Coordinate shadows of semi-definite and Euclidean distance matrices

We consider the projected semi-definite and Euclidean distance cones onto a subset of the matrix entries. These two sets are precisely the input data defining feasible semi-definite and Euclidean distance completion problems. We classify when these sets are closed, and use the boundary structure of these two sets to elucidate the Krislock-Wolkowicz facial reduction algorithm. In particular, we show that under a chordality assumption, the "minimal cones" of these problems admit combinatorial characterizations. As a byproduct, we record a striking relationship between the complexity of the general facial reduction algorithm (singularity degree) and facial exposedness of conic images under a linear mapping.Comment: 21 page

Approximating functions on stratified sets

We investigate smooth approximations of functions, with prescribed gradient behavior on a distinguished stratified subset of the domain. As an application, we outline how our results yield important consequences for a recently introduced class of stochastic processes, called the matrix-valued Bessel processes.Comment: This is the version appearing in Trans. Amer. Math. Soc. 367 (2015), 725-74