arXiv subjects

David Mumford

Publications and source records attributed to David Mumford.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

A Foundation for the Core Mathematician

The foundations of mathematics have long been considered settled by the Zermelo-Fraenkel-Choice axioms. But set theory abounds in models with different truths and even classical questions such as the measurability of projective sets can vary between models. The core of mathematics resides in the study of structures built from the set R of real numbers. This paper proposes a foundation for core mathematics, with both a system of axioms and a definite model of those axioms, in which essentially all core mathematics is incorporated. This definite model delivers a definite truth-value, either true or false, to any core mathematical assertion.

math.LO↗

arXiv2026

AIs and Humans with Agency

This paper compares agency in humans with potential agency in AI programs. Human agency takes many years to develop, as the frontal lobe is activated. Early attempts to endow LLMs agency have met serious obstacles. Progress requires a new architecture where actions and plans are formulated jointly with the human actors in each real world setting.

cs.AI↗

arXiv2020

The Convergence of AI code and Cortical Functioning -- a Commentary

Neural nets, one of the oldest architectures for AI programming, are loosely based on biological neurons and their properties. Recent work on language applications has made the AI code closer to biological reality in several ways. This commentary examines this convergence and, in light of what is known of neocortical structure, addresses the question of whether ``general AI'' looks attainable with these tools.

cs.AI↗

arXiv2014

Geodesic Completeness for Sobolev Metrics on the Space of Immersed Plane Curves

We study properties of Sobolev-type metrics on the space of immersed plane curves. We show that the geodesic equation for Sobolev-type metrics with constant coefficients of order 2 and higher is globally well-posed for smooth initial data as well as initial data in certain Sobolev spaces. Thus the space of closed plane curves equipped with such a metric is geodesically complete. We find lower bounds for the geodesic distance in terms of curvature and its derivatives.

math.AP↗

arXiv2013

On Euler's equation and `EPDiff'

We study a family of approximations to Euler's equation depending on two parameters $\varepsilon,η\ge 0$. When $\varepsilon=η=0$ we have Euler's equation and when both are positive we have instances of the class of integro-differential equations called EPDiff in imaging science. These are all geodesic equations on either the full diffeomorphism group $\operatorname{Diff}_{H^\infty}(\mathbb R^n)$ or, if $\varepsilon = 0$, its volume preserving subgroup. They are defined by the right invariant metric induced by the norm on vector fields given by $$ \|v\|_{\varepsilon,η} = \int_{\mathbb R^n} dx $$ where $L_{\varepsilon,η} = (I-\tfrac{η^2}{p} \triangle)^p \circ (I-\tfrac1{\varepsilon^2} \nabla \circ ÷)$. All geodesic equations are locally well-posed, and the $L_{\varepsilon,η}$-equation admits solutions for all time if $η>0$ and $p\ge (n+3)/2$. We tie together solutions of all these equations by estimates which, however, are only local in time. This approach leads to a new notion of momentum which is transported by the flow and serves as a generalization of vorticity. We also discuss how delta distribution momenta lead to "vortex-solitons", also called "landmarks" in imaging science, and to new numeric approximations to fluids.

math.AP↗

arXiv2013

A zoo of diffeomorphism groups on $\mathbb R^n$

We consider the groups $\operatorname{Diff}_{\mathcal B}(\mathbb R^n)$, $\operatorname{Diff}_{H^\infty}(\mathbb R^n)$, and $\operatorname{Diff}_{\mathcal S}(\mathbb R^n)$ of smooth diffeomorphisms on $\mathbb R^n$ which differ from the identity by a function which is in either $\mathcal B$ (bounded in all derivatives), $H^\infty = \bigcap_{k\ge 0}H^k$, or $\mathcal S$ (rapidly decreasing). We show that all these groups are smooth regular Lie groups.

math.FA↗

arXiv2013

Sobolev Metrics on Diffeomorphism Groups and the Derived Geometry of Spaces of Submanifolds

Given a finite dimensional manifold $N$, the group $\operatorname{Diff}_{\mathcal S}(N)$ of diffeomorphism of $N$ which fall suitably rapidly to the identity, acts on the manifold $B(M,N)$ of submanifolds on $N$ of diffeomorphism type $M$ where $M$ is a compact manifold with $\dim M<\dim N$. For a right invariant weak Riemannian metric on $\operatorname{Diff}_{\mathcal S}(N)$ induced by a quite general operator $L:\frak X_{\mathcal S}(N)\to Γ(T^*N\otimes\operatorname{vol}(N))$, we consider the induced weak Riemannian metric on $B(M,N)$ and we compute its geodesics and sectional curvature. For that we derive a covariant formula for curvature in finite and infinite dimensions, we show how it makes O'Neill's formula very transparent, and we use it finally to compute sectional curvature on $B(M,N)$.

math.DG↗

arXiv2011

Sectional Curvature in terms of the Cometric, with Applications to the Riemannian Manifolds of Landmarks

