Quantum Algorithms for Learning and Testing Juntas

In this article we develop quantum algorithms for learning and testing juntas, i.e. Boolean functions which depend only on an unknown set of k out of n input variables. Our aim is to develop efficient algorithms: - whose sample complexity has no dependence on n, the dimension of the domain the Boolean functions are defined over; - with no access to any classical or quantum membership ("black-box") queries. Instead, our algorithms use only classical examples generated uniformly at random and fixed quantum superpositions of such classical examples; - which require only a few quantum examples but possibly many classical random examples (which are considered quite "cheap" relative to quantum examples). Our quantum algorithms are based on a subroutine FS which enables sampling according to the Fourier spectrum of f; the FS subroutine was used in earlier work of Bshouty and Jackson on quantum learning. Our results are as follows: - We give an algorithm for testing k-juntas to accuracy $\epsilon$ that uses $O(k/\epsilon)$ quantum examples. This improves on the number of examples used by the best known classical algorithm. - We establish the following lower bound: any FS-based k-junta testing algorithm requires $\Omega(\sqrt{k})$ queries. - We give an algorithm for learning $k$-juntas to accuracy $\epsilon$ that uses $O(\epsilon^{-1} k\log k)$ quantum examples and $O(2^k \log(1/\epsilon))$ random examples. We show that this learning algorithms is close to optimal by giving a related lower bound.Comment: 15 pages, 1 figure. Uses synttree package. To appear in Quantum Information Processin

Complex-valued fractional derivatives on time scales

We introduce a notion of fractional (noninteger order) derivative on an arbitrary nonempty closed subset of the real numbers (on a time scale). Main properties of the new operator are proved and several illustrative examples given.Comment: This is a preprint of a paper whose final and definite form will appear in Springer Proceedings in Mathematics & Statistics, ISSN: 2194-1009. Accepted for publication 06/Nov/201

