arXiv subjects

Isabella Furci

Publications and source records attributed to Isabella Furci.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2024

Sparse optimization for estimating the cross-power spectrum in linear inverse models : from theory to the application in brain connectivity

In this work we present a computationally efficient linear optimization approach for estimating the cross--power spectrum of an hidden multivariate stochastic process from that of another observed process. Sparsity in the resulting estimator of the cross--power is induced through $\ell_1$ regularization and the Fast Iterative Shrinkage-Thresholding Algorithm (FISTA) is used for computing such an estimator. With respect to a standard implementation, we prove that a proper initialization step is sufficient to guarantee the required symmetric and antisymmetric properties of the involved quantities. Further, we show how structural properties of the forward operator can be exploited within the FISTA update in order to make our approach adequate also for large--scale problems such as those arising in context of brain functional connectivity. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is shown in a practical scenario where we aim at quantifying the statistical relationships between brain regions in the context of non-invasive electromagnetic field recordings. Our results show that our method provide results with an higher specificity that classical approaches based on a two--step procedure where first the hidden process describing the brain activity is estimated through a linear optimization step and then the cortical cross--power spectrum is computed from the estimated time--series.

stat.ME↗

arXiv2024

Block structured matrix-sequences and their spectral and singular value canonical distributions: a general theory

In recent years more and more involved block structures appeared in the literature in the context of numerical approximations of complex infinite dimensional operators modeling real-world applications. In various settings, thanks the theory of generalized locally Toeplitz matrix-sequences, the asymptotic distributional analysis is well understood, but a general theory is missing when general block structures are involved. The central part of the current work deals with such a delicate generalization when blocks are of (block) unilevel Toeplitz type, starting from a problem of recovery with missing data. Visualizations, numerical tests, and few open problems are presented and critically discussed.

math.NA↗

arXiv2024

Analysis on aggregation and block smoothers in multigrid methods for block Toeplitz linear systems

We present novel improvements in the context of symbol-based multigrid procedures for solving large block structured linear systems. We study the application of an aggregation-based grid transfer operator that transforms the symbol of a block Toeplitz matrix from matrix-valued to scalar-valued at the coarser level. Our convergence analysis of the Two-Grid Method (TGM) reveals the connection between the features of the scalar-valued symbol at the coarser level and the properties of the original matrix-valued one. This allows us to prove the convergence of a V-cycle multigrid with standard grid transfer operators for scalar Toeplitz systems at the coarser levels. Consequently, we extend the class of suitable smoothers for block Toeplitz matrices, focusing on the efficiency of block strategies, particularly the relaxed block Jacobi method. General conditions on smoothing parameters are derived, with emphasis on practical applications where these parameters can be calculated with negligible computational cost. We test the proposed strategies on linear systems stemming from the discretization of differential problems with $\mathbb{Q}_{d} $ Lagrangian FEM or B-spline with non-maximal regularity. The numerical results show in both cases computational advantages compared to existing methods for block structured linear systems.

math.NA↗

arXiv2024

Flipped structured matrix-sequences in image deblurring with general boundary conditions

Motivated by a recent work on a preconditioned MINRES for flipped linear systems in imaging, in this note we extend the scope of that research for including more precise boundary conditions such as reflective and anti-reflective ones. We prove spectral results for the matrix-sequences associated to the original problem, which justify the use of the MINRES in the current setting. The theoretical spectral analysis is supported by a wide variety of numerical experiments, concerning the visualization of the spectra of the original matrices in various ways. We also report numerical tests regarding the convergence speed and regularization features of the associated GMRES and MINRES methods. Conclusions and open problems end the present study.

math.NA↗

arXiv2023

Symbol based Convergence Analysis in Block Multigrid Methods with Applications for Stokes Problems

The main focus of this paper is the study of efficient multigrid methods for large linear systems with a particular saddle-point structure. Indeed, when the system matrix is symmetric, but indefinite, the variational convergence theory that is usually used to prove multigrid convergence cannot be directly applied. However, different algebraic approaches analyze properly preconditioned saddle-point problems, proving convergence of the Two-Grid method. In particular, this is efficient when the blocks of the coefficient matrix possess a Toeplitz or circulant structure. Indeed, it is possible to derive sufficient conditions for convergence and provide optimal parameters for the preconditioning of the saddle-point problem in terms of the associated generating symbols. In this paper, we propose a symbol-based convergence analysis for problems that have a hidden block Toeplitz structure. Then, they can be investigated focusing on the properties of the associated generating function f, which consequently is a matrix-valued function with dimension depending on the block size of the problem. As numerical tests we focus on the matrix sequence stemming from the finite element approximation of the Stokes problem. We show the efficiency of the methods studying the hidden 9-by-9 block multilevel structure of the obtained matrix sequence. Moreover, we propose an efficient algebraic multigrid method with convergence rate independent of the matrix size. Finally, we present several numerical tests comparing the results with state-of-the-art strategies.

