The problem of retraction in critical discussion

The problem is to find a model of dialogue that allows retractions where they seem reasonable or even required, and puts sanctions on them (or even bans them altogether) whenever they would be disruptive of a well-organized process of dialogue. One ty pe of solution will let retraction rules determine which retractions are permissible, and if permissible what the consequences of retraction are. These rules vary according to the type of dialogue and to the type of commitment to which the retraction per tains. To accommodate various incoherent intuitions on retractions, one may resort to modelling complex types of dialogue

Global rates of convergence for nonconvex optimization on manifolds

We consider the minimization of a cost function $f$ on a manifold $M$ using Riemannian gradient descent and Riemannian trust regions (RTR). We focus on satisfying necessary optimality conditions within a tolerance $\varepsilon$. Specifically, we show that, under Lipschitz-type assumptions on the pullbacks of $f$ to the tangent spaces of $M$, both of these algorithms produce points with Riemannian gradient smaller than $\varepsilon$ in $O(1/\varepsilon^2)$ iterations. Furthermore, RTR returns a point where also the Riemannian Hessian's least eigenvalue is larger than $-\varepsilon$ in $O(1/\varepsilon^3)$ iterations. There are no assumptions on initialization. The rates match their (sharp) unconstrained counterparts as a function of the accuracy $\varepsilon$ (up to constants) and hence are sharp in that sense. These are the first deterministic results for global rates of convergence to approximate first- and second-order Karush-Kuhn-Tucker points on manifolds. They apply in particular for optimization constrained to compact submanifolds of $\mathbb{R}^n$, under simpler assumptions.Comment: 33 pages, IMA Journal of Numerical Analysis, 201

The motion, stability and breakup of a stretching liquid bridge with a receding contact line

The complex behavior of drop deposition on a hydrophobic surface is considered by looking at a model problem in which the evolution of a constant-volume liquid bridge is studied as the bridge is stretched. The bridge is pinned with a fixed diameter at the upper contact point, but the contact line at the lower attachment point is free to move on a smooth substrate. Experiments indicate that initially, as the bridge is stretched, the lower contact line slowly retreats inwards. However at a critical radius, the bridge becomes unstable, and the contact line accelerates dramatically, moving inwards very quickly. The bridge subsequently pinches off, and a small droplet is left on the substrate. A quasi-static analysis, using the Young-Laplace equation, is used to accurately predict the shape of the bridge during the initial bridge evolution, including the initial onset of the slow contact line retraction. A stability analysis is used to predict the onset of pinch-off, and a one-dimensional dynamical equation, coupled with a Tanner-law for the dynamic contact angle, is used to model the rapid pinch-off behavior. Excellent agreement between numerical predictions and experiments is found throughout the bridge evolution, and the importance of the dynamic contact line model is demonstrated.Comment: 37 pages, 12 figure

Polyfolds: A First and Second Look

Polyfold theory was developed by Hofer-Wysocki-Zehnder by finding commonalities in the analytic framework for a variety of geometric elliptic PDEs, in particular moduli spaces of pseudoholomorphic curves. It aims to systematically address the common difficulties of compactification and transversality with a new notion of smoothness on Banach spaces, new local models for differential geometry, and a nonlinear Fredholm theory in the new context. We shine meta-mathematical light on the bigger picture and core ideas of this theory. In addition, we compiled and condensed the core definitions and theorems of polyfold theory into a streamlined exposition, and outline their application at the example of Morse theory.Comment: 62 pages, 2 figures. Example 2.1.3 has been modified. Final version, to appear in the EMS Surv. Math. Sc

Well-rounded equivariant deformation retracts of Teichm\"uller spaces

In this paper, we construct spines, i.e., \Mod_g-equivariant deformation retracts, of the Teichm\"uller space \T_g of compact Riemann surfaces of genus $g$. Specifically, we define a \Mod_g-stable subspace $S$ of positive codimension and construct an intrinsic \Mod_g-equivariant deformation retraction from \T_g to $S$. As an essential part of the proof, we construct a canonical \Mod_g-deformation retraction of the Teichm\"uller space \T_g to its thick part \T_g(\varepsilon) when $\varepsilon$ is sufficiently small. These equivariant deformation retracts of \T_g give cocompact models of the universal space \underline{E}\Mod_g for proper actions of the mapping class group \Mod_g. These deformation retractions of \T_g are motivated by the well-rounded deformation retraction of the space of lattices in $\R^n$. We also include a summary of results and difficulties of an unpublished paper of Thurston on a potential spine of the Teichm\"uller space.Comment: A revised version. L'Enseignement Mathematique, 201

Convergence analysis of Riemannian Gauss-Newton methods and its connection with the geometric condition number

We obtain estimates of the multiplicative constants appearing in local convergence results of the Riemannian Gauss-Newton method for least squares problems on manifolds and relate them to the geometric condition number of [P. B\"urgisser and F. Cucker, Condition: The Geometry of Numerical Algorithms, 2013]