Georgia Institute of Technology School of Mathematics | Georgia Institute of Technology | Atlanta, GA

 The problem of phase retrieval for a set of functions $H$ can be thought of as being able to identify a function $f\in H$ or $-f\in H$ from the absolute value $|f|$.  Phase retrieval for a set of functions is called stable if when $|f|$ and $|g|$ are close then $f$ is proportionally close to $g$ or $-g$.  That is, we say that a set $H\subseteq L_2({\mathbb R})$ does stable phase retrieval if there exists a constant $C>0$ so that
$$\min\big(\big\|f-g\big\|_{L_2({\mathbb R})},\big\|f+g\big\|_{L_2({\mathbb R})}\big)\leq C \big\| |f|-|g| \big\|_{L_2({\mathbb R})} \qquad\textrm{ for all }f,g\in H.
$$
 It is known that phase retrieval for finite dimensional spaces is always stable.  On the other hand, phase retrieval for infinite dimensional spaces using a frame or a continuous frame is always unstable.  We prove that there exist infinite dimensional subspaces of $L_2({\mathbb R})$ which do stable phase retrieval.  This is joint work with Robert Calderbank, Ingrid Daubechies, and Nikki Freeman.

Given a potential function of three vector arguments, $f(x,y,z)$, which is $O(n)$-invariant, $f(Qx,Qy,Qz)=f(x,y,z)$ for all $Q$ orthogonal, we use semidefinite programming bounds to determine optimizing probability measures for interaction energies of the form $\int\int\int f(x,y,z) d\mu(x)d\mu(y)d\mu(z)$ over the sphere. This approach builds on previous use of such bounds in the discrete setting by Bachoc-Vallentin, Cohn-Woo, and Musin, and is successful for kernels which can be shown to have expansions in a particular basis, for instance certain symmetric polynomials in inner products $u=\langle x,y \rangle$, $v=\langle y,z\rangle$, and $t=\langle z, x \rangle$. For other kernels we pose conjectures on the behavior of optimizers, partially inferred through numerical studies.

We will discuss certain isoperimetric-type problems for convex sets, such as the Log-Brunn-Minkowski conjecture for Lebesgue measure, and will explain the approach to this type of problems via local versions of inequalities and why it arises naturally. We consider a weaker form of the conjecture and prove it in several cases, with elementary geometric methods.  We shall also consider several illustrative ``hands on’’ examples. If time permits, we will discuss Bochner’s method approach to the question and formulate some new results in this regard. The second (optional!) part of this talk will be at the High-dimensional seminar right after, and will involve a discussion of more involved methods. Partially based on a joint work with Hosle and Kolesnikov.