math.NA↗

arXiv2022

Symbol based convergence analysis in multigrid methods for saddle point problems

Saddle point problems arise in a variety of applications, e.g., when solving the Stokes equations. They can be formulated such that the system matrix is symmetric, but indefinite, so the variational convergence theory that is usually used to prove multigrid convergence cannot be applied. In a 2016 paper in Numerische Mathematik Notay has presented a different algebraic approach that analyzes properly preconditioned saddle point problems, proving convergence of the Two-Grid method. In the present paper we analyze saddle point problems where the blocks are circulant within this framework. We are able to derive sufficient conditions for convergence and provide optimal parameters for the preconditioning of the saddle point problem and for the point smoother that is used. The analysis is based on the generating symbols of the circulant blocks. Further, we show that the structure can be kept on the coarse level, allowing for a recursive application of the approach in a W- or V-cycle and proving the "level independency" property. Numerical results demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed method in the circulant and the Toeplitz case.

math.NA↗

arXiv2022

A note on the spectral analysis of matrix sequences via GLT momentary symbols: from all-at-once solution of parabolic problems to distributed fractional order matrices

The first focus of this paper is the characterization of the spectrum and the singular values of the coefficient matrix stemming from the discretization with space-time grid for a parabolic diffusion problem and from the approximation of distributed order fractional equations. For this purpose we will use the classical GLT theory and the new concept of GLT momentary symbols. The first permits to describe the singular value or eigenvalue asymptotic distribution of the sequence of the coefficient matrices, the latter permits to derive a function, which describes the singular value or eigenvalue distribution of the matrix of the sequence, even for small matrix-sizes but under given assumptions. The note is concluded with a list of open problems, including the use of our machinery in the study of iteration matrices, especially those concerning multigrid-type techniques.

math.NA↗

arXiv2022

Toeplitz Momentary Symbols: definition, results, and limitations in the spectral analysis of Structured Matrices

A powerful tool for analyzing and approximating the singular values and eigenvalues of structured matrices is the theory of GLT sequences. By the GLT theory one can derive a function, which describes the singular value or the eigenvalue distribution of the sequence, the latter under precise assumptions. However, for small values of the matrix size of the considered sequence, the approximations may not be as good as it is desirable, since in the construction of the GLT symbol one disregards small norm and low-rank perturbations. On the other hand, LFA can be used to construct polynomial symbols in a similar manner for discretizations, where the geometric information is present, but the small norm perturbations are retained. The main focus of this paper is the introduction of the concept of sequence of "Toeplitz momentary symbols", associated with a given sequence of truncated Toeplitz-like matrices. We construct the symbol in the same way as in the GLT theory, but we keep the information of the small norm contributions. The low-rank contributions are still disregarded, and we give an idea on the reason why this is negligible in certain cases and why it is not in other cases, being aware that in presence of high nonnormality the same low-rank perturbation can produce a dramatic change in the eigenvalue distribution. Moreover, a difference with respect to the LFA symbols is that GLT symbols and Toeplitz momentary symbols are more general and are applicable to a larger class of matrices. We show the applicability of the approach which leads to higher accuracy in some cases when compared with the GLT symbol. Finally, since for many applications and their analysis it is often necessary to consider non-square Toeplitz matrices, we formalize and provide some useful definitions, applicable for non-square Toeplitz momentary symbols.

math.NA↗

arXiv2021

A symbol based analysis for multigrid methods for Block-Circulant and Block-Toeplitz Systems

In the literature, there exist several studies on symbol-based multigrid methods for the solution of linear systems having structured coefficient matrices. In particular, the convergence analysis for such methods has been obtained in an elegant form in the case of Toeplitz matrices generated by a scalar-valued function. In the block-Toeplitz setting, that is, in the case where the matrix entries are small generic matrices instead of scalars, some algorithms have already been proposed regarding specific applications and a first rigorous convergence analysis has been performed in [7]. However, with the existent symbol-based theoretical tools, it is still not possible to prove the convergence of many multigrid methods known in the literature. This paper aims to generalize the previous results giving more general sufficient conditions on the symbol of the grid transfer operators.In particular, we treat matrix-valued trigonometric polynomials which can be non-diagonalizable and singular at all points and we express the new conditions in terms of the eigenvectors associated with the ill-conditioned subspace. Moreover, we extend the analysis to the V-cycle method proving a linear convergence rate under stronger conditions, which resemble those given in the scalar case. In order to validate our theoretical findings, we present a classical block structured problem stemming from a FEM approximation of a second order differential problem. We focus on two multigrid strategies that use the geometric and the standard bisection grid transfer operators and we prove that both fall into the category of projectors satisfying the proposed conditions. In addition, using a tensor product argument, we provide a strategy to construct efficient V-cycle procedures in the block multilevel setting.

