arXiv subjects

Gianluca Giacchi

Publications and source records attributed to Gianluca Giacchi.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

A Schrödinger characterization of the oscillator semigroup

The oscillator (or metaplectic) semigroup is classically defined as the two-fold cover of the semigroup of positive complex symplectic matrices. Although geometrically precise, this definition does not provide an intrinsic operator-theoretic characterization of the bounded operators corresponding to positive symplectic matrices. This is in contrast with the real metaplectic group, whose relation with the symplectic group can be expressed directly in terms of the Schrödinger representation of the Heisenberg group through its intertwining property. In the complex setting, such a relation appears in the existing literature mainly in infinitesimal form or on suitable classes of Gaussian functions. In this work we prove that the (complexified) Schrödinger intertwining relation holds for every function in $L^2(\mathbb{R}^d)$. The main point is the converse statement: if an arbitrary complex symplectic matrix $S$ admits a nonzero bounded operator on $L^2(\mathbb{R}^d)$ satisfying this intertwining relation, then $S$ is necessarily positive and the operator coincides, up to a nonzero scalar, with the corresponding element of the oscillator semigroup. Consequently, positive complex symplectic matrices are exactly those admitting a nonzero bounded Schrödinger intertwiner, and the associated intertwining space is one-dimensional. This provides a Schrödinger-representation characterization of the oscillator semigroup, parallel to the classical one for the real metaplectic group.

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arXiv2026

The metaplectic semigroup and its applications to time-frequency analysis and evolution operators

We develop a systematic analysis of the metaplectic semigroup $\mathrm{Mp}_+(d,\mathbb{C})$ associated with positive complex symplectic matrices, a notion introduced almost simultaneously and independently by Hörmander, Brunet, Kramer, and Howe, thereby extending the classical metaplectic theory beyond the unitary setting. While the existing literature has largely focused on propagators of quadratic evolution equations, for which results are typically obtained via Mehler formulas, our approach is operator-theoretic and symplectic in spirit and adapts techniques from the standard metaplectic group $\mathrm{Mp}(d,\mathbb{R})$ to a substantially broader framework that is not driven by differential problems or particular propagators. This point of view provides deeper insight into the structure of the metaplectic semigroup, and allows us to investigate its generators, polar decomposition, and intertwining relations with complex conjugation and with the Wigner distribution. We then exploit these structural results to characterize, from a metaplectic perspective, classes of time-frequency representations satisfying prescribed structural properties. Finally, we discuss further implications for parabolic equations with complex quadratic Hamiltonians, we study the boundedness of their propagators on modulation spaces, we obtain estimates in time of their operator norms. Finally, we apply our theory to the study of propagation of Wigner singularities.

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arXiv2026

Samplet limits and multiwavelets

Samplets are data adapted multiresolution analyses of localized discrete signed measures. They can be constructed on scattered data sites in arbitrary dimension such that they exhibit vanishing moments with respect to any prescribed set of primitives. We consider the samplet construction in a probabilistic framework and show that, if choosing polynomials as primitives, the resulting samplet basis converges to signed measures with broken polynomial densities in the infinite data limit. These densities amount to multiwavelets with respect to a hierarchical partition of the region containing the data sites. As a byproduct, we therefore obtain a construction of general multiwavelets that allows for a flexible prescription of vanishing moments going beyond tensor product constructions. For congruent partitions we particularly recover classical multiwavelets with scale- and partition- independent filter coefficients. The theoretical findings are complemented by numerical experiments that illustrate the convergence results in case of random as well as low-discrepancy data sites.

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arXiv2026

On the microlocal phase-space concentration of Wigner distributions associated with Schrödinger evolutions

In this work, we investigate the microlocal properties of the evolutions of Schrödinger equations using metaplectic Wigner distributions. So far, only restricted classes of metaplectic Wigner distributions, satisfying particular structural properties, have allowed the analysis of microlocal properties. We first extend the microlocal results to all metaplectic Wigner distributions, including the well-known Kohn-Nirenberg quantization, and examine these findings in the framework of Fourier integral operators with quadratic phase. Finally, we analyze the phase space concentration of the (cross) Wigner distribution arising from the interaction of two states, with particular attention to interactions generated by certain Schrödinger evolutions. These contributions enable a more refined study of the so-called ghost frequencies.