This paper deals with the computation of sectional curvature for the manifolds of $N$ landmarks (or feature points) in D dimensions, endowed with the Riemannian metric induced by the group action of diffeomorphisms. The inverse of the metric tensor for these manifolds (i.e. the cometric), when written in coordinates, is such that each of its elements depends on at most 2D of the ND coordinates. This makes the matrices of partial derivatives of the cometric very sparse in nature, thus suggesting solving the highly non-trivial problem of developing a formula that expresses sectional curvature in terms of the cometric and its first and second partial derivatives (we call this Mario's formula). We apply such formula to the manifolds of landmarks and in particular we fully explore the case of geodesics on which only two points have non-zero momenta and compute the sectional curvatures of 2-planes spanned by the tangents to such geodesics. The latter example gives insight to the geometry of the full manifolds of landmarks.

math.DG↗

arXiv2008

A Metric on Shape Space with Explicit Geodesics

This paper studies a specific metric on plane curves that has the property of being isometric to classical manifold (sphere, complex projective, Stiefel, Grassmann) modulo change of parametrization, each of these classical manifolds being associated to specific qualifications of the space of curves (closed-open, modulo rotation etc...) Using these isometries, we are able to explicitely describe the geodesics, first in the parametric case, then by modding out the paremetrization and considering horizontal vectors. We also compute the sectional curvature for these spaces, and show, in particular, that the space of closed curves modulo rotation and change of parameter has positive curvature. Experimental results that explicitly compute minimizing geodesics between two closed curves are finally provided

math.DG↗

arXiv2006

An overview of the Riemannian metrics on spaces of curves using the Hamiltonian approach

Here shape space is either the manifold of simple closed smooth unparameterized curves in $\mathbb R^2$ or is the orbifold of immersions from $S^1$ to $\mathbb R^2$ modulo the group of diffeomorphisms of $S^1$. We investige several Riemannian metrics on shape space: $L^2$-metrics weighted by expressions in length and curvature. These include a scale invariant metric and a Wasserstein type metric which is sandwiched between two length-weighted metrics. Sobolev metrics of order $n$ on curves are described. Here the horizontal projection of a tangent field is given by a pseudo-differential operator. Finally the metric induced from the Sobolev metric on the group of diffeomorphisms on $\mathbb R^2$is treated. Although the quotient metrics are all given by pseudo-differential operators, their inverses are given by convolution with smooth kernels. We are able to prove local existence and uniqueness of solution to the geodesic equation for both kinds of Sobolev metrics. We are interested in all conserved quantities, so the paper starts with the Hamiltonian setting and computes conserved momenta and geodesics in general on the space of immersions. For each metric we compute the geodesic equation on shape space. In the end we sketch in some examples the differences between these metrics.

math.DG↗

arXiv2006

Riemannian geometries on spaces of plane curves

We study some Riemannian metrics on the space of regular smooth curves in the plane, viewed as the orbit space of maps from $S^1$ to the plane modulo the group of diffeomorphisms of $S^1$, acting as reparameterizations. In particular we investigate the metric for a constant $A> 0$: $$ G^A_c(h,k) := \int_{S^1}(1+A\ka_c(þ)^2)< h(þ),k(þ) > |c'(þ)| dþ$$ where $\ka_c$ is the curvature of the curve $c$ and $h,k$ are normal vector fields to $c$. The term $A\ka^2$ is a sort of geometric Tikhonov regularization because, for A=0, the geodesic distance between any 2 distinct curves is 0, while for $A>0$ the distance is always positive. We give some lower bounds for the distance function, derive the geodesic equation and the sectional curvature, solve the geodesic equation with simple endpoints numerically, and pose some open questions. The space has an interesting split personality: among large smooth curves, all its sectional curvatures are $\ge 0$, while for curves with high curvature or perturbations of high frequency, the curvatures are $\le 0$.

math.DG↗

arXiv2005

Vanishing geodesic distance on spaces of submanifolds and diffeomorphisms

The $L^2$-metric or Fubini-Study metric on the non-linear Grassmannian of all submanifolds of type $M$ in a Riemannian manifold $(N,g)$ induces geodesic distance 0. We discuss another metric which involves the mean curvature and shows that its geodesic distance is a good topological metric. The vanishing phenomenon for the geodesic distance holds also for all diffeomorphism groups for the $L^2$-metric.

math.DG↗

arXiv2002

Pattern theory: the mathematics of perception

Is there a mathematical theory underlying intelligence? Control theory addresses the output side, motor control, but the work of the last 30 years has made clear that perception is a matter of Bayesian statistical inference, based on stochastic models of the signals delivered by our senses and the structures in the world producing them. We will start by sketching the simplest such model, the hidden Markov model for speech, and then go on illustrate the complications, mathematical issues and challenges that this has led to.

math.NA↗

arXiv1993

What can be computed in algebraic geometry?

This paper is a survey of computational issues in algebraic geometry, with particular attention to the theory of Grobner bases and the regularity of an algebraic variety. 1. A geometric introduction to Grobner bases. 2. An algebraic introduction to Grobner bases. 3. Bounds in algebraic geometry, and regularity and complexity questions. 4. Applications.

alg-geom↗