering with Stochastic Dominance Bounds: A Convex Optimization Approach

This paper uses stochastic dominance principles to construct upper and lower sample path bounds for Hidden Markov Model (HMM) filters. Given a HMM, by using convex optimization methods for nuclear norm minimization with copositive constraints, we construct low rank stochastic marices so that the optimal filters using these matrices provably lower and upper bound (with respect to a partially ordered set) the true filtered distribution at each time instant. Since these matrices are low rank (say R), the computational cost of evaluating the filtering bounds is O(XR) instead of O(X2). A Monte-Carlo importance sampling filter is presented that exploits these upper and lower bounds to estimate the optimal posterior. Finally, using the Dobrushin coefficient, explicit bounds are given on the variational norm between the true posterior and the upper and lower bounds

Ordered phases of XXZ-symmetric spin-1/2 zigzag ladder

Using bosonization approach, we derive an effective low-energy theory for XXZ-symmetric spin-1/2 zigzag ladders and discuss its phase diagram by a variational approach. A spin nematic phase emerges in a wide part of the phase diagram, either critical or massive. Possible crossovers between the spontaneously dimerized and spin nematic phases are discussed, and the topological excitations in all phases identified.Comment: 14 pages, 3 figures. submitted to The European Physical Journal

Ground States of Fermionic lattice Hamiltonians with Permutation Symmetry

We study the ground states of lattice Hamiltonians that are invariant under permutations, in the limit where the number of lattice sites, N -> \infty. For spin systems, these are product states, a fact that follows directly from the quantum de Finetti theorem. For fermionic systems, however, the problem is very different, since mode operators acting on different sites do not commute, but anti-commute. We construct a family of fermionic states, \cal{F}, from which such ground states can be easily computed. They are characterized by few parameters whose number only depends on M, the number of modes per lattice site. We also give an explicit construction for M=1,2. In the first case, \cal{F} is contained in the set of Gaussian states, whereas in the second it is not. Inspired by that constructions, we build a set of fermionic variational wave functions, and apply it to the Fermi-Hubbard model in two spatial dimensions, obtaining results that go beyond the generalized Hartree-Fock theory.Comment: 23 pages, published versio