We study the problem of identifying a small set $k\sim n^\theta$, $0<\theta<1$, of infected individuals within a large population of size $n$ by testing groups of individuals simultaneously. All tests are conducted concurrently. The goal is to minimise the total number of tests required. In this paper we make the (realistic) assumption that tests are noisy, i.e.\ that a group that contains an infected individual may return a negative test result or one that does not contain an infected individual may return a positive test results with a certain probability. The noise need not be symmetric. We develop an algorithm called SPARC that correctly identifies the set of infected individuals up to $o(k)$ errors with high probability with the asymptotically minimum number of tests. Additionally, we develop an algorithm called SPEX that exactly identifies the set of infected individuals w.h.p. with a number of tests that matches the information-theoretic lower bound for the constant column design, a powerful and well-studied test design.
We study a hypothesis testing problem in the context of high-dimensional changepoint detection. Given a matrix $X \in \mathbb{R}^{p \times n}$ with independent Gaussian entries, the goal is to determine whether or not a sparse, non-null fraction of rows in $X$ exhibits a shift in mean at a common index between $1$ and $n$. We focus on three aspects of this problem: the sparsity of non-null rows, the presence of a single, common changepoint in the non-null rows, and the signal strength associated with the changepoint. Within an asymptotic regime relating the data dimensions $n$ and $p$ to the signal sparsity and strength, we characterize the information-theoretic limits of the testing problem by a formula that determines whether the sum of Type I and II errors tends to zero or is bounded away from zero. The formula, called the \emph{detection boundary}, is a curve that separates the parameter space into a detectable region and an undetectable region. We show that a Berk--Jones type test statistic can detect the presence of a sparse non-null fraction of rows, and does so adaptively throughout the detectable region. Conversely, within the undetectable region, no test is able to consistently distinguish the signal from noise.
As an important part of genetic algorithms (GAs), mutation operators is widely used in evolutionary algorithms to solve $\mathcal{NP}$-hard problems because it can increase the population diversity of individual. Due to limitations in mathematical tools, the mutation probability of the mutation operator is primarily empirically set in practical applications. In this paper, we propose a novel reduction method for the 0-1 knapsack problem(0-1 KP) and an improved mutation operator (IMO) based on the assumption $\mathcal{NP}\neq\mathcal{P}$, along with the utilization of linear relaxation techniques and a recent result by Dey et al. (Math. Prog., pp 569-587, 2022). We employ this method to calculate an upper bound of the mutation probability in general instances of the 0-1 KP, and construct an instance where the mutation probability does not tend towards 0 as the problem size increases. Finally, we prove that the probability of the IMO hitting the optimal solution within only a single iteration in large-scale instances is superior to that of the traditional mutation operator.
This paper focuses on the numerical scheme for multiple-delay stochastic differential equations with partially H\"older continuous drifts and locally H\"older continuous diffusion coefficients. To handle with the superlinear terms in coefficients, the truncated Euler-Maruyama scheme is employed. Under the given conditions, the convergence rates at time $T$ in both $\mathcal{L}^{1}$ and $\mathcal{L}^{2}$ senses are shown by virtue of the Yamada-Watanabe approximation technique. Moreover, the convergence rates over a finite time interval $[0,T]$ are also obtained. Additionally, it should be noted that the convergence rates will not be affected by the number of delay variables. Finally, we perform the numerical experiments on the stochastic volatility model to verify the reliability of the theoretical results.
The merit factor of a $\{-1, 1\}$ binary sequence measures the collective smallness of its non-trivial aperiodic autocorrelations. Binary sequences with large merit factor are important in digital communications because they allow the efficient separation of signals from noise. It is a longstanding open question whether the maximum merit factor is asymptotically unbounded and, if so, what is its limiting value. Attempts to answer this question over almost sixty years have identified certain classes of binary sequences as particularly important: skew-symmetric sequences, symmetric sequences, and anti-symmetric sequences. Using only elementary methods, we find an exact formula for the mean and variance of the reciprocal merit factor of sequences in each of these classes, and in the class of all binary sequences. This provides a much deeper understanding of the distribution of the merit factor in these four classes than was previously available. A consequence is that, for each of the four classes, the merit factor of a sequence drawn uniformly at random from the class converges in probability to a constant as the sequence length increases.