Visibility graphs of fractional Wu-Baleanu time series

[EN] We study time series generated by the parametric family of fractional discrete maps introduced by Wu and Baleanu, presenting an alternative way of introducing these maps. For the values of the parameters that yield chaotic time series, we have studied the Shannon entropy of the degree distribution of the natural and horizontal visibility graphs associated to these series. In these cases, the degree distribution can be fitted with a power law. We have also compared the Shannon entropy and the exponent of the power law fitting for the different values of the fractionary exponent and the scaling factor of the model. Our results illustrate a connection between the fractionary exponent and the scaling factor of the maps, with the respect to the onset of the chaos.J.A. Conejero is supported Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad Grant Project MTM2016-75963-P. Carlos Lizama is supported by CONICYT, under Fondecyt Grant number 1180041. Cristobal Rodero-Gomez is funded by European Commission H2020 research and Innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 764738.Conejero, JA.; Lizama, C.; Mira-Iglesias, A.; Rodero-Gómez, C. (2019). Visibility graphs of fractional Wu-Baleanu time series. The Journal of Difference Equations and Applications. 25(9-10):1321-1331. https://doi.org/10.1080/10236198.2019.1619714S13211331259-10Anand, K., & Bianconi, G. (2009). Entropy measures for networks: Toward an information theory of complex topologies. Physical Review E, 80(4). doi:10.1103/physreve.80.045102Barabási, A.-L., & Albert, R. (1999). Emergence of Scaling in Random Networks. Science, 286(5439), 509-512. doi:10.1126/science.286.5439.509Brzeziński, D. W. (2017). Comparison of Fractional Order Derivatives Computational Accuracy - Right Hand vs Left Hand Definition. Applied Mathematics and Nonlinear Sciences, 2(1), 237-248. doi:10.21042/amns.2017.1.00020Brzeziński, D. W. (2018). Review of numerical methods for NumILPT with computational accuracy assessment for fractional calculus. Applied Mathematics and Nonlinear Sciences, 3(2), 487-502. doi:10.2478/amns.2018.2.00038DONNER, R. V., SMALL, M., DONGES, J. F., MARWAN, N., ZOU, Y., XIANG, R., & KURTHS, J. (2011). RECURRENCE-BASED TIME SERIES ANALYSIS BY MEANS OF COMPLEX NETWORK METHODS. International Journal of Bifurcation and Chaos, 21(04), 1019-1046. doi:10.1142/s0218127411029021Edelman, M. (2015). On the fractional Eulerian numbers and equivalence of maps with long term power-law memory (integral Volterra equations of the second kind) to Grünvald-Letnikov fractional difference (differential) equations. Chaos: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Nonlinear Science, 25(7), 073103. doi:10.1063/1.4922834Edelman, M. (2018). On stability of fixed points and chaos in fractional systems. Chaos: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Nonlinear Science, 28(2), 023112. doi:10.1063/1.5016437Gao, Z.-K., Small, M., & Kurths, J. (2016). Complex network analysis of time series. EPL (Europhysics Letters), 116(5), 50001. doi:10.1209/0295-5075/116/50001Iacovacci, J., & Lacasa, L. (2016). Sequential visibility-graph motifs. Physical Review E, 93(4). doi:10.1103/physreve.93.042309Indahl, U. G., Naes, T., & Liland, K. H. (2018). A similarity index for comparing coupled matrices. Journal of Chemometrics, 32(10), e3049. doi:10.1002/cem.3049Kantz, H., & Schreiber, T. (2003). Nonlinear Time Series Analysis. doi:10.1017/cbo9780511755798Lacasa, L., & Iacovacci, J. (2017). Visibility graphs of random scalar fields and spatial data. Physical Review E, 96(1). doi:10.1103/physreve.96.012318Lacasa, L., Luque, B., Ballesteros, F., Luque, J., & Nuño, J. C. (2008). From time series to complex networks: The visibility graph. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 105(13), 4972-4975. doi:10.1073/pnas.0709247105Lizama, C. (2015). lp-maximal regularity for fractional difference equations on UMD spaces. Mathematische Nachrichten, 288(17-18), 2079-2092. doi:10.1002/mana.201400326Lizama, C. (2017). The Poisson distribution, abstract fractional difference equations, and stability. Proceedings of the American Mathematical Society, 145(9), 3809-3827. doi:10.1090/proc/12895Luque, B., Lacasa, L., Ballesteros, F., & Luque, J. (2009). Horizontal visibility graphs: Exact results for random time series. Physical Review E, 80(4). doi:10.1103/physreve.80.046103Luque, B., Lacasa, L., Ballesteros, F. J., & Robledo, A. (2011). Feigenbaum Graphs: A Complex Network Perspective of Chaos. PLoS ONE, 6(9), e22411. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0022411Luque, B., Lacasa, L., & Robledo, A. (2012). Feigenbaum graphs at the onset of chaos. Physics Letters A, 376(47-48), 3625-3629. doi:10.1016/j.physleta.2012.10.050May, R. M. (1976). Simple mathematical models with very complicated dynamics. Nature, 261(5560), 459-467. doi:10.1038/261459a0Núñez, Á. M., Luque, B., Lacasa, L., Gómez, J. P., & Robledo, A. (2013). Horizontal visibility graphs generated by type-I intermittency. Physical Review E, 87(5). doi:10.1103/physreve.87.052801Ravetti, M. G., Carpi, L. C., Gonçalves, B. A., Frery, A. C., & Rosso, O. A. (2014). Distinguishing Noise from Chaos: Objective versus Subjective Criteria Using Horizontal Visibility Graph. PLoS ONE, 9(9), e108004. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0108004Robledo, A. (2013). Generalized Statistical Mechanics at the Onset of Chaos. Entropy, 15(12), 5178-5222. doi:10.3390/e15125178Shannon, C. E. (1948). A Mathematical Theory of Communication. Bell System Technical Journal, 27(3), 379-423. doi:10.1002/j.1538-7305.1948.tb01338.xSong, C., Havlin, S., & Makse, H. A. (2006). Origins of fractality in the growth of complex networks. Nature Physics, 2(4), 275-281. doi:10.1038/nphys266West, J., Lacasa, L., Severini, S., & Teschendorff, A. (2012). Approximate entropy of network parameters. Physical Review E, 85(4). doi:10.1103/physreve.85.046111Wu, G.-C., & Baleanu, D. (2013). Discrete fractional logistic map and its chaos. Nonlinear Dynamics, 75(1-2), 283-287. doi:10.1007/s11071-013-1065-7Wu, G.-C., & Baleanu, D. (2014). Discrete chaos in fractional delayed logistic maps. Nonlinear Dynamics, 80(4), 1697-1703. doi:10.1007/s11071-014-1250-3Zhang, J., & Small, M. (2006). Complex Network from Pseudoperiodic Time Series: Topology versus Dynamics. Physical Review Letters, 96(23). doi:10.1103/physrevlett.96.23870