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arXiv2026

Anisotropic uncertainty principles for metaplectic operators

We establish anisotropic uncertainty principles (UPs) for general metaplectic operators acting on $L^2(\mathbb{R}^d)$, including degenerate cases associated with symplectic matrices whose $B$-block has nontrivial kernel. In this setting, uncertainty phenomena are shown to be intrinsically directional and confined to an effective phase-space dimension given by $\mathrm{rank}(B)$. First, we prove sharp Heisenberg-Pauli-Weyl type inequalities involving only the directions corresponding to $\ker(B)^\perp$, with explicit lower bounds expressed in terms of geometric quantities associated with the underlying symplectic transformation. We also provide a complete characterization of all extremizers, which turn out to be partially Gaussian functions with free behavior along the null directions of $B$. Building on this framework, we extend the Beurling-Hörmander theorem to the metaplectic setting, obtaining a precise polynomial-Gaussian structure for functions satisfying suitable exponential integrability conditions involving both $f$ and its metaplectic transform. Finally, we prove a Morgan-type (or Gel'fand--Shilov type) uncertainty principle for metaplectic operators, identifying a sharp threshold separating triviality from density of admissible functions and showing that this threshold is invariant under metaplectic transformations. Our results recover the classical Fourier case and free metaplectic transformations as special instances, and reveal the geometric and anisotropic nature of uncertainty principles in the presence of symplectic degeneracies.

math.AP↗

arXiv2026

Metaplectic time-frequency representations

Time-frequency representations stemmed in 1932 with the introduction of the Wigner distribution. For most of the 20th century, research in this area primarily focused on defining joint probability distributions for position and momentum in quantum mechanics. Applications to electrical engineering were soon established with the seminal works of Gabor and the researchers at Bell Labs. In 2012, Bai, Li and Cheng used for the first time metaplectic operators, defined in the middle of 20th century by Van Hove, to generalize the Wigner distribution and unify effectively the most used time-frequency representations under a common framework. This work serves as a comprehensive up-to-date survey on time-frequency representations defined by means of metaplectic operators, with particular emphasis on the recent contributions by Cordero and Rodino, who exploited metaplectic operators to their limits to generalize the Wigner distributions. Their idea provides a fruitful framework where properties of time-frequency representations can be explained naturally by the structure of the symplectic group.

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arXiv2025

Wigner and Gabor phase-space analysis of propagators for evolution equations

We study the Wigner kernel and the Gabor matrix associated with the propagators of a broad class of linear evolution equations, including the complex heat, wave, and Hermite equations. Within the framework of time-frequency analysis, we derive explicit expressions for the Wigner kernels of Fourier multipliers and establish quantitative decay estimates for the corresponding Gabor matrices. These results are obtained under symbol regularity conditions formulated in the Gelfand-Shilov scale and ensure exponential off-diagonal decay or quasi-diagonality of the matrix representation. We believe this approach can be extended to more general symbols in the pseudodifferential setting, improving the existing results in terms of their Gabor matrix decay. For the complex heat equation, we obtain closed-form formulas exhibiting both dissipative and oscillatory behavior governed respectively by the real and imaginary parts of the diffusion parameter. The modulus of the Gabor matrix is shown to display Gaussian decay and temporal spreading consistent with diffusion phenomena. In contrast, the complex Hermite equation is analyzed via Hörmander's metaplectic semigroup, where the propagator decomposes as the product of a real Hermite semigroup and a fractional Fourier transform. In this setting, the Gabor matrix retains its Gaussian shape while undergoing a pure rotation on the time-frequency plane, reflecting the symplectic structure of the underlying flow. The analysis provides a unified operator-theoretic and phase-space perspective on parabolic and hyperbolic evolution equations, linking the geometry of their symbols with the sparsity and localization properties of their Gabor representations. Explicit formulas are given in a form suitable for numerical computation and visualization of phase-space dynamics.

math.AP↗

arXiv2025

Metaplectic operators with quasi-diagonal kernels

Metaplectic operators form a relevant class of operators appearing in different applications, in the present work we study their Schwartz kernels. Namely, diagonality of a kernel is defined by imposing rapid off-diagonal decay conditions, and quasi-diagonality by imposing the same conditions on the smoothing of the kernel through convolution with the Gaussian. Kernels of metaplectic operators are not diagonal. Nevertheless, as we shall prove, they are quasi-diagonal under suitable conditions. Motivation for our study comes from problems in time-frequency analysis, that we discuss in the last section.

