A linear inverse problem is proposed that requires the determination of
multiple unknown signal vectors. Each unknown vector passes through a different
system matrix and the results are added to yield a single observation vector.
Given the matrices and lone observation, the objective is to find a
simultaneously sparse set of unknown vectors that solves the system. We will
refer to this as the multiple-system single-output (MSSO) simultaneous sparsity
problem. This manuscript contrasts the MSSO problem with other simultaneous
sparsity problems and conducts a thorough initial exploration of algorithms
with which to solve it. Seven algorithms are formulated that approximately
solve this NP-Hard problem. Three greedy techniques are developed (matching
pursuit, orthogonal matching pursuit, and least squares matching pursuit) along
with four methods based on a convex relaxation (iteratively reweighted least
squares, two forms of iterative shrinkage, and formulation as a second-order
cone program). The algorithms are evaluated across three experiments: the first
and second involve sparsity profile recovery in noiseless and noisy scenarios,
respectively, while the third deals with magnetic resonance imaging
radio-frequency excitation pulse design.Comment: 36 pages; manuscript unchanged from July 21, 2008, except for updated
references; content appears in September 2008 PhD thesi