arXiv subjects

Nello Blaser

Publications and source records attributed to Nello Blaser.

21 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2019

Sparse Nerves in Practice

Topological data analysis combines machine learning with methods from algebraic topology. Persistent homology, a method to characterize topological features occurring in data at multiple scales is of particular interest. A major obstacle to the wide-spread use of persistent homology is its computational complexity. In order to be able to calculate persistent homology of large datasets, a number of approximations can be applied in order to reduce its complexity. We propose algorithms for calculation of approximate sparse nerves for classes of Dowker dissimilarities including all finite Dowker dissimilarities and Dowker dissimilarities whose homology is Cech persistent homology. All other sparsification methods and software packages that we are aware of calculate persistent homology with either an additive or a multiplicative interleaving. In dowker_homology, we allow for any non-decreasing interleaving function $α$. We analyze the computational complexity of the algorithms and present some benchmarks. For Euclidean data in dimensions larger than three, the sizes of simplicial complexes we create are in general smaller than the ones created by SimBa. Especially when calculating persistent homology in higher homology dimensions, the differences can become substantial.

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arXiv2018

Divisive cover

The aim of this paper is to present a method for computation of persistent homology that performs well at large filtration values. To this end we introduce the concept of filtered covers. We show that the persistent homology of a bounded metric space obtained from the Čech complex is the persistent homology of the filtered nerve of the filtered Čech cover. Given a parameter $δ$ with $0 < δ\le 1$ we introduce the concept of a $δ$-filtered cover and show that its filtered nerve is interleaved with the Čech complex. Finally, we introduce a particular $δ$-filtered cover, the divisive cover. The special feature of the divisive cover is that it is constructed top-down. If we disregard fine scale structure and $X$ is a finite subspace of euclidean space, then we obtain a filtered simplicial complex whose size is bounded by an upper bound independent of the cardinality of $X$. The time needed to compute this filtered simplicial complex depends linearly on the cardinality of $X$.

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arXiv2018

Sparse Dowker Nerves

We propose sparse versions of filtered simplicial complexes used to compte persistent homology of point clouds and of networks. In particular we extend a slight variation of the Sparse Čech Complex of Cavanna, Jahanseir and Sheehy from point clouds in Cartesian space to point clouds in arbitrary metric spaces. Along the way we formulate interleaving in terms of strict $2$-categories, and we introduce the concept of Dowker dissimilarities that can be considered as a common generalization of metric spaces and networks.

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