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arXiv2025

Sparse Gabor representations of metaplectic operators: controlled exponential decay and Schrödinger confinement

Motivated by the phase space analysis of Schrödinger evolution operators, in this paper we investigate how metaplectic operators are approximately diagonalized along the corresponding symplectic flows by exponentially localized Gabor wave packets. Quantitative bounds for the matrix coefficients arising in the Gabor wave packet decomposition of such operators are established, revealing precise exponential decay rates together with subtler dispersive and spreading phenomena. To this aim, we present several novel results concerning the time-frequency analysis of functions with controlled Gelfand-Shilov regularity, which are of independent interest. As a byproduct, we generalize Vemuri's Gaussian confinement results for the solutions of the quantum harmonic oscillator in two respects, namely by encompassing general exponential decay rates as well as arbitrary quadratic Schrödinger propagators. In particular, we extensively discuss some prominent models such as the harmonic oscillator, the free particle in a constant magnetic field and fractional Fourier transforms.

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arXiv2025

Bespoke multiresolution analysis of graph signals

We present a novel framework for discrete multiresolution analysis of graph signals. The main analytical tool is the samplet transform, originally defined in the Euclidean framework as a discrete wavelet-like construction, tailored to the analysis of scattered data. The first contribution of this work is defining samplets on graphs. To this end, we subdivide the graph into a fixed number of patches, embed each patch into a Euclidean space, where we construct samplets, and eventually pull the construction back to the graph. This ensures orthogonality, locality, and the vanishing moments property with respect to properly defined polynomial spaces on graphs. Compared to classical Haar wavelets, this framework broadens the class of graph signals that can efficiently be compressed and analyzed. Along this line, we provide a definition of a class of signals that can be compressed using our construction. We support our findings with different examples of signals defined on graphs whose vertices lie on smooth manifolds. For efficient numerical implementation, we combine heavy edge clustering, to partition the graph into meaningful patches, with landmark \texttt{Isomap}, which provides low-dimensional embeddings for each patch. Our results demonstrate the method's robustness, scalability, and ability to yield sparse representations with controllable approximation error, significantly outperforming traditional Haar wavelet approaches in terms of compression efficiency and multiresolution fidelity.

eess.SP↗

arXiv2025

Multiresolution local smoothness detection in non-uniformly sampled multivariate signals

Inspired by edge detection based on the decay behavior of wavelet coefficients, we introduce a (near) linear-time algorithm for detecting the local regularity in non-uniformly sampled multivariate signals. Our approach quantifies regularity within the framework of microlocal spaces introduced by Jaffard. The central tool in our analysis is the fast samplet transform, a distributional wavelet transform tailored to scattered data. We establish a connection between the decay of samplet coefficients and the pointwise regularity of multivariate signals. As a by product, we derive decay estimates for functions belonging to classical Hölder spaces and Sobolev-Slobodeckij spaces. While traditional wavelets are effective for regularity detection in low-dimensional structured data, samplets demonstrate robust performance even for higher dimensional and scattered data. To illustrate our theoretical findings, we present extensive numerical studies detecting local regularity of one-, two- and three-dimensional signals, ranging from non-uniformly sampled time series over image segmentation to edge detection in point clouds.

