Node Generation for RBF-FD Methods by QR Factorization

Polyharmonic spline (PHS) radial basis functions (RBFs) have been used in conjunction with polynomials to create RBF finite-difference (RBF-FD) methods. In 2D, these methods are usually implemented with Cartesian nodes, hexagonal nodes, or most commonly, quasi-uniformly distributed nodes generated through fast algorithms. We explore novel strategies for computing the placement of sampling points for RBF-FD methods in both 1D and 2D while investigating the benefits of using these points. The optimality of sampling points is determined by a novel piecewise-defined Lebesgue constant. Points are then sampled by modifying a simple, robust, column-pivoting QR algorithm previously implemented to find sets of near-optimal sampling points for polynomial approximation. Using the newly computed sampling points for these methods preserves accuracy while reducing computational costs by mitigating stencil size restrictions for RBF-FD methods. The novel algorithm can also be used to select boundary points to be used in conjunction with fast algorithms that provide quasi-uniformly distributed nodes.

Cache Servers Placement Based on Important Switches for SDN-Based ICN

In centralized cache management for SDN-based ICN, it is an optimization problem to compute the location of cache servers and takes a longer time. We solve this problem by proposing to use singular-value-decomposition (SVD) and QR-factorization with column pivoting methods of linear algebra as follows. The traffic matrix of the network is lower-rank. Therefore, we compute the most important switches in the network by using SVD and QR-factorization with column pivoting methods. By using real network traces, the results show that our proposed approach reduces the computation time significantly, and also decreases the traffic overhead and energy consumption as compared to the existing approach.

Affordable Uncertainty Quantification for Industrial Problems: Application to Aero-Engine Fans

Uncertainty quantification (UQ) is an increasingly important area of research. As components and systems become more efficient and optimized, the impact of uncertain parameters is likely to become critical. It is fundamental to consider the impact of these uncertainties as early as possible during the design process, with the aim of producing more robust designs (less sensitive to the presence of uncertainties). The cost of UQ with high-fidelity simulations becomes therefore of fundamental importance. This work makes use of least-squares approximations in the context of appropriately selected polynomial chaos (PC) bases. An efficient technique based on QR column pivoting has been employed to reduce the number of evaluations required to construct the approximation, demonstrating the superiority of the method with respect to full-tensor quadrature (FTQ) and sparse-grid quadrature (SGQ). Orthonormal polynomials used for the PC expansion are calculated numerically based on the given uncertainty distribution, making the approach optimal for any type of input uncertainty. The approach is used to quantify the variability in the performance of two large bypass-ratio jet engine fans in the presence of shape uncertainty due to possible manufacturing processes. The impacts of shape uncertainty on the two geometries are compared, and sensitivities to the location of the blade shape variability are extracted. The mechanisms at the origin of the change in performance are analyzed in detail, as well as the differences between the two configurations.

Structured Matrix Methods Computing the Greatest Common Divisor of Polynomials

This paper revisits the Bézout, Sylvester, and power-basis matrix representations of the greatest common divisor (GCD) of sets of several polynomials. Furthermore, the present work introduces the application of the QR decomposition with column pivoting to a Bézout matrix achieving the computation of the degree and the coeffcients of the GCD through the range of the Bézout matrix. A comparison in terms of computational complexity and numerical effciency of the Bézout-QR, Sylvester-QR, and subspace-SVD methods for the computation of theGCDof sets of several polynomials with real coeffcients is provided.Useful remarks about the performance of the methods based on computational simulations of sets of several polynomials are also presented.

Toward Affordable Uncertainty Quantification for Industrial Problems: Part I — Theory and Validation

Non-intrusive Polynomial Chaos (NIPC) methods have become popular for uncertainty quantification, as they have the potential to achieve a significant reduction in computational cost (number of evaluations) with respect to traditional techniques such as the Monte Carlo approach, while allowing the model to be still treated as a black box. This work makes use of Least Squares Approximations (LSA) in the context of appropriately selected PC bases. An efficient technique based on QR column pivoting has been employed to reduce the number of evaluations required to construct the approximation, demonstrating the superiority of the method with respect to sparse grid quadratures and to LSA with randomly selected quadrature points. Orthogonal (or orthonormal) polynomials used for the PC expansion are calculated numerically based on the given uncertainty distribution, making the approach optimal for any type of input uncertainty. The benefits of the proposed techniques are verified on a number of analytical test functions of increasing complexity and on two engineering test problem (uncertainty quantification of the deflection of a 3- and a 10-bar structure with up to 15 uncertain parameters). The results demonstrate how an LSA approach within a PC framework can be an effective method for UQ, with a significant reduction in computational cost with respect to full tensor and sparse grid quadratures.

Continuous analogues of matrix factorizations

Analogues of singular value decomposition (SVD), QR, LU and Cholesky factorizations are presented for problems in which the usual discrete matrix is replaced by a ‘quasimatrix’, continuous in one dimension, or a ‘cmatrix’, continuous in both dimensions. Two challenges arise: the generalization of the notions of triangular structure and row and column pivoting to continuous variables (required in all cases except the SVD, and far from obvious), and the convergence of the infinite series that define the cmatrix factorizations. Our generalizations of triangularity and pivoting are based on a new notion of a ‘triangular quasimatrix’. Concerning convergence of the series, we prove theorems asserting convergence provided the functions involved are sufficiently smooth.