Searcharxiv⌕ Search

arXiv subjects

Giovanni Barbarino

Publications and source records attributed to Giovanni Barbarino.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2026

Computing cone-constrained singular values of matrices

This paper deals with the numerical computation of the least singular value of a rectangular matrix $A$ relative to a pair of closed convex cones $(P,Q)$, which is defined as the optimal value of the non-convex optimization problem of minimizing $\langle u,Av\rangle$ such that $u$ and $v$ are unit vectors in $P$ and $Q$, respectively. When $A$ is the identity matrix, the least singular value coincides with the cosine of the largest angle between $P$ and $Q$. When $P$ and $Q$ are positive orthants, the least singular value is called the least Pareto singular value of $A$ and has applications, for instance, in graph theory. We prove the NP-hardness of all the above problems, while identifying cases when such problems can be solved in polynomial time. We then propose four algorithms. Two are exact algorithms, meaning that they are guaranteed to compute a globally optimal solution; one uses an exact non-convex quadratic programming solver, and the other a brute-force active-set method. The other two are heuristics, meaning that they rapidly compute locally optimal solutions; one uses an alternating projection algorithm with extrapolation, and the other a sequential partial linearization approach based on fractional programming. We illustrate the use of these algorithms on several examples.

math.OC↗
arXiv2026

A short note on $A_α$-eigenvalues for simple graphs

Given a simple graph $G$, its $A_α$ matrix is a convex combination with parameter $α\in [0,1]$ of its adjacency matrix and its degree diagonal matrices. Here we compare two lower bounds presented in [J. D. G. Silva Jr., C. S. Oliveira and L. M. G. C. Costa. "Some results involving the $A_α$-eigenvalues for graphs and line graphs"] for the spectral radius of $A_α$, and prove that one is better than the other when there are no isolated nodes in $G$.

math.CO↗
arXiv2025

Robustness of Minimum-Volume Nonnegative Matrix Factorization under an Expanded Sufficiently Scattered Condition

Minimum-volume nonnegative matrix factorization (min-vol NMF) has been used successfully in many applications, such as hyperspectral imaging, chemical kinetics, spectroscopy, topic modeling, and audio source separation. However, its robustness to noise has been a long-standing open problem. In this paper, we prove that min-vol NMF identifies the groundtruth factors in the presence of noise under a condition referred to as the expanded sufficiently scattered condition which requires the data points to be sufficiently well scattered in the latent simplex generated by the basis vectors.

stat.ML↗
arXiv2025

Identifiability of Nonnegative Tucker Decompositions -- Part I: Theory

Tensor decompositions have become a central tool in data science, with applications in areas such as data analysis, signal processing, and machine learning. A key property of many tensor decompositions, such as the canonical polyadic decomposition, is identifiability: the factors are unique, up to trivial scaling and permutation ambiguities. This allows one to recover the groundtruth sources that generated the data. The Tucker decomposition (TD) is a central and widely used tensor decomposition model. However, it is in general not identifiable. In this paper, we study the identifiability of the nonnegative TD (nTD). By adapting and extending identifiability results of nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF), we provide uniqueness results for nTD. Our results require the nonnegative matrix factors to have some degree of sparsity (namely, satisfy the separability condition, or the sufficiently scattered condition), while the core tensor only needs to have some slices (or linear combinations of them) or unfoldings with full column rank (but does not need to be nonnegative). Under such conditions, we derive several procedures, using either unfoldings or slices of the input tensor, to obtain identifiable nTDs by minimizing the volume of unfoldings or slices of the core tensor.

math.NA↗
arXiv2025

On the Robustness of the Successive Projection Algorithm

The successive projection algorithm (SPA) is a workhorse algorithm to learn the $r$ vertices of the convex hull of a set of $(r-1)$-dimensional data points, a.k.a. a latent simplex, which has numerous applications in data science. In this paper, we revisit the robustness to noise of SPA and several of its variants. In particular, when $r \geq 3$, we prove the tightness of the existing error bounds for SPA and for two more robust preconditioned variants of SPA. We also provide significantly improved error bounds for SPA, by a factor proportional to the conditioning of the $r$ vertices, in two special cases: for the first extracted vertex, and when $r \leq 2$. We then provide further improvements for the error bounds of a translated version of SPA proposed by Arora et al. (''A practical algorithm for topic modeling with provable guarantees'', ICML, 2013) in two special cases: for the first two extracted vertices, and when $r \leq 3$. Finally, we propose a new more robust variant of SPA that first shifts and lifts the data points in order to minimize the conditioning of the problem. We illustrate our results on synthetic data.