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arXiv2025

ALMA: a mathematics-driven approach for determining tuning parameters in generalized LASSO problems, with applications to MRI

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a powerful technique employed for non-invasive in vivo visualization of internal structures. Sparsity is often deployed to accelerate the signal acquisition or overcome the presence of motion artifacts, improving the quality of image reconstruction. Image reconstruction algorithms use TV-regularized LASSO (Total Variation-regularized LASSO) to retrieve the missing information of undersampled signals, by cleaning the data of noise and while optimizing sparsity. A tuning parameter moderates the balance between these two aspects; its choice affecting the quality of the reconstructions. Currently, there is a lack of general deterministic techniques to choose these parameters, which are oftentimes manually selected and thus hinder the reliability of the reconstructions. Here, we present ALMA (Algorithm for Lagrange Multipliers Approximation), an iterative mathematics-inspired technique that computes tuning parameters for generalized LASSO problems during MRI reconstruction. We analyze quantitatively the performance of these parameters for imaging reconstructions via TV-LASSO in an MRI context on phantoms. Although our study concentrates on TV-LASSO, the techniques developed here hold significant promise for a wide array of applications. ALMA is not only adaptable to more generalized LASSO problems but is also robust to accommodate other forms of regularization beyond total variation. Moreover, it extends effectively to handle non-Cartesian sampling trajectories, broadening its utility in complex data reconstruction scenarios. More generally, ALMA provides a powerful tool for numerically solving constrained optimization problems across various disciplines, offering a versatile and impactful solution for advanced computational challenges.

eess.IV↗

arXiv2025

Hardy's Uncertainty principle for Schrödinger equations with quadratic Hamiltonians

Hardy's uncertainty principle is a classical result in harmonic analysis, stating that a function in $L^2(\mathbb{R}^d)$ and its Fourier transform cannot both decay arbitrarily fast at infinity. In this paper, we extend this principle to the propagators of Schrödinger equations with quadratic Hamiltonians, known in the literature as metaplectic operators. These operators generalize the Fourier transform and have captured significant attention in recent years due to their wide-ranging applications in time-frequency analysis, quantum harmonic analysis, signal processing, and various other fields. However, the involved structure of these operators requires careful analysis, and most results obtained so far concern special propagators that can basically be reduced to rescaled Fourier transforms. The main contributions of this work are threefold: (1) we extend Hardy's uncertainty principle, covering all propagators of Schrödinger equations with quadratic Hamiltonians, (2) we provide concrete examples, such as fractional Fourier transforms, which arise when considering anisotropic harmonic oscillators, (3) we suggest Gaussian decay conditions in certain directions only, which are related to the structure of the corresponding symplectic projection.

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arXiv2025

Wigner Representation of Schrödinger Propagators

We perform a Wigner analysis of Fourier integral operators (FIOs), whose main examples are Schrödinger propagators arising from quadratic Hamiltonians with bounded perturbations. The perturbation is given by a pseudodifferential operator $σ(x,D)$ with symbol in the Hörmander class $S^0_{0,0}(\mathbb{R}^{2d})$. We compute and study the Wigner kernel of these operators. They are special instances of a more general class of FIOs named $FIO(S)$, with $S$ the symplectic matrix representing the classical symplectic map. We shall show the algebra and the Wiener's property of this class. The algebra will be the fundamental tool to represent the Wigner kernel of the Schrödinger propagator for every $t\in\mathbb{R}^d$, also in the caustic points. This outcome underlines the validity of the Wigner analysis for the study of Schrödinger equations.

math.AP↗

arXiv2025

A Unified Approach to Time-Frequency Representations and Generalized Spectrogram

To overcome the impossibility of representing the energy of a signal simultaneously in time and frequency, many time-frequency representations have been introduced in the literature. Some of these are recalled in the Introduction. In this work we propose a unified approach of the previous theory by means of metaplectic Wigner distributions $W_{\mathcal{A}}$, with $\mathcal{A}$ symplectic matrix in $Sp(2d,\mathbb{R})$, which were introduced by Cordero, Rodino (2022) and then widely studied in subsequent papers. Namely, the short-time Fourier transform and the most popular members of the Cohen's class can be represented via metaplectic Wigner distributions. In particular, we introduce $\mathcal{A}$-metaplectic spectrograms which contain the classical ones and their variations arising from the $τ$-Wigner distributions of Boggiatto, De Donno, and Oliaro (2010). We provide a complete characterization of those $\mathcal{A}$-Wigner distributions which give rise to generalized spectrograms. This characterization is related to the block decomposition of the symplectic matrix $\mathcal{A}$. Moreover, a characterization of the $L^p$-boundedness of both $\mathcal{A}$-Wigner distributions and related metaplectic pseudodifferential operators is provided.

