MATHICSE Technical Report : Discrete least squares polynomial approximation with random evaluations – application to parametric and stochastic elliptic PDES

Motivated by the numerical treatment of parametric and stochastic PDEs, we analyze the least-squares method for polynomial approximation of multivariate func- tions based on random sampling according to a given probability measure. Recent work has shown that in the univariate case, the least-squares method is quasi-optimal in expec- tation in [8] and in probability in [20], under suitable conditions that relate the number of samples with respect to the dimension of the polynomial space. Here \quasi-optimal" means that the accuracy of the least-squares approximation is comparable with that of the best approximation in the given polynomial space. In this paper, we discuss the quasi- optimality of the polynomial least-squares method in arbitrary dimension. Our analysis applies to any arbitrary multivariate polynomial space (including tensor product, total degree or hyperbolic crosses), under the minimal requirement that its associated index set is downward closed. The optimality criterion only involves the relation between the number of samples and the dimension of the polynomial space, independently of the anisotropic shape and of the number of variables. We extend our results to the approx- imation of Hilbert space-valued functions in order to apply them to the approximation of parametric and stochastic elliptic PDEs. As a particular case, we discuss \inclusion type" elliptic PDE models, and derive an exponential convergence estimate for the least- squares method. Numerical results confirm our estimate, yet pointing out a gap between the condition necessary to achieve optimality in the theory, and the condition that in practice yields the optimal convergence rate.

Discrete least squares polynomial approximation with random evaluations − application to parametric and stochastic elliptic PDEs

Giovanni Migliorati, Fabio Nobile

Motivated by the numerical treatment of parametric and stochastic PDEs, we analyze the least-squares method for polynomial approximation of multivariate functions based on random sampling according to a given probability measure. Recent work has shown that in the univariate case, the least-squares method is quasi-optimal in expectation in [A. Cohen, M A. Davenport and D. Leviatan. Found. Comput. Math. 13 (2013) 819–834] and in probability in [G. Migliorati, F. Nobile, E. von Schwerin, R. Tempone, Found. Comput. Math. 14 (2014) 419–456], under suitable conditions that relate the number of samples with respect to the dimension of the polynomial space. Here “quasi-optimal” means that the accuracy of the least-squares approximation is comparable with that of the best approximation in the given polynomial space. In this paper, we discuss the quasi-optimality of the polynomial least-squares method in arbitrary dimension. Our analysis applies to any arbitrary multivariate polynomial space (including tensor product, total degree or hyperbolic crosses), under the minimal requirement that its associated index set is downward closed. The optimality criterion only involves the relation between the number of samples and the dimension of the polynomial space, independently of the anisotropic shape and of the number of variables. We extend our results to the approximation of Hilbert space-valued functions in order to apply them to the approximation of parametric and stochastic elliptic PDEs. As a particular case, we discuss “inclusion type” elliptic PDE models, and derive an exponential convergence estimate for the least-squares method. Numerical results confirm our estimate, yet pointing out a gap between the condition necessary to achieve optimality in the theory, and the condition that in practice yields the optimal convergence rate.

2015

Adaptive polynomial approximation by means of random discrete least squares

Giovanni Migliorati

We address adaptive multivariate polynomial approximation by means of the discrete least-squares method with random evaluations, to approximate in the L2 probability sense a smooth function depending on a random variable distributed according to a given probability density. The polynomial least-squares approximation is computed using random noiseless pointwise evaluations of the target function. Here noiseless means that the pointwise evaluation of the function is not polluted by the presence of noise. Recent works Migliorati et al. (Found Comput Math 14:419–456, 2014), Cohen et al. (Found Comput Math 13:819–834, 2013), and Chkifa et al. (Discrete least squares polynomial approximation with random evaluations – application to parametric and stochastic elliptic PDEs, EPFL MATHICSE report 35/2013, submitted) have analyzed the univariate and multivariate cases, providing error estimates for (a priori) given sequences of polynomial spaces. In the present work, we apply the results developed in the aforementioned analyses to devise adaptive least-squares polynomial approximations. We build a sequence of quasi-optimal best n-term sets to approximate multivariate functions that feature strong anisotropy in moderately high dimensions. The adaptive approximation relies on a greedy selection of basis functions, which preserves the downward closedness property of the polynomial approximation space. Numerical results show that the adaptive approximation is able to catch effectively the anisotropy in the function.

Springer2015

Convergence estimates in probability and in expectation for discrete least squares with noisy evaluations at random points

Giovanni Migliorati, Fabio Nobile

We study the accuracy of the discrete least-squares approximation on a finite-dimensional space of a real-valued target function from noisy pointwise evaluations at independent random points distributed according to a given sampling probability measure. The convergence estimates are given in mean-square sense with respect to the sampling measure. The noise may be correlated with the location of the evaluation and may have nonzero mean (offset). We consider both cases of bounded or square-integrable noise/offset. We prove conditions between the number of sampling points and the dimension of the underlying approximation space that ensure a stable and accurate approximation. Particular focus is on deriving estimates in probability within a given confidence level. We analyze how the best approximation error and the noise terms affect the convergence rate and the overall confidence level achieved by the convergence estimate. The proofs of our convergence estimates in probability use arguments from the theory of large deviations to bound the noise term. Finally we address the particular case of multivariate polynomial approximation spaces with any density in the beta family, including uniform and Chebyshev.

2015

Discrete least squares polynomial approximation with random evaluations − application to parametric and stochastic elliptic PDEs

Giovanni Migliorati, Fabio Nobile

2015