Performing Nonlinear Blind Source Separation with Signal Invariants

Given a time series of multicomponent measurements x(t), the usual objective of nonlinear blind source separation (BSS) is to find a "source" time series s(t), comprised of statistically independent combinations of the measured components. In this paper, the source time series is required to have a density function in (s,ds/dt)-space that is equal to the product of density functions of individual components. This formulation of the BSS problem has a solution that is unique, up to permutations and component-wise transformations. Separability is shown to impose constraints on certain locally invariant (scalar) functions of x, which are derived from local higher-order correlations of the data's velocity dx/dt. The data are separable if and only if they satisfy these constraints, and, if the constraints are satisfied, the sources can be explicitly constructed from the data. The method is illustrated by using it to separate two speech-like sounds recorded with a single microphone.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figure

Blind Normalization of Speech From Different Channels

We show how to construct a channel-independent representation of speech that has propagated through a noisy reverberant channel. This is done by blindly rescaling the cepstral time series by a non-linear function, with the form of this scale function being determined by previously encountered cepstra from that channel. The rescaled form of the time series is an invariant property of it in the following sense: it is unaffected if the time series is transformed by any time-independent invertible distortion. Because a linear channel with stationary noise and impulse response transforms cepstra in this way, the new technique can be used to remove the channel dependence of a cepstral time series. In experiments, the method achieved greater channel-independence than cepstral mean normalization, and it was comparable to the combination of cepstral mean normalization and spectral subtraction, despite the fact that no measurements of channel noise or reverberations were required (unlike spectral subtraction).Comment: 25 pages, 7 figure

AC-Tolerant Multifilament Coated Conductors

We report the magnetization losses in an experimental multifilament coated conductor. A 4 mm wide and 10 cm long YBCO coated conductor was subdivided into eight 0.5 mm wide filaments by laser ablation and subjected to post-ablation treatment. As the result, the hysteresis loss was reduced, as expected, in proportion to the width of the filaments. However, the coupling loss was reduced dramatically, and became practically negligible, in the range of a sweep rate up to 20 T/s. This represents a drastic improvement on previous multifilament conductors in which often the coupling losses became equal to the hysteresis loss at a sweep rate as low as 3-4 T/s. These results demonstrate that there is an effective and practical way to suppress coupling losses in coated multifilament conductors.Comment: This paper is based on a talk given at 2006 Applied Superconductivity Conference in Seattle, WA (August 27-September 1, 2006). To be published in IEEE Trans. Appl. Superconductivit

Analysis of uniform binary subdivision schemes for curve design

The paper analyses the convergence of sequences of control polygons produced by a binary subdivision scheme of the form .0,1,2,...kz,ikj,ifjbm0j1k12ifjam0j1k2if=∈+Σ==++Σ==+ The convergence of the control polygons to a Cu curve is analysed in terms of the convergence to zero of a derived scheme for the differences - . The analysis of the smoothness of the limit curve is reduced to kif the convergence analysis of "differentiated" schemes which correspond to divided differences of {/i ∈Z} with respect to the diadic parameteriz- kif ation = i/2kitk . The inverse process of "integration" provides schemes with limit curves having additional orders of smoothness

Uniform subdivision algorithms for curves and surfaces

A convergence analysis for studying the continuity and differentiability of limit curves generated by uniform subdivision algorithms is presented. The analysis is based on the study of corresponding difference and divided difference algorithms. The alternative process of "integrating" the algorithms is considered. A specific example of a 4-point interpolatory curve algorithm is described and its generalization to a surface algorithm defined over a subdivision of a regular triangular partition is illustrated

The bergman kernel method for the numerical conformal mapping of simply connected domains

A numerical method for the conformal mapping of simply-connected domains onto the unit disc is considered. The method is based on the use of the Bergman kernel function of the domain. It is shown that, for a successful application, the basis of the series representation of the kernel must include terms that reflect the main singular behaviour of the kernel in the complement of the domain