math.AP↗

arXiv2024

Wigner analysis of operators. Part III: Controlling ghost frequencies

The integration of operator kernels with the Wigner distribution, first conceptualized by E. Wigner in 1932 and later extended by L. Cohen and others, has opened new avenues in time-frequency analysis and operator calculus. Despite substantial advancements, the presence of ``ghost frequencies" in Wigner kernels continues to pose significant challenges, particularly in the analysis of Fourier integral operators (FIOs) and their applications to partial differential equations (PDEs). In this work, we build on the foundational concepts of Wigner analysis to introduce a novel framework for controlling ghost frequencies through the combined use of Gaussian and Sobolev regularization techniques. By focusing on FIOs with non-quadratic phase functions, we develop rigorous estimates for the Wigner kernels that are crucial for their applicability to Schrödinger equations with non-trivial symbol classes. Unlike previous approaches, our methodology not only mitigates the interference caused by ghost frequencies but also establishes robust bounds in the context of generalized symplectic mappings.

math.FA↗

arXiv2024

Understanding of linear operators through Wigner analysis

In this work, we extend Wigner's original framework to analyze linear operators by examining the relationship between their Wigner and Schwartz kernels. Our approach includes the introduction of (quasi-)algebras of Fourier integral operators (FIOs), which encompass FIOs of type I and II. The symbols of these operators reside in (weighted) modulation spaces, particularly in Sjöstrand's class, known for its favorable properties in time-frequency analysis. One of the significant results of our study is demonstrating the inverse-closedness of these symbol classes. Our analysis includes fundamental examples such as pseudodifferential operators and Fourier integral operators related to Schr{ö}dinger-type equations. These examples typically feature classical Hamiltonian flows governed by linear symplectic transformations $S \in Sp(d, \mathbb{R})$. The core idea of our approach is to utilize the Wigner kernel to transform a Fourier integral operator $ T $ on $ \mathbb{R}^d $ into a pseudodifferential operator $ K$ on $ \mathbb{R}^{2d}$. This transformation involves a symbol $σ$ well-localized around the manifold defined by $ z = S w $.

math.AP↗

arXiv2024

Boundedness of metaplectic operators within $L^p$ spaces, applications to pseudodifferential calculus, and time-frequency representations

Housdorff-Young's inequality establishes the boundedness of the Fourier transform from $L^p$ to $L^q$ spaces for $1\leq p\leq2$ and $q=p'$, where $p'$ denotes the Lebesgue-conjugate exponent of $p$. This paper extends this classical result by characterizing the $L^p-L^q$ boundedness of all metaplectic operators, which play a significant role in harmonic analysis. We demonstrate that metaplectic operators are bounded on Lebesgue spaces if and only if their symplectic projection is either free or lower block triangular. As a byproduct, we identify metaplectic operators that serve as homeomorphisms of $L^p$ spaces. To achieve this, we leverage a parametrization of the symplectic group by F. M. Dopico and C. R. Johnson involving products of complex exponentials with quadratic phase, Fourier multipliers, linear changes of variables, and partial Fourier transforms. Then, we use our findings to provide boundedness results within $L^p$ spaces for pseudodifferential operators with symbols in Lebesgue spaces, and quantized by means of metaplectic operators. These quantizations consists of shift-invertible metaplectic Wigner distributions, which play a fundamental role in measuring local phase-space concentration of signals. Using the Dopico-Johnson factorization, we infer a decomposition law for metaplectic operators on $L^2(\mathbb{R}^{2d})$ in terms of shift-invertible metaplectic operators, establish the density of shift-invertible symplectic matrices in $Sp(2d,\mathbb{R})$, and prove that the lack of shift-invertibility prevents metaplectic Wigner distributions to define the so-called modulation spaces $M^p(\mathbb{R}^d)$.

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