Dirk A. Lorenz

Bio: Dirk A. Lorenz is an academic researcher from Braunschweig University of Technology. The author has contributed to research in topics: Regularization (mathematics) & Inverse problem. The author has an hindex of 31, co-authored 120 publications receiving 3505 citations. Previous affiliations of Dirk A. Lorenz include University of Bremen & Technion – Israel Institute of Technology.

An inertial forward-backward algorithm for monotone inclusions

Abstract: In this paper, we propose an inertial forward backward splitting algorithm to compute a zero of the sum of two monotone operators, with one of the two operators being co-coercive. The algorithm is inspired by the accelerated gradient method of Nesterov, but can be applied to a much larger class of problems including convex-concave saddle point problems and general monotone inclusions. We prove convergence of the algorithm in a Hilbert space setting and show that several recently proposed first-order methods can be obtained as special cases of the general algorithm. Numerical results show that the proposed algorithm converges faster than existing methods, while keeping the computational cost of each iteration basically unchanged.

An Inertial Forward-Backward Algorithm for Monotone Inclusions

Abstract: In this paper, we propose an inertial forward-backward splitting algorithm to compute a zero of the sum of two monotone operators, with one of the two operators being co-coercive. The algorithm is inspired by the accelerated gradient method of Nesterov, but can be applied to a much larger class of problems including convex-concave saddle point problems and general monotone inclusions. We prove convergence of the algorithm in a Hilbert space setting and show that several recently proposed first-order methods can be obtained as special cases of the general algorithm. Numerical results show that the proposed algorithm converges faster than existing methods, while keeping the computational cost of each iteration basically unchanged.

Linear Convergence of Iterative Soft-Thresholding

Abstract: In this article a unified approach to iterative soft-thresholding algorithms for the solution of linear operator equations in infinite dimensional Hilbert spaces is presented. We formulate the algorithm in the framework of generalized gradient methods and present a new convergence analysis. As main result we show that the algorithm converges with linear rate as soon as the underlying operator satisfies the so-called finite basis injectivity property or the minimizer possesses a so-called strict sparsity pattern. Moreover it is shown that the constants can be calculated explicitly in special cases (i.e. for compact operators). Furthermore, the techniques also can be used to establish linear convergence for related methods such as the iterative thresholding algorithm for joint sparsity and the accelerated gradient projection method.

Linear convergence of iterative soft-thresholding

Abstract: In this article a unified approach to iterative soft-thresholding algorithms for the solution of linear operator equations in infinite dimensional Hilbert spaces is presented. We formulate the algorithm in the framework of generalized gradient methods and present a new convergence analysis. As main result we show that the algorithm converges with linear rate as soon as the underlying operator satisfies the so-called finite basis injectivity property or the minimizer possesses a so-called strict sparsity pattern. Moreover it is shown that the constants can be calculated explicitly in special cases (i.e. for compact operators). Furthermore, the techniques also can be used to establish linear convergence for related methods such as the iterative thresholding algorithm for joint sparsity and the accelerated gradient projection method.

Inline hologram reconstruction with sparsity constraints.

Abstract: Inline digital holograms are classically reconstructed using linear operators to model diffraction. It has long been recognized that such reconstruction operators do not invert the hologram formation operator. Classical linear reconstructions yield images with artifacts such as distortions near the field-of-view boundaries or twin images. When objects located at different depths are reconstructed from a hologram, in-focus and out-of-focus images of all objects superimpose upon each other. Additional processing, such as maximum-of-focus detection, is thus unavoidable for any successful use of the reconstructed volume. In this Letter, we consider inverting the hologram formation model in a Bayesian framework. We suggest the use of a sparsity-promoting prior, verified in many inline holography applications, and present a simple iterative algorithm for 3D object reconstruction under sparsity and positivity constraints. Preliminary results with both simulated and experimental holograms are highly promising.

