A deterministic algorithm to compute approximate roots of polynomial systems in polynomial average time

We describe a deterministic algorithm that computes an approximate root of n complex polynomial equations in n unknowns in average polynomial time with respect to the size of the input, in the Blum-Shub-Smale model with square root. It rests upon a derandomization of an algorithm of Beltr\'an and Pardo and gives a deterministic affirmative answer to Smale's 17th problem. The main idea is to make use of the randomness contained in the input itself

The complexity and geometry of numerically solving polynomial systems

These pages contain a short overview on the state of the art of efficient numerical analysis methods that solve systems of multivariate polynomial equations. We focus on the work of Steve Smale who initiated this research framework, and on the collaboration between Stephen Smale and Michael Shub, which set the foundations of this approach to polynomial system--solving, culminating in the more recent advances of Carlos Beltran, Luis Miguel Pardo, Peter Buergisser and Felipe Cucker

On the number of minima of a random polynomial

We give an upper bound in O(d ^((n+1)/2)) for the number of critical points of a normal random polynomial with degree d and at most n variables. Using the large deviation principle for the spectral value of large random matrices we obtain the bound O(exp(-beta n^2 + (n/2) log (d-1))) (beta is a positive constant independent on n and d) for the number of minima of such a polynomial. This proves that most normal random polynomials of fixed degree have only saddle points. Finally, we give a closed form expression for the number of maxima (resp. minima) of a random univariate polynomial, in terms of hypergeometric functions.Comment: 22 pages. We learned since the first version that the probability that a matrix in GOE(n) is positive definite is known. This follows from the theory of large deviations (reference in the paper). Therefore, we can now state a precise upper bound (Theorem 2) for the number of minima of a random polynomial, instead of a bound depending on that probabilit

Random systems of polynomial equations. The expected number of roots under smooth analysis

We consider random systems of equations over the reals, with $m$ equations and $m$ unknowns $P_i(t)+X_i(t)=0$, $t\in\mathbb{R}^m$, $i=1,...,m$, where the $P_i$'s are non-random polynomials having degrees $d_i$'s (the "signal") and the $X_i$'s (the "noise") are independent real-valued Gaussian centered random polynomial fields defined on $\mathbb{R}^m$, with a probability law satisfying some invariance properties. For each $i$, $P_i$ and $X_i$ have degree $d_i$. The problem is the behavior of the number of roots for large $m$. We prove that under specified conditions on the relation signal over noise, which imply that in a certain sense this relation is neither too large nor too small, it follows that the quotient between the expected value of the number of roots of the perturbed system and the expected value corresponding to the centered system (i.e., $P_i$ identically zero for all $i=1,...,m$), tends to zero geometrically fast as $m$ tends to infinity. In particular, this means that the behavior of this expected value is governed by the noise part.Comment: Published in at http://dx.doi.org/10.3150/08-BEJ149 the Bernoulli (http://isi.cbs.nl/bernoulli/) by the International Statistical Institute/Bernoulli Society (http://isi.cbs.nl/BS/bshome.htm

Average volume, curvatures, and Euler characteristic of random real algebraic varieties

We determine the expected curvature polynomial of random real projective varieties given as the zero set of independent random polynomials with Gaussian distribution, whose distribution is invariant under the action of the orthogonal group. In particular, the expected Euler characteristic of such random real projective varieties is found. This considerably extends previously known results on the number of roots, the volume, and the Euler characteristic of the solution set of random polynomial equationsComment: 38 pages. Version 2: corrected typos, changed some notation, rewrote proof of Theorem 5.