Kaiserslautern - Fachbereich Mathematik
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The main purpose of the study was to improve the physical properties of the modelling of compressed materials, especially fibrous materials. Fibrous materials are finding increasing application in the industries. And most of the materials are compressed for different applications. For such situation, we are interested in how the fibre arranged, e.g. with which distribution. For given materials it is possible to obtain a three-dimensional image via micro computed tomography. Since some physical parameters, e.g. the fibre lengths or the directions for points in the fibre, can be checked under some other methods from image, it is beneficial to improve the physical properties by changing the parameters in the image.
In this thesis, we present a new maximum-likelihood approach for the estimation of parameters of a parametric distribution on the unit sphere, which is various as some well known distributions, e.g. the von-Mises Fisher distribution or the Watson distribution, and for some models better fit. The consistency and asymptotic normality of the maximum-likelihood estimator are proven. As the second main part of this thesis, a general model of mixtures of these distributions on a hypersphere is discussed. We derive numerical approximations of the parameters in an Expectation Maximization setting. Furthermore we introduce a non-parametric estimation of the EM algorithm for the mixture model. Finally, we present some applications to the statistical analysis of fibre composites.
This thesis is devoted to deal with the stochastic optimization problems in various situations with the aid of the Martingale method. Chapter 2 discusses the Martingale method and its applications to the basic optimization problems, which are well addressed in the literature (for example, [15], [23] and [24]). In Chapter 3, we study the problem of maximizing expected utility of real terminal wealth in the presence of an index bond. Chapter 4, which is a modification of the original research paper joint with Korn and Ewald [39], investigates an optimization problem faced by a DC pension fund manager under inflationary risk. Although the problem is addressed in the context of a pension fund, it presents a way of how to deal with the optimization problem, in the case there is a (positive) endowment. In Chapter 5, we turn to a situation where the additional income, other than the income from returns on investment, is gained by supplying labor. Chapter 6 concerns a situation where the market considered is incomplete. A trick of completing an incomplete market is presented there. The general theory which supports the discussion followed is summarized in the first chapter.
Estimation and Portfolio Optimization with Expert Opinions in Discrete-time Financial Markets
(2021)
In this thesis, we mainly discuss the problem of parameter estimation and
portfolio optimization with partial information in discrete-time. In the portfolio optimization problem, we specifically aim at maximizing the utility of
terminal wealth. We focus on the logarithmic and power utility functions. We consider expert opinions as another observation in addition to stock returns to improve estimation of drift and volatility parameters at different times and for the purpose of asset optimization.
In the first part, we assume that the drift term has a fixed distribution, and
the volatility term is constant. We use the Kalman filter to combine the two
types of observations. Moreover, we discuss how to transform this problem
into a non-linear problem of Gaussian noise when the expert opinion is uniformly distributed. The generalized Kalman filter is used to estimate the parameters in this problem.
In the second part, we assume that drift and volatility of asset returns are both driven by a Markov chain. We mainly use the change-of-measure technique to estimate various values required by the EM algorithm. In addition,
we focus on different ways to combine the two observations, expert opinions and asset returns. First, we use the linear combination method. At the same time, we discuss how to use a logistic regression model to quantify expert
opinions. Second, we consider that expert opinions follow a mixed Dirichlet distribution. Under this assumption, we use another probability measure to
estimate the unnormalized filters, needed for the EM algorithm.
In the third part, we assume that expert opinions follow a mixed Dirichlet distribution and focus on how we can obtain approximate optimal portfolio
strategies in different observation settings. We claim the approximate strategies from the dynamic programming equations in different settings and analyze the dependence on the discretization step. Finally we compute different
observation settings in a simulation study.
In this thesis, a new concept to prove Mosco convergence of gradient-type Dirichlet forms within the \(L^2\)-framework of K.~Kuwae and T.~Shioya for varying reference measures is developed.
The goal is, to impose as little additional conditions as possible on the sequence of reference measure \({(\mu_N)}_{N\in \mathbb N}\), apart from weak convergence of measures.
Our approach combines the method of Finite Elements from numerical analysis with the topic of Mosco convergence.