math.NA↗
arXiv2025

Non-asymptotic quantum communication on lossy transmission lines with memory

Non-asymptotic quantum Shannon theory analyses how to transmit quantum information across a quantum channel as efficiently as possible within a specified error tolerance, given access to a finite, fixed, number of channel uses. In a recent work, we derived computable lower bounds on the non-asymptotic capacities of memoryless bosonic Gaussian channels. In this work, we extend these results to the non-Markovian bosonic Gaussian channel introduced in F. A. Mele, G. D. Palma, M. Fanizza, V. Giovannetti, and L. Lami IEEE Transactions on Information Theory 70(12), 8844-8869 (2024), which describes non-Markovian effects in optical fibres and is a non-Markovian generalisation of the pure loss channel. This allows us to determine how many uses of a non-Markovian optical fibre are sufficient in order to transmit $k$ qubits, distil $k$ ebits, or generate $k$ secret-key bits up to a given error tolerance $\varepsilon$. To perform our analysis, we prove novel properties of singular values of Toeplitz matrices, providing an error bound on the convergence rate of the celebrated Avram-Parter's theorem, which we regard as a new tool of independent interest for the field of quantum information theory and matrix analysis.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2025

The uniqueness of Lyapunov rank among symmetric cones

The Lyapunov rank of a cone is the dimension of the Lie algebra of its automorphism group. It is invariant under linear isomorphism and in general not unique - two or more non-isomorphic cones can share the same Lyapunov rank. It is therefore not possible in general to identify cones using Lyapunov rank. But suppose we look only among symmetric cones. Are there any that can be uniquely identified (up to isomorphism) by their Lyapunov ranks? We provide a complete answer for irreducible cones and make some progress in the general case.

math.NA↗
arXiv2025

Achievable rates in non-asymptotic bosonic quantum communication

Bosonic quantum communication has extensively been analysed in the asymptotic setting, assuming infinite channel uses and vanishing communication errors. Comparatively fewer detailed analyses are available in the non-asymptotic setting, which addresses a more precise, quantitative evaluation of the optimal communication rate: how many uses of a bosonic Gaussian channel are required to transmit $k$ qubits, distil $k$ Bell pairs, or generate $k$ secret-key bits, within a given error tolerance $\varepsilon$? In this work, we address this question by finding easily computable lower bounds on the non-asymptotic capacities of Gaussian channels. To derive our results, we develop new tools of independent interest. In particular, we find a stringent bound on the probability $P_{>N}$ that a Gaussian state has more than $N$ photons, demonstrating that $P_{>N}$ decreases exponentially with $N$. Furthermore, we design the first algorithm capable of computing the trace distance between two Gaussian states up to a fixed precision.

quant-ph↗
arXiv2024

Dual Simplex Volume Maximization for Simplex-Structured Matrix Factorization

Simplex-structured matrix factorization (SSMF) is a generalization of nonnegative matrix factorization, a fundamental interpretable data analysis model, and has applications in hyperspectral unmixing and topic modeling. To obtain identifiable solutions, a standard approach is to find minimum-volume solutions. By taking advantage of the duality/polarity concept for polytopes, we convert minimum-volume SSMF in the primal space to a maximum-volume problem in the dual space. We first prove the identifiability of this maximum-volume dual problem. Then, we use this dual formulation to provide a novel optimization approach which bridges the gap between two existing families of algorithms for SSMF, namely volume minimization and facet identification. Numerical experiments show that the proposed approach performs favorably compared to the state-of-the-art SSMF algorithms.

math.NA↗
arXiv2024

Stabilization and Variations to the Adaptive Local Iterative Filtering Algorithm: the Fast Resampled Iterative Filtering Method

Non-stationary signals are ubiquitous in real life. Many techniques have been proposed in the last decades which allow decomposing multi-component signals into simple oscillatory mono-components, like the groundbreaking Empirical Mode Decomposition technique and the Iterative Filtering method. When a signal contains mono-components that have rapid varying instantaneous frequencies, we can think, for instance, to chirps or whistles, it becomes particularly hard for most techniques to properly factor out these components. The Adaptive Local Iterative Filtering technique has recently gained interest in many applied fields of research for being able to deal with non-stationary signals presenting amplitude and frequency modulation. In this work, we address the open question of how to guarantee a priori convergence of this technique, and propose two new algorithms. The first method, called Stable Adaptive Local Iterative Filtering, is a stabilized version of the Adaptive Local Iterative Filtering that we prove to be always convergent. The stability, however, comes at the cost of higher complexity in the calculations. The second technique, called Resampled Iterative Filtering, is a new generalization of the Iterative Filtering method. We prove that Resampled Iterative Filtering is guaranteed to converge a priori for any kind of signal. Furthermore, in the discrete setting, by leveraging on the mathematical properties of the matrices involved, we show that its calculations can be accelerated drastically. Finally, we present some artificial and real-life examples to show the powerfulness and performance of the proposed methods.