We consider extended $1$-perfect codes in Hamming graphs $H(n,q)$. Such nontrivial codes are known only when $n=2^k$, $k\geq 1$, $q=2$, or $n=q+2$, $q=2^m$, $m\geq 1$. Recently, Bespalov proved nonexistence of extended $1$-perfect codes for $q=3$, $4$, $n>q+2$. In this work, we characterize all positive integers $n$, $r$ and prime $p$, for which there exist such a code in $H(n,p^r)$.
We establish an invariance principle for polynomial functions of $n$ independent high-dimensional random vectors, and also show that the obtained rates are nearly optimal. Both the dimension of the vectors and the degree of the polynomial are permitted to grow with $n$. Specifically, we obtain a finite sample upper bound for the error of approximation by a polynomial of Gaussians, measured in Kolmogorov distance, and extend it to functions that are approximately polynomial in a mean squared error sense. We give a corresponding lower bound that shows the invariance principle holds up to polynomial degree $o(\log n)$. The proof is constructive and adapts an asymmetrisation argument due to V. V. Senatov. As applications, we obtain a higher-order delta method with possibly non-Gaussian limits, and generalise a number of known results on high-dimensional and infinite-order U-statistics, and on fluctuations of subgraph counts.
The logics $\mathsf{CS4}$ and $\mathsf{IS4}$ are the two leading intuitionistic variants of the modal logic $\mathsf{S4}$. Whether the finite model property holds for each of these logics have been long-standing open problems. It was recently shown that $\mathsf{IS4}$ has the finite frame property and thus the finite model property. In this paper, we prove that $\mathsf{CS4}$ also enjoys the finite frame property. Additionally, we investigate the following three logics closely related to $\mathsf{IS4}$. The logic $\mathsf{GS4}$ is obtained by adding the G\"odel--Dummett axiom to $\mathsf{IS4}$; it is both a superintuitionistic and a fuzzy logic and has previously been given a real-valued semantics. We provide an alternative birelational semantics and prove strong completeness with respect to this semantics. The extension $\mathsf{GS4^c}$ of $\mathsf{GS4}$ corresponds to requiring a crisp accessibility relation on the real-valued semantics. We give a birelational semantics corresponding to an extra confluence condition on the $\mathsf{GS4}$ birelational semantics and prove strong completeness. Neither of these two logics have the finite model property with respect to their real-valued semantics, but we prove that they have the finite frame property for their birelational semantics. Establishing the finite birelational frame property immediately establishes decidability, which was previously open for these two logics. Our proofs yield NEXPTIME upper bounds. The logic $\mathsf{S4I}$ is obtained from $\mathsf{IS4}$ by reversing the roles of the modal and intuitionistic relations in the birelational semantics. We also prove the finite frame property, and thereby decidability, for $\mathsf{S4I}$
In this work, we derive a $\gamma$-robust a posteriori error estimator for finite element approximations of the Allen-Cahn equation with variable non-degenerate mobility. The estimator utilizes spectral estimates for the linearized steady part of the differential operator as well as a conditional stability estimate based on a weighted sum of Bregman distances, based on the energy and a functional related to the mobility. A suitable reconstruction of the numerical solution in the stability estimate leads to a fully computable estimator.
Given an undirected graph $G$, a quasi-clique is a subgraph of $G$ whose density is at least $\gamma$ $(0 < \gamma \leq 1)$. Two optimization problems can be defined for quasi-cliques: the Maximum Quasi-Clique (MQC) Problem, which finds a quasi-clique with maximum vertex cardinality, and the Densest $k$-Subgraph (DKS) Problem, which finds the densest subgraph given a fixed cardinality constraint. Most existing approaches to solve both problems often disregard the requirement of connectedness, which may lead to solutions containing isolated components that are meaningless for many real-life applications. To address this issue, we propose two flow-based connectedness constraints to be integrated into known Mixed-Integer Linear Programming (MILP) formulations for either MQC or DKS problems. We compare the performance of MILP formulations enhanced with our connectedness constraints in terms of both running time and number of solved instances against existing approaches that ensure quasi-clique connectedness. Experimental results demonstrate that our constraints are quite competitive, making them valuable for practical applications requiring connectedness.
We consider fully discrete finite element approximations for a semilinear optimal control system of partial differential equations in two cases: for distributed and Robin boundary control. The ecological predator-prey optimal control model is approximated by conforming finite element methods mimicking the spatial part, while a discontinuous Galerkin method is used for the time discretization. We investigate the sensitivity of the solution distance from the target function, in cases with smooth and rough initial data. We employ low, and higher-order polynomials in time and space whenever proper regularity is present. The approximation schemes considered are with and without control constraints, driving efficiently the system to desired states realized using non-linear gradient methods.