We tackle the problem first on a finite-dimensional substructure of the \(L^2\)-framework, which is induced by finitely many basis functions on the state space \(\mathbb R^d\).
These are shifted and rescaled versions of the archetype tent function \(\chi^{(d)}\).
For \(d=1\) the archetype tent function is given by
\[\chi^{(1)}(x):=\big((-x+1)\land(x+1)\big)\lor 0,\quad x\in\mathbb R.\]
For \(d\geq 2\) we define a natural generalization of \(\chi^{(1)}\) as
\[\chi^{(d)}(x):=\Big(\min_{i,j\in\{1,\dots,d\}}\big(\big\{1+x_i-x_j,1+x_i,1-x_i\big\}\big)\Big)_+,\quad x\in\mathbb R^d.\]
Our strategy to obtain Mosco convergence of
\(\mathcal E^N(u,v)=\int_{\mathbb R^d}\langle\nabla u,\nabla v\rangle_\text{euc}d\mu_N\) towards \(\mathcal E(u,v)=\int_{\mathbb R^d}\langle\nabla u,\nabla v\rangle_\text{euc}d\mu\) for \(N\to\infty\)
involves as a preliminary step to restrict those bilinear forms to arguments \(u,v\) from the vector space spanned by the finite family \(\{\chi^{(d)}(\frac{\,\cdot\,}{r}-\alpha)\) \(|\alpha\in Z\}\) for
a finite index set \(Z\subset\mathbb Z^d\) and a scaling parameter \(r\in(0,\infty)\).
In a diagonal procedure, we consider a zero-sequence of scaling parameters and a sequence of index sets exhausting \(\mathbb Z^d\).
The original problem of Mosco convergence, \(\mathcal E^N\) towards \(\mathcal E\) w.r.t.~arguments \(u,v\) form the respective minimal closed form domains extending the pre-domain \(C_b^1(\mathbb R^d)\), can be solved
by such a diagonal procedure if we ask for some additional conditions on the Radon-Nikodym derivatives \(\rho_N(x)=\frac{d\mu_N(x)}{d x}\), \(N\in\mathbb N\). The essential requirement reads
\[\frac{1}{(2r)^d}\int_{[-r,r]^d}|\rho_N(x)- \rho_N(x+y)|d y \quad \overset{r\to 0}{\longrightarrow} \quad 0 \quad \text{in } L^1(d x),\,
\text{uniformly in } N\in\mathbb N.\]
As an intermediate step towards a setting with an infinite-dimensional state space, we let $E$ be a Suslin space and analyse the Mosco convergence of
\(\mathcal E^N(u,v)=\int_E\int_{\mathbb R^d}\langle\nabla_x u(z,x),\nabla_x v(z,x)\rangle_\text{euc}d\mu_N(z,x)\) with reference measure \(\mu_N\) on \(E\times\mathbb R^d\) for \(N\in\mathbb N\).
The form \(\mathcal E^N\) can be seen as a superposition of gradient-type forms on \(\mathbb R^d\).
Subsequently, we derive an abstract result on Mosco convergence for classical gradient-type Dirichlet forms
\(\mathcal E^N(u,v)=\int_E\langle \nabla u,\nabla v\rangle_Hd\mu_N\) with reference measure \(\mu_N\) on a Suslin space $E$ and a tangential Hilbert space \(H\subseteq E\).
The preceding analysis of superposed gradient-type forms can be used on the component forms \(\mathcal E^{N}_k\), which provide the decomposition
\(\mathcal E^{N}=\sum_k\mathcal E^{N}_k\). The index of the component \(k\) runs over a suitable orthonormal basis of admissible elements in \(H\).
For the asymptotic form \(\mathcal E\) and its component forms \(\mathcal E^k\), we have to assume \(D(\mathcal E)=\bigcap_kD(\mathcal E^k)\) regarding their domains, which is equivalent to the Markov uniqueness of \(\mathcal E\).
The abstract results are tested on an example from statistical mechanics.
Under a scaling limit, tightness of the family of laws for a microscopic dynamical stochastic interface model over \((0,1)^d\) is shown and its asymptotic Dirichlet form identified.
