Zero-Convex Functions, Perturbation Resilience, and Subgradient Projections for Feasibility-Seeking Methods

The convex feasibility problem (CFP) is at the core of the modeling of many problems in various areas of science. Subgradient projection methods are important tools for solving the CFP because they enable the use of subgradient calculations instead of orthogonal projections onto the individual sets of the problem. Working in a real Hilbert space, we show that the sequential subgradient projection method is perturbation resilient. By this we mean that under appropriate conditions the sequence generated by the method converges weakly, and sometimes also strongly, to a point in the intersection of the given subsets of the feasibility problem, despite certain perturbations which are allowed in each iterative step. Unlike previous works on solving the convex feasibility problem, the involved functions, which induce the feasibility problem's subsets, need not be convex. Instead, we allow them to belong to a wider and richer class of functions satisfying a weaker condition, that we call "zero-convexity". This class, which is introduced and discussed here, holds a promise to solve optimization problems in various areas, especially in non-smooth and non-convex optimization. The relevance of this study to approximate minimization and to the recent superiorization methodology for constrained optimization is explained.Comment: Mathematical Programming Series A, accepted for publicatio

On the Krein-Milman-Ky Fan theorem for convex compact metrizable sets

The Krein-Milman theorem (1940) states that every convex compact subset of a Hausdorfflocally convex topological space, is the closed convex hull of its extreme points. In 1963, Ky Fan extended the Krein-Milman theorem to the general framework of $\Phi$-convexity. Under general conditions on the class of functions $\Phi$, the Krein-Milman-Ky Fan theorem asserts then, that every compact $\Phi$-convex subset of a Hausdorff space, is the $\Phi$-convex hull of its $\Phi$-extremal points. We prove in this paper that, in the metrizable case the situation is rather better. Indeed, we can replace the set of $\Phi$-extremal points by the smaller subset of $\Phi$-exposed points. We establish under general conditions on the class of functions $\Phi$, that every $\Phi$-convex compact metrizable subset of a Hausdorff space, is the $\Phi$-convex hull of its $\Phi$-exposed points. As a consequence we obtain that each convex weak compact metrizable (resp. convex weak$^*$ compact metrizable) subset of a Banach space (resp. of a dual Banach space), is the closed convex hull of its exposed points (resp. the weak$^*$ closed convex hull of its weak$^*$ exposed points). This result fails in general for compact $\Phi$-convex subsets that are not metrizable

Two Forms of Inconsistency in Quantum Foundations

Recently, there has been some discussion of how Dutch Book arguments might be used to demonstrate the rational incoherence of certain hidden variable models of quantum theory (Feintzeig and Fletcher 2017). In this paper, we argue that the 'form of inconsistency' underlying this alleged irrationality is deeply and comprehensively related to the more familiar 'inconsistency' phenomenon of contextuality. Our main result is that the hierarchy of contextuality due to Abramsky and Brandenburger (2011) corresponds to a hierarchy of additivity/convexity-violations which yields formal Dutch Books of different strengths. We then use this result to provide a partial assessment of whether these formal Dutch Books can be interpreted normatively.Comment: 26 pages, 5 figure

Existence of Minimizers for Non-Level Convex Supremal Functionals

The paper is devoted to determine necessary and sufficient conditions for existence of solutions to the problem ${\rm inf}{{\rm ess sup}_{x \in \Omega} f(\nabla u(x)): u \in u_0 + W^{1,\infty}_0(\Omega)}$ when the supremand $f$ is not necessarily level convex. These conditions are obtained through a comparison with the related level convex problem and are written in terms of a differential inclusion involving the boundary datum. Several conditions of convexity for the supremand $f$ are also investigated