A Fast Iterative Shrinkage-Thresholding Algorithm for Linear Inverse Problems

Abstract: We consider the class of iterative shrinkage-thresholding algorithms (ISTA) for solving linear inverse problems arising in signal/image processing. This class of methods, which can be viewed as an extension of the classical gradient algorithm, is attractive due to its simplicity and thus is adequate for solving large-scale problems even with dense matrix data. However, such methods are also known to converge quite slowly. In this paper we present a new fast iterative shrinkage-thresholding algorithm (FISTA) which preserves the computational simplicity of ISTA but with a global rate of convergence which is proven to be significantly better, both theoretically and practically. Initial promising numerical results for wavelet-based image deblurring demonstrate the capabilities of FISTA which is shown to be faster than ISTA by several orders of magnitude.

Proximal Algorithms

Abstract: This monograph is about a class of optimization algorithms called proximal algorithms. Much like Newton's method is a standard tool for solving unconstrained smooth optimization problems of modest size, proximal algorithms can be viewed as an analogous tool for nonsmooth, constrained, large-scale, or distributed versions of these problems. They are very generally applicable, but are especially well-suited to problems of substantial recent interest involving large or high-dimensional datasets. Proximal methods sit at a higher level of abstraction than classical algorithms like Newton's method: the base operation is evaluating the proximal operator of a function, which itself involves solving a small convex optimization problem. These subproblems, which generalize the problem of projecting a point onto a convex set, often admit closed-form solutions or can be solved very quickly with standard or simple specialized methods. Here, we discuss the many different interpretations of proximal operators and algorithms, describe their connections to many other topics in optimization and applied mathematics, survey some popular algorithms, and provide a large number of examples of proximal operators that commonly arise in practice.

Message-passing algorithms for compressed sensing

Abstract: Compressed sensing aims to undersample certain high-dimensional signals yet accurately reconstruct them by exploiting signal characteristics. Accurate reconstruction is possible when the object to be recovered is sufficiently sparse in a known basis. Currently, the best known sparsity–undersampling tradeoff is achieved when reconstructing by convex optimization, which is expensive in important large-scale applications. Fast iterative thresholding algorithms have been intensively studied as alternatives to convex optimization for large-scale problems. Unfortunately known fast algorithms offer substantially worse sparsity–undersampling tradeoffs than convex optimization. We introduce a simple costless modification to iterative thresholding making the sparsity–undersampling tradeoff of the new algorithms equivalent to that of the corresponding convex optimization procedures. The new iterative-thresholding algorithms are inspired by belief propagation in graphical models. Our empirical measurements of the sparsity–undersampling tradeoff for the new algorithms agree with theoretical calculations. We show that a state evolution formalism correctly derives the true sparsity–undersampling tradeoff. There is a surprising agreement between earlier calculations based on random convex polytopes and this apparently very different theoretical formalism.

Proximal Splitting Methods in Signal Processing

Abstract: The proximity operator of a convex function is a natural extension of the notion of a projection operator onto a convex set. This tool, which plays a central role in the analysis and the numerical solution of convex optimization problems, has recently been introduced in the arena of signal processing, where it has become increasingly important. In this paper, we review the basic properties of proximity operators which are relevant to signal processing and present optimization methods based on these operators. These proximal splitting methods are shown to capture and extend several well-known algorithms in a unifying framework. Applications of proximal methods in signal recovery and synthesis are discussed.

Proximal Splitting Methods in Signal Processing

Abstract: The proximity operator of a convex function is a natural extension of the notion of a projection operator onto a convex set. This tool, which plays a central role in the analysis and the numerical solution of convex optimization problems, has recently been introduced in the arena of inverse problems and, especially, in signal processing, where it has become increasingly important. In this paper, we review the basic properties of proximity operators which are relevant to signal processing and present optimization methods based on these operators. These proximal splitting methods are shown to capture and extend several well-known algorithms in a unifying framework. Applications of proximal methods in signal recovery and synthesis are discussed.