Orthogonal invariance and identifiability

Orthogonally invariant functions of symmetric matrices often inherit properties from their diagonal restrictions: von Neumann’s theorem on matrix norms is an early example. We discuss the example of “identifiability”, a common property of nonsmooth functions associated with the existence of a smooth manifold of approximate critical points. Identifiability (or its synonym, “partial smoothness”) is the … Read more

Partial Smoothness,Tilt Stability, and Generalized Hessians

We compare two recent variational-analytic approaches to second-order conditions and sensitivity analysis for nonsmooth optimization. We describe a broad setting where computing the generalized Hessian of Mordukhovich is easy. In this setting, the idea of tilt stability introduced by Poliquin and Rockafellar is equivalent to a classical smooth second-order condition. Article Download View Partial Smoothness,Tilt … Read more

Generic identifiability and second-order sufficiency in tame convex optimization

We consider linear optimization over a fixed compact convex feasible region that is semi-algebraic (or, more generally, “tame”). Generically, we prove that the optimal solution is unique and lies on a unique manifold, around which the feasible region is “partly smooth”, ensuring finite identification of the manifold by many optimization algorithms. Furthermore, second-order optimality conditions … Read more