No Arabic abstract
Many common methods for data analysis rely on linear algebra. We provide new results connecting data analysis error to numerical accuracy, which leads to the first meaningful stopping criterion for two way spectral partitioning. More generally, we provide pointwise convergence guarantees so that blends (linear combinations) of eigenvectors can be employed to solve data analysis problems with confidence in their accuracy. We demonstrate this theory on an accessible model problem, the Ring of Cliques, by deriving the relevant eigenpairs and comparing the predicted results to numerical solutions. These results bridge the gap between linear algebra based data analysis methods and the convergence theory of iterative approximation methods.
Spectral methods provide an elegant and efficient way of numerically solving differential equations of all kinds. For smooth problems, truncation error for spectral methods vanishes exponentially in the infinity norm and $L_2$-norm. However, for non-smooth problems, convergence is significantly worse---the $L_2$-norm of the error for a discontinuous problem will converge at a sub-linear rate and the infinity norm will not converge at all. We explore and improve upon a post-processing technique---optimally convergent mollifiers---to recover exponential convergence from a poorly-converging spectral reconstruction of non-smooth data. This is an important first step towards using these techniques for simulations of realistic systems.
Graph partitioning problems emerge in a wide variety of complex systems, ranging from biology to finance, but can be rigorously analyzed and solved only for a few graph ensembles. Here, an ensemble of equitable graphs, i.e. random graphs with a block-regular structure, is studied, for which analytical results can be obtained. In particular, the spectral density of this ensemble is computed exactly for a modular and bipartite structure. Kesten-McKays law for random regular graphs is found analytically to apply also for modular and bipartite structures when blocks are homogeneous. Exact solution to graph partitioning for two equal-sized communities is proposed and verified numerically, and a conjecture on the absence of an efficient recovery detectability transition in equitable graphs is suggested. Final discussion summarizes results and outlines their relevance for the solution of graph partitioning problems in other graph ensembles, in particular for the study of detectability thresholds and resolution limits in stochastic block models.
Affine systems reachability is the basis of many verification methods. With further computation, methods exist to reason about richer models with inputs, nonlinear differential equations, and hybrid dynamics. As such, the scalability of affine systems verification is a prerequisite to scalable analysis for more complex systems. In this paper, we improve the scalability of affine systems verification, in terms of the number of dimensions (variables) in the system. The reachable states of affine systems can be written in terms of the matrix exponential, and safety checking can be performed at specific time steps with linear programming. Unfortunately, for large systems with many state variables, this direct approach requires an intractable amount of memory while using an intractable amount of computation time. We overcome these challenges by combining several methods that leverage common problem structure. Memory is reduced by exploiting initial states that are not full-dimensional and safety properties (outputs) over a few linear projections of the state variables. Computation time is saved by using numerical simulations to compute only projections of the matrix exponential relevant for the verification problem. Since large systems often have sparse dynamics, we use Krylov-subspace simulation approaches based on the Arnoldi or Lanczos iterations. Our method produces accurate counter-examples when properties are violated and, in the extreme case with sufficient problem structure, can analyze a system with one billion real-valued state variables.
Transmission line failures in power systems propagate and cascade non-locally. This well-known yet counter-intuitive feature makes it even more challenging to optimally and reliably operate these complex networks. In this work we present a comprehensive framework based on spectral graph theory that fully and rigorously captures how multiple simultaneous line failures propagate, distinguishing between non-cut and cut set outages. Using this spectral representation of power systems, we identify the crucial graph sub-structure that ensures line failure localization -- the network bridge-block decomposition. Leveraging this theory, we propose an adaptive network topology reconfiguration paradigm that uses a two-stage algorithm where the first stage aims to identify optimal clusters using the notion of network modularity and the second stage refines the clusters by means of optimal line switching actions. Our proposed methodology is illustrated using extensive numerical examples on standard IEEE networks and we discussed several extensions and variants of the proposed algorithm.
We show that for every prime $d$ and $alphain (0,1/6)$, there is an infinite sequence of $(d+1)$-regular graphs $G=(V,E)$ with girth at least $2alpha log_{d}(|V|)(1-o_d(1))$, second adjacency matrix eigenvalue bounded by $(3/sqrt{2})sqrt{d}$, and many eigenvectors fully localized on small sets of size $O(|V|^alpha)$. This strengthens the results of Ganguly-Srivastava, who constructed high girth (but not expanding) graphs with similar properties, and may be viewed as a discrete analogue of the scarring phenomenon observed in the study of quantum ergodicity on manifolds. Key ingredients in the proof are a technique of Kahale for bounding the growth rate of eigenfunctions of graphs, discovered in the context of vertex expansion and a method of ErdH{o}s and Sachs for constructing high girth regular graphs.