A Sparsity-Based Method for Blind Compensation of a Memoryless Nonlinear Distortion: Application to Ion-Selective Electrodes

International audience— In this paper, we propose a method for blind compensation of a memoryless nonlinear distortion. We assume as prior information that the desired signal admits a sparse representation in a transformed domain that should be known in advance. Then, given that a nonlinear distortion tends to generate signals that are less sparse than the desired one, our proposal is to build a compensating function model that gives rise to a maximally sparse signal. The implementation of this proposal has, as central elements, a criterion built upon an approximation of the 0-norm, the use of polynomial functions as compensating structures, and an optimization strategy based on sequential quadratic programming. We provide a theoretic analysis for an 0-norm criterion and results considering synthetic data. We also employ the method in an actual application related to chemical analysis via ion-selective electrode arrays

Blind Source Separation of Overdetermined Linear-Quadratic Mixtures

ISBN 978-3-642-15994-7, SoftcoverInternational audienceThis work deals with the problem of source separation in overdetermined linear-quadratic (LQ) models. Although the mixing model in this situation can be inverted by linear structures, we show that some simple independent component analysis (ICA) strategies that are often employed in the linear case cannot be used with the studied model. Motivated by this fact, we consider the more complex yet more robust ICA framework based on the minimization of the mutual information. Special attention is given to the development of a solution that be as robust as possible to suboptimal convergences. This is achieved by defining a method composed of a global optimization step followed by a local search procedure. Simulations confirm the effectiveness of the proposal

Characterization Of Multiscroll Attractors Using Lyapunov Exponents And Lagrangian Coherent Structures.

The present work aims to apply a recently proposed method for estimating Lyapunov exponents to characterize-with the aid of the metric entropy and the fractal dimension-the degree of information and the topological structure associated with multiscroll attractors. In particular, the employed methodology offers the possibility of obtaining the whole Lyapunov spectrum directly from the state equations without employing any linearization procedure or time series-based analysis. As a main result, the predictability and the complexity associated with the phase trajectory were quantified as the number of scrolls are progressively increased for a particular piecewise linear model. In general, it is shown here that the trajectory tends to increase its complexity and unpredictability following an exponential behaviour with the addition of scrolls towards to an upper bound limit, except for some degenerated situations where a non-uniform grid of scrolls is attained. Moreover, the approach employed here also provides an easy way for estimating the finite time Lyapunov exponents of the dynamics and, consequently, the Lagrangian coherent structures for the vector field. These structures are particularly important to understand the stretching/folding behaviour underlying the chaotic multiscroll structure and can provide a better insight of phase space partition and exploration as new scrolls are progressively added to the attractor.2302310

Blind Search for Optimal Wiener Equalizers Using an Artificial Immune Network Model

This work proposes a framework to determine the optimal Wiener equalizer by using an artificial immune network model together with the constant modulus (CM) cost function. This study was primarily motivated by recent theoretical results concerning the CM criterion and its relation to the Wiener approach. The proposed immune-based technique was tested under different channel models and filter orders, and benchmarked against a procedure using a genetic algorithm with niching. The results demonstrated that the proposed strategy has a clear superiority when compared with the more traditional technique. The proposed algorithm presents interesting features from the perspective of multimodal search, being capable of determining the optimal Wiener equalizer in most runs for all tested channels

Sobre critérios para equalização não-supervisionada

In this work, we study the criteria used to solve the blind equalization problem. Two approaches are considered in detail: the constant modulus and the Shalvi-Weinstein criteria. In the course of our exposition, a more recent and less studied technique, the generalized constant modulus criterion, is also discussed. Some of the most important results found in the literature are presented together with some recent contributions related to the comparison between blind criteria and between unsupervised techniques and the Wiener criterion.Neste artigo são abordados critérios usados para resolver o problema da equalização cega também conhecida como autodidata. Consideram-se os critérios clássicos do módulo constante e o do Shalvi-Weinstein. Apresentaremos os principais resultados existentes na literatura e alguns resultados mais recentes, que dizem respeito ao estudo do algoritmo do módulo constante generalizado (GCMA) e à comparação entre os critérios citados e destes com o critério de Wiener.278299Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq

Unquenched flavor and tropical geometry in strongly coupled Chern-Simons-matter theories

We study various aspects of the matrix models calculating free energies and Wilson loop observables in supersymmetric Chern-Simons-matter theories on the three-sphere. We first develop techniques to extract strong coupling results directly from the spectral curve describing the large N master field. We show that the strong coupling limit of the gauge theory corresponds to the so-called tropical limit of the spectral curve. In this limit, the curve degenerates to a planar graph, and matrix model calculations reduce to elementary line integrals along the graph. As an important physical application of these tropical techniques, we study N=3 theories with fundamental matter, both in the quenched and in the unquenched regimes. We calculate the exact spectral curve in the Veneziano limit, and we evaluate the planar free energy and Wilson loop observables at strong coupling by using tropical geometry. The results are in agreement with the predictions of the AdS duals involving tri-Sasakian manifoldsComment: 32 pages, 7 figures. v2: small corrections, added an Appendix on the relation with the approach of 1011.5487. v3: further corrections and clarifications, final version to appear in JHE

Proposal of blind source separation methods for convolutive and nonlinear mixtures

Orientador: João Marcos Travassos RomanoTese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Eletrica e de ComputaçãoResumo: O problema de separação cega de fontes (BSS - Blind Source Separation) vem despertando o interesse de um número crescente de pesquisadores. Esse destaque é devido, em grande parte, à formulação abrangente do problema, que torna possível o uso das técnicas desenvolvidas no contexto de BSS nas mais diversas áreas de aplicação. O presente trabalho tem como objetivo propor novos métodos de solução do problema de separação cega de fontes, nos casos de mistura convolutiva e mistura não-linear. Para o primeiro caso propomos um método baseado em predição não-linear, cujo intuito é eliminar o caráter convolutivo da mistura e, dessa forma, separar os sinais utilizando ferramentas bem estabelecidas no contexto de misturas lineares sem memória. No contexto de misturas não-lineares, propomos uma nova metodologia para separação de sinais em um modelo específico de mistura denominado modelo com não-linearidade posterior (PNL - Post Nonlinear ). Com o intuito de minimizar problemas de convergência para mínimos locais no processo de adaptação do sistema separador, o método proposto emprega um algoritmo evolutivo como ferramenta de otimização, e utiliza um estimador de entropia baseado em estatísticas de ordem para avaliar a função custo. A eficácia de ambos os métodos é verificada através de simulações em diferentes cenáriosAbstract: The problem of blind source separation (BSS) has attracted the attention of agrowing number of researchers, mostly due to its potential applications in a significant number of different areas. The objective of the present work is to propose new methods to solve the problem of BSS in the cases of convolutive mixtures and nonlinear mixtures. For the first case, we propose a new method based on nonlinear prediction filters. The nonlinear structure is employed to eliminate the convolutive character of the mixture, hence converting the problem into an instantaneous mixture, to which several well established tools may be used to recover the sources. In the context of nonlinear mixtures, we present a new methodology for signal separation in the so-called post-nonlinear mixing models (PNL). In order to avoid convergence to local minima, the proposed method uses an evolutionary algorithm to perform the optimization of the separating system. In addition to that, we employ an entropy estimator based on order-statistics to evaluate the cost function. The effectiveness of both methods is assessed through simulations in different scenariosDoutoradoTelecomunicações e TelemáticaDoutor em Engenharia Elétric