math.NA↗
arXiv2024

Normal form for GLT sequences, functions of normal GLT sequences, and spectral distribution of perturbed normal matrices

The theory of generalized locally Toeplitz (GLT) sequences is a powerful apparatus for computing the asymptotic spectral distribution of matrices $A_n$ arising from numerical discretizations of differential equations. Indeed, when the mesh fineness parameter $n$ tends to infinity, these matrices $A_n$ give rise to a sequence $\{A_n\}_n$, which often turns out to be a GLT sequence. In this paper, we extend the theory of GLT sequences in several directions: we show that every GLT sequence enjoys a normal form, we identify the spectral symbol of every GLT sequence formed by normal matrices, and we prove that, for every GLT sequence $\{A_n\}_n$ formed by normal matrices and every continuous function $f:\mathbb C\to\mathbb C$, the sequence $\{f(A_n)\}_n$ is again a GLT sequence whose spectral symbol is $f(κ)$, where $κ$ is the spectral symbol of $\{A_n\}_n$. In addition, using the theory of GLT sequences, we prove a spectral distribution result for perturbed normal matrices.

math.NA↗
arXiv2023

Spectral properties of flipped Toeplitz matrices

We study the spectral properties of flipped Toeplitz matrices of the form $H_n(f)=Y_nT_n(f)$, where $T_n(f)$ is the $n\times n$ Toeplitz matrix generated by the function $f$ and $Y_n$ is the $n\times n$ exchange (or flip) matrix having $1$ on the main anti-diagonal and $0$ elsewhere. In particular, under suitable assumptions on $f$, we establish an alternating sign relationship between the eigenvalues of $H_n(f)$, the eigenvalues of $T_n(f)$, and the quasi-uniform samples of $f$. Moreover, after fine-tuning a few known theorems on Toeplitz matrices, we use them to provide localization results for the eigenvalues of $H_n(f)$. Our study is motivated by the convergence analysis of the minimal residual (MINRES) method for the solution of real non-symmetric Toeplitz linear systems of the form $T_n(f)\mathbf x=\mathbf b$ after pre-multiplication of both sides by $Y_n$, as suggested by Pestana and Wathen.

math.NA↗
arXiv2023

On the Periodicity of Singular Vectors and the Holomorphic Block-Circulant SVD on the Unit Circumference

We investigate the singular value decomposition of a rectangular matrix that is analytic on the complex unit circumference, which occurs, e.g., with the matrix of transfer functions representing a broadband multiple-input multiple-output channel. Our analysis is based on the Puiseux series expansion of the eigenvalue decomposition of analytic para-Hermitian matrices on the complex unit circumference. We study the case in which the rectangular matrix does not admit a full analytic singular value factorization, either due to partly multiplexed systems or to sign ambiguity. We show how to find an SVD factorization in the ring of Puiseux series where each singular value and the associated singular vectors present the same period and multiplexing structure, and we prove that it is always possible to find an analytic pseudo-circulant factorization, meaning that any arbitrary arrangements of multiplexed systems can be converted into a parallel form. In particular, one can show that the sign ambiguity can be overcome by allowing non-real holomorphic singular values.

math.NA↗
arXiv2023

Extension and convergence analysis of Iterative Filtering to spherical data

Many real-life signals are defined on spherical domains, in particular in geophysics and physics applications. In this work, we tackle the problem of extending the iterative filtering algorithm, developed for the decomposition of non-stationary signals defined in Euclidean spaces, to spherical domains. We review the properties of the classical Iterative Filtering method, present its extension, and study its convergence in the discrete setting. In particular, by leveraging the Generalized Locally Toeplitz sequence theory, we are able to characterize spectrally the operators associated with the spherical extension of Iterative Filtering, and we show a counterexample of its convergence. Finally, we propose a convergent version, called Spherical Iterative Filtering, and present numerical results of its application to spherical data.

math.NA↗
arXiv2023

From asymptotic distribution and vague convergence to uniform convergence, with numerical applications

