29,325 research outputs found
Probabilistic Computability and Choice
We study the computational power of randomized computations on infinite
objects, such as real numbers. In particular, we introduce the concept of a Las
Vegas computable multi-valued function, which is a function that can be
computed on a probabilistic Turing machine that receives a random binary
sequence as auxiliary input. The machine can take advantage of this random
sequence, but it always has to produce a correct result or to stop the
computation after finite time if the random advice is not successful. With
positive probability the random advice has to be successful. We characterize
the class of Las Vegas computable functions in the Weihrauch lattice with the
help of probabilistic choice principles and Weak Weak K\H{o}nig's Lemma. Among
other things we prove an Independent Choice Theorem that implies that Las Vegas
computable functions are closed under composition. In a case study we show that
Nash equilibria are Las Vegas computable, while zeros of continuous functions
with sign changes cannot be computed on Las Vegas machines. However, we show
that the latter problem admits randomized algorithms with weaker failure
recognition mechanisms. The last mentioned results can be interpreted such that
the Intermediate Value Theorem is reducible to the jump of Weak Weak
K\H{o}nig's Lemma, but not to Weak Weak K\H{o}nig's Lemma itself. These
examples also demonstrate that Las Vegas computable functions form a proper
superclass of the class of computable functions and a proper subclass of the
class of non-deterministically computable functions. We also study the impact
of specific lower bounds on the success probabilities, which leads to a strict
hierarchy of classes. In particular, the classical technique of probability
amplification fails for computations on infinite objects. We also investigate
the dependency on the underlying probability space.Comment: Information and Computation (accepted for publication
From energy-density functionals to mean field potentials: a systematic derivation
In this paper we present a systematic method to solve the variational problem
of the derivation of a self-consistent Kohn-Sham field from an arbitrary local
energy functional. We illustrate this formalism with an application in nuclear
physics and give the general mean field associated to the widely used Skyrme
effective interaction
Connected Choice and the Brouwer Fixed Point Theorem
We study the computational content of the Brouwer Fixed Point Theorem in the
Weihrauch lattice. Connected choice is the operation that finds a point in a
non-empty connected closed set given by negative information. One of our main
results is that for any fixed dimension the Brouwer Fixed Point Theorem of that
dimension is computably equivalent to connected choice of the Euclidean unit
cube of the same dimension. Another main result is that connected choice is
complete for dimension greater than or equal to two in the sense that it is
computably equivalent to Weak K\H{o}nig's Lemma. While we can present two
independent proofs for dimension three and upwards that are either based on a
simple geometric construction or a combinatorial argument, the proof for
dimension two is based on a more involved inverse limit construction. The
connected choice operation in dimension one is known to be equivalent to the
Intermediate Value Theorem; we prove that this problem is not idempotent in
contrast to the case of dimension two and upwards. We also prove that Lipschitz
continuity with Lipschitz constants strictly larger than one does not simplify
finding fixed points. Finally, we prove that finding a connectedness component
of a closed subset of the Euclidean unit cube of any dimension greater or equal
to one is equivalent to Weak K\H{o}nig's Lemma. In order to describe these
results, we introduce a representation of closed subsets of the unit cube by
trees of rational complexes.Comment: 36 page
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