arXiv subjects

Hugo Díaz

Publications and source records attributed to Hugo Díaz.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

A Majorization-Minimization with Monte Carlo Approach for Hyperparameter Estimation

We consider inverse problems with linear forward models and Gaussian priors, but with unknown hyperparameters that may arise from the model, the noise, or the specification of the prior. We model this using a hierarchical Bayes framework resulting in a posterior distribution that is non-Gaussian, in general, and challenging to sample from. Consequently, we use an empirical Bayes framework for estimating the maximum a posteriori estimate of the hyperpameters by considering the marginalized posterior distribution. However, the optimization problem is also computationally challenging due to the need for repeated evaluation of log determinants. To address this issue, we propose a Majorization-Minimization with Monte Carlo approach, which we call M$^{3}$C, for hyperparameter estimation. Specifically, we replace the challenging optimization problem with a sequence of simpler ones by utilizing a majorization function (or majorant) for the log-determinant term, combined with a Monte Carlo estimator to approximate the majorant. We provide theoretical results, showing that under certain assumptions, the M$^{3}$C iterates converge with high probability to a critical point of the original cost function. A variety of numerical examples are provided from seismic tomography, super-resolution imaging, and contaminant source identification.

math.NA↗

arXiv2026

Multifidelity sensor placement in Bayesian state estimation problems

We study optimal sensor placement for Bayesian state estimation problems in which sensors vary in cost and fidelity, resulting in a budget-constrained multifidelity optimal experimental design problem. Sensor placement optimality is quantified using the D-optimality criterion, and the problem is approached by leveraging connections with the column subset selection problem in numerical linear algebra. We implement a greedy approach for this problem, whose computational efficiency we improve using rank-one updates via the Sherman-Morrison formula. We additionally present an iterative algorithm that, for each feasible allocation of sensors, greedily optimizes over each sensor fidelity subject to previous sensor choices, repeating this process until a termination criterion is satisfied. To our knowledge, these algorithms are novel in the context of cost-constrained multifidelity sensor placement. We evaluate our methods on several benchmark state estimation problems, including reconstructions of sea surface temperature and flow around a cylinder, and empirically demonstrate improved performance over random designs.

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arXiv2025

Structured Column Subset Selection for Bayesian Optimal Experimental Design

We consider optimal experimental design (OED) for Bayesian inverse problems, where the experimental design variables have a certain multiway structure. Given $d$ different experimental variables with $m_i$ choices per design variable $1 \le i\le d$, the goal is to select $k_i \le m_i$ experiments per design variable. Previous work has related OED to the column subset selection problem by mapping the design variables to the columns of a matrix $\mathbf{A}$. However, this approach is applicable only to the case $d=1$ in which the columns can be selected independently. We develop an extension to the case where the design variables have a multi-way structure. Our approach is to map the matrix $\mathbf{A}$ to a tensor and perform column subset selection on mode unfoldings of the tensor. We develop an algorithmic framework with three different algorithmic templates, and randomized variants of these algorithms. We analyze the computational cost of all the proposed algorithms and also develop greedy versions to facilitate comparisons. Numerical experiments on four different applications -- time-dependent inverse problems, seismic tomography, X-ray tomography, and flow reconstruction -- demonstrate the effectiveness and scalability of our methods for structured experimental design in Bayesian inverse problems.

math.NA↗

arXiv2025

Optimal sensor placement under model uncertainty in the weak-constraint 4D-Var framework

In data assimilation, the model may be subject to uncertainties and errors. The weak-constraint data assimilation framework enables incorporating model uncertainty in the dynamics of the governing equations. We propose a new framework for near-optimal sensor placement in the weak-constrained setting. This is achieved by first deriving a design criterion based on the expected information gain, which involves the Kullback-Leibler divergence from the forecast prior to the posterior distribution. An explicit formula for this criterion is provided, assuming that the model error and background are independent and Gaussian and the dynamics are linear. We discuss algorithmic approaches to efficiently evaluate this criterion through randomized approximations. To provide further insight and flexibility in computations, we also provide alternative expressions for the criteria. We provide an algorithm to find near-optimal experimental designs using column subset selection, including a randomized algorithm that avoids computing the adjoint of the forward operator. Through numerical experiments in one and two spatial dimensions, we show the effectiveness of our proposed methods.

math.NA↗

arXiv2024

Rockafellian Relaxation for PDE-Constrained Optimization with Distributional Uncertainty

Stochastic optimization problems are generally known to be ill-conditioned to the form of the underlying uncertainty. A framework is introduced for optimal control problems with partial differential equations as constraints that is robust to inaccuracies in the precise form of the problem uncertainty. The framework is based on problem relaxation and involves optimizing a bivariate, "Rockafellian" objective functional that features both a standard control variable and an additional perturbation variable that handles the distributional ambiguity. In the presence of distributional corruption, the Rockafellian objective functionals are shown in the appropriate settings to $\Gamma$-converge to uncorrupted objective functionals in the limit of vanishing corruption. Numerical examples illustrate the framework's utility for outlier detection and removal and for variance reduction.

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arXiv2022

Boundary control of time-harmonic eddy current equations

Motivated by various applications, this article develops the notion of boundary control for Maxwell's equations in the frequency domain. Surface curl is shown to be the appropriate regularization in order for the optimal control problem to be well-posed. Since, all underlying variables are assumed to be complex valued, the standard results on differentiability do not directly apply. Instead, we extend the notion of Wirtinger derivatives to complexified Hilbert spaces. Optimality conditions are rigorously derived and higher order boundary regularity of the adjoint variable is established. The state and adjoint variables are discretized using higher order Nédélec finite elements. The finite element space for controls is identified, as a space, which preserves the structure of the control regularization. Convergence of the fully discrete scheme is established. The theory is validated by numerical experiments, in some cases, motivated by realistic applications.

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arXiv2022

Nonlocal Bounded Variations with Applications

Motivated by problems where jumps across lower dimensional subsets and sharp transitions across interfaces are of interest, this paper studies the properties of fractional bounded variation ($BV$)-type spaces. Two different natural fractional analogs of classical $BV$ are considered: $BV^α$, a space induced from the Riesz-fractional gradient that has been recently studied by Comi-Stefani; and $bv^α$, induced by the Gagliardo-type fractional gradient often used in Dirichlet forms and Peridynamics - this one is naturally related to the Caffarelli-Roquejoffre-Savin fractional perimeter. Our main theoretical result is that the latter $bv^α$ actually corresponds to the Gagliardo-Slobodeckij space $W^{α,1}$. As an application, using the properties of these spaces, novel image denoising models are introduced and their corresponding Fenchel pre-dual formulations are derived. The latter requires density of smooth functions with compact support. We establish this density property for convex domains.

math.AP↗

arXiv2022

An Optimal Time Variable Learning Framework for Deep Neural Networks

Feature propagation in Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) can be associated to nonlinear discrete dynamical systems. The novelty, in this paper, lies in letting the discretization parameter (time step-size) vary from layer to layer, which needs to be learned, in an optimization framework. The proposed framework can be applied to any of the existing networks such as ResNet, DenseNet or Fractional-DNN. This framework is shown to help overcome the vanishing and exploding gradient issues. Stability of some of the existing continuous DNNs such as Fractional-DNN is also studied. The proposed approach is applied to an ill-posed 3D-Maxwell's equation.

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