Let $\{Λ_n=\{λ_{1,n},\ldots,λ_{d_n,n}\}\}_n$ be a sequence of finite multisets of real numbers such that $d_n\to\infty$ as $n\to\infty$, and let $f:Ω\subset\mathbb R^d\to\mathbb R$ be a Lebesgue measurable function defined on a domain $Ω$ with $0<μ_d(Ω)<\infty$, where $μ_d$ is the Lebesgue measure in $\mathbb R^d$. We say that $\{Λ_n\}_n$ has an asymptotic distribution described by $f$, and we write $\{Λ_n\}_n\sim f$, if \[ \lim_{n\to\infty}\frac1{d_n}\sum_{i=1}^{d_n}F(λ_{i,n})=\frac1{μ_d(Ω)}\int_ΩF(f({\boldsymbol x})){\rm d}{\boldsymbol x}\qquad\qquad(*) \] for every continuous function $F$ with bounded support. If $Λ_n$ is the spectrum of a matrix $A_n$, we say that $\{A_n\}_n$ has an asymptotic spectral distribution described by $f$ and we write $\{A_n\}_n\sim_λf$. In the case where $d=1$, $Ω$~is a bounded interval, $Λ_n\subseteq f(Ω)$ for all $n$, and $f$ satisfies suitable conditions, Bogoya, Böttcher, Grudsky, and Maximenko proved that the asymptotic distribution (*) implies the uniform convergence to $0$ of the difference between the properly sorted vector $[λ_{1,n},\ldots,λ_{d_n,n}]$ and the vector of samples $[f(x_{1,n}),\ldots,f(x_{d_n,n})]$, i.e., \[ \lim_{n\to\infty}\,\max_{i=1,\ldots,d_n}|f(x_{i,n})-λ_{τ_n(i),n}|=0, \qquad\qquad(**) \] where $x_{1,n},\ldots,x_{d_n,n}$ is a uniform grid in $Ω$ and $τ_n$ is the sorting permutation. We extend this result to the case where $d\ge1$ and $Ω$ is a Peano--Jordan measurable set (i.e., a bounded set with $μ_d(\partialΩ)=0$). See the rest of the abstract in the manuscript.

math.NA↗
arXiv2022

On the Rellich eigendecomposition of para-Hermitian matrices and the sign characteristics of $*$-palindromic matrix polynomials

We study the eigendecompositions of para-Hermitian matrices $H(z)$, that is, matrix-valued functions that are analytic and Hermitian on the unit circle $S^1 \subset \mathbb C$. In particular, we fill existing gaps in the literature and prove the existence of a decomposition $H(z)=U(z)D(z)U(z)^P$ where, for all $z \in S^1$, $U(z)$ is unitary, $U(z)^P=U(z)^*$ is its conjugate transpose, and $D(z)$ is real diagonal; moreover, $U(z)$ and $D(z)$ are analytic functions of $w=z^{1/N}$ for some positive integer $N$, and $U(z)^P$ is the so-called para-Hermitian conjugate of $U(z)$. This generalizes the celebrated theorem of Rellich for matrix-valued functions that are analytic and Hermitian on the real line. We also show that there also exists a decomposition $H(z)=V(z)C(z)V(z)^P$ where $C(z)$ is pseudo-circulant, $V(z)$ is unitary and both are analytic in $z$. We argue that, in fact, a version of Rellich's theorem can be stated for matrix-valued function that are analytic and Hermitian on any line or any circle on the complex plane. Moreover, we extend these results to para-Hermitian matrices whose entries are Puiseux series (that is, on the unit circle they are analytic in $w$ but possibly not in $z$). Finally, we discuss the implications of our results on the singular value decomposition of a matrix whose entries are $S^1$-analytic functions of $w$, and on the sign characteristics associated with unimodular eigenvalues of $*$-palindromic matrix polynomials.

math.CV↗
arXiv2022

On role extraction for digraphs via neighbourhood pattern similarity

We analyse the recovery of different roles in a network modelled by a directed graph, based on the so-called Neighbourhood Pattern Similarity approach. Our analysis uses results from random matrix theory to show that when assuming the graph is generated as a particular Stochastic Block Model with Bernoulli probability distributions for the different blocks, then the recovery is asymptotically correct when the graph has a sufficiently large dimension. Under these assumptions there is a sufficient gap between the dominant and dominated eigenvalues of the similarity matrix, which guarantees the asymptotic correct identification of the number of different roles. We also comment on the connections with the literature on Stochastic Block Models, including the case of probabilities of order log(n)/n where n is the graph size. We provide numerical experiments to assess the effectiveness of the method when applied to practical networks of finite size.

math.NA↗