Learning Unions of ω(1)\omega(1)-Dimensional Rectangles

We consider the problem of learning unions of rectangles over the domain $[b]^n$, in the uniform distribution membership query learning setting, where both b and n are "large". We obtain poly$(n, \log b)$-time algorithms for the following classes: - poly$(n \log b)$-way Majority of $O(\frac{\log(n \log b)} {\log \log(n \log b)})$-dimensional rectangles. - Union of poly$(\log(n \log b))$ many $O(\frac{\log^2 (n \log b)} {(\log \log(n \log b) \log \log \log (n \log b))^2})$-dimensional rectangles. - poly$(n \log b)$-way Majority of poly$(n \log b)$-Or of disjoint $O(\frac{\log(n \log b)} {\log \log(n \log b)})$-dimensional rectangles. Our main algorithmic tool is an extension of Jackson's boosting- and Fourier-based Harmonic Sieve algorithm [Jackson 1997] to the domain $[b]^n$, building on work of [Akavia, Goldwasser, Safra 2003]. Other ingredients used to obtain the results stated above are techniques from exact learning [Beimel, Kushilevitz 1998] and ideas from recent work on learning augmented $AC^{0}$ circuits [Jackson, Klivans, Servedio 2002] and on representing Boolean functions as thresholds of parities [Klivans, Servedio 2001].Comment: 25 pages. Some corrections. Recipient of E. M. Gold award ALT 2006. To appear in Journal of Theoretical Computer Scienc

Intraperitoneal drain placement and outcomes after elective colorectal surgery: international matched, prospective, cohort study

Despite current guidelines, intraperitoneal drain placement after elective colorectal surgery remains widespread. Drains were not associated with earlier detection of intraperitoneal collections, but were associated with prolonged hospital stay and increased risk of surgical-site infections.Background Many surgeons routinely place intraperitoneal drains after elective colorectal surgery. However, enhanced recovery after surgery guidelines recommend against their routine use owing to a lack of clear clinical benefit. This study aimed to describe international variation in intraperitoneal drain placement and the safety of this practice. Methods COMPASS (COMPlicAted intra-abdominal collectionS after colorectal Surgery) was a prospective, international, cohort study which enrolled consecutive adults undergoing elective colorectal surgery (February to March 2020). The primary outcome was the rate of intraperitoneal drain placement. Secondary outcomes included: rate and time to diagnosis of postoperative intraperitoneal collections; rate of surgical site infections (SSIs); time to discharge; and 30-day major postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo grade at least III). After propensity score matching, multivariable logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards regression were used to estimate the independent association of the secondary outcomes with drain placement. Results Overall, 1805 patients from 22 countries were included (798 women, 44.2 per cent; median age 67.0 years). The drain insertion rate was 51.9 per cent (937 patients). After matching, drains were not associated with reduced rates (odds ratio (OR) 1.33, 95 per cent c.i. 0.79 to 2.23; P = 0.287) or earlier detection (hazard ratio (HR) 0.87, 0.33 to 2.31; P = 0.780) of collections. Although not associated with worse major postoperative complications (OR 1.09, 0.68 to 1.75; P = 0.709), drains were associated with delayed hospital discharge (HR 0.58, 0.52 to 0.66; P < 0.001) and an increased risk of SSIs (OR 2.47, 1.50 to 4.05; P < 0.001). Conclusion Intraperitoneal drain placement after elective colorectal surgery is not associated with earlier detection of postoperative collections, but prolongs hospital stay and increases SSI risk