math.NA↗

arXiv2020

Multilevel symmetrized Toeplitz structures and spectral distribution results for the related matrix-sequences

In recent years, motivated by computational purposes, the singular value and spectral features of the symmetrization of Toeplitz matrices generated by a Lebesgue integrable function have been studied. Indeed, under the assumptions that $f$ belongs to $L^1([-π,π])$ and it has real Fourier coefficients, the spectral and singular value distribution of the matrix-sequence $\{Y_nT_n[f]\}_n$ has been identified, where $n$ is the matrix-size, $Y_n$ is the anti-identity matrix, and $T_n[f]$ is the Toeplitz matrix generated by $f$. In this note, we consider the multilevel Toeplitz matrix $T_{\bf n}[f]$ generated by $f\in L^1([-π,π]^k)$, $\bf n$ being a multi-index identifying the matrix-size, and we prove spectral and singular value distribution results for the matrix-sequence $\{Y_{\bf n}T_{\bf n}[f]\}_{\bf n}$ with $Y_{\bf n}$ being the corresponding tensorization of the anti-identity matrix.

math.NA↗

arXiv2020

Spectral Analysis of Saddle-point Matrices from Optimization problems with Elliptic PDE Constraints

The main focus of this paper is the characterization and exploitation of the asymptotic spectrum of the saddle--point matrix sequences arising from the discretization of optimization problems constrained by elliptic partial differential equations. We uncover the existence of a hidden structure in these matrix sequences, namely, we show that these are indeed an example of Generalized Locally Toeplitz (GLT) sequences. We show that this enables a sharper characterization of the spectral properties of such sequences than the one that is available by using only the fact that we deal with saddle--point matrices. Finally, we exploit it to propose an optimal preconditioner strategy for the GMRES, and Flexible-GMRES methods.

math.NA↗

arXiv2019

Multigrid methods for block-Toeplitz linear systems: convergence analysis and applications

In the past decades, multigrid methods for linear systems having multilevel Toeplitz coefficient matrices with scalar entries have been largely studied. On the other hand, only few papers have investigated the case of block entries, where the entries are small generic matrices instead of scalars. In that case the efforts of the researchers have been mainly devoted to specific applications, focusing on algorithmic proposals but with very marginal theoretical results. In this paper, we propose a general two-grid convergence analysis proving an optimal convergence rate independent of the matrix size, in the case of positive definite block Toeplitz matrices with generic blocks. In particular, the proof of the approximation property has not a straightforward generalization of the scalar case and in fact we have to require a specific commutativity condition on the block symbol of the grid transfer operator. Furthermore, we define a class of grid transfer operators satisfying the previous theoretical conditions and we propose a strategy to insure fast multigrid convergence even for more than two grids. Among the numerous applications that lead to the block Toeplitz structure, high order Lagrangian finite element methods and staggered discontinuous Galerkin methods are considered in the numerical results, confirming the effectiveness of our proposal and the correctness of the proposed theoretical analysis.

math.NA↗

arXiv2018

The eigenvalue distribution of special $2$-by-$2$ block matrix sequences, with applications to the case of symmetrized Toeplitz structures

Given a Lebesgue integrable function $f$ over $[0,2\pi]$, we consider the sequence of matrices $\{Y_nT_n[f]\}_n$, where $T_n[f]$ is the $n$-by-$n$ Toeplitz matrix generated by $f$ and $Y_n$ is the flip permutation matrix, also called the anti-identity matrix. Because of the unitary character of $Y_n$, the singular values of $T_n[f]$ and $Y_n T_n[f]$ coincide. However, the eigenvalues are affected substantially by the action of the matrix $Y_n$. Under the assumption that the Fourier coefficients are real, we prove that $\{Y_nT_n[f]\}_n$ is distributed in the eigenvalue sense as \[ \phi_g(\theta)=\left\{ \begin{array}{cc} g(\theta), & \theta\in [0,2\pi], -g(-\theta), & \theta\in [-2\pi,0), \end{array} \right.\, \] with $g(\theta)=|f(\theta)|$. We also consider the preconditioning introduced by Pestana and Wathen and, by using the same arguments, we prove that the preconditioned sequence is distributed in the eigenvalue sense as $\phi_1$, under the mild assumption that $f$ is sparsely vanishing. We emphasize that the mathematical tools introduced in this setting have a general character and in fact can be potentially used in different contexts. A number of numerical experiments are provided and critically discussed.

math.NA↗