The considered model is based on a sequence of weakly converging Gaussian measures \({(\mu_N)}_{N\in\mathbb N}\) on \(L^2((0,1)^d)\), which are
perturbed by a class of physically relevant non-log-concave densities.
The thesis at hand deals with the numerical solution of multiscale problems arising in the modeling of processes in fluid and thermo dynamics. Many of these processes, governed by partial differential equations, are relevant in engineering, geoscience, and environmental studies. More precisely, this thesis discusses the efficient numerical computation of effective macroscopic thermal conductivity tensors of high-contrast composite materials. The term "high-contrast" refers to large variations in the conductivities of the constituents of the composite. Additionally, this thesis deals with the numerical solution of Brinkman's equations. This system of equations adequately models viscous flows in (highly) permeable media. It was introduced by Brinkman in 1947 to reduce the deviations between the measurements for flows in such media and the predictions according to Darcy's model.
In the first part of the thesis we develop the theory of standard bases in free modules over (localized) polynomial rings. Given that linear equations are solvable in the coefficients of the polynomials, we introduce an algorithm to compute standard bases with respect to arbitrary (module) monomial orderings. Moreover, we take special care to principal ideal rings, allowing zero divisors. For these rings we design modified algorithms which are new and much faster than the general ones. These algorithms were motivated by current limitations in formal verification of microelectronic System-on-Chip designs. We show that our novel approach using computational algebra is able to overcome these limitations in important classes of applications coming from industrial challenges.
The second part is based on research in collaboration with Jason Morton, Bernd Sturmfels and Anne Shiu. We devise a general method to describe and compute a certain class of rank tests motivated by statistics. The class of rank tests may loosely be described as being based on computing the number of linear extensions to given partial orders. In order to apply these tests to actual data we developed two algorithms and used our implementations to apply the methodology to gene expression data created at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research. The dataset is concerned with the development of the vertebra. Our rankings proved valuable to the biologists.
Model uncertainty is a challenge that is inherent in many applications of mathematical models in various areas, for instance in mathematical finance and stochastic control. Optimization procedures in general take place under a particular model. This model, however, might be misspecified due to statistical estimation errors and incomplete information. In that sense, any specified model must be understood as an approximation of the unknown "true" model. Difficulties arise since a strategy which is optimal under the approximating model might perform rather bad in the true model. A natural way to deal with model uncertainty is to consider worst-case optimization.
The optimization problems that we are interested in are utility maximization problems in continuous-time financial markets. It is well known that drift parameters in such markets are notoriously difficult to estimate. To obtain strategies that are robust with respect to a possible misspecification of the drift we consider a worst-case utility maximization problem with ellipsoidal uncertainty sets for the drift parameter and with a constraint on the strategies that prevents a pure bond investment.
By a dual approach we derive an explicit representation of the optimal strategy and prove a minimax theorem. This enables us to show that the optimal strategy converges to a generalized uniform diversification strategy as uncertainty increases.
To come up with a reasonable uncertainty set, investors can use filtering techniques to estimate the drift of asset returns based on return observations as well as external sources of information, so-called expert opinions. In a Black-Scholes type financial market with a Gaussian drift process we investigate the asymptotic behavior of the filter as the frequency of expert opinions tends to infinity. We derive limit theorems stating that the information obtained from observing the discrete-time expert opinions is asymptotically the same as that from observing a certain diffusion process which can be interpreted as a continuous-time expert. Our convergence results carry over to convergence of the value function in a portfolio optimization problem with logarithmic utility.
Lastly, we use our observations about how expert opinions improve drift estimates for our robust utility maximization problem. We show that our duality approach carries over to a financial market with non-constant drift and time-dependence in the uncertainty set. A time-dependent uncertainty set can then be defined based on a generic filter. We apply this to various investor filtrations and investigate which effect expert opinions have on the robust strategies.
In this dissertation we consider complex, projective hypersurfaces with many isolated singularities. The leading questions concern the maximal number of prescribed singularities of such hypersurfaces in a given linear system, and geometric properties of the equisingular stratum. In the first part a systematic introduction to the theory of equianalytic families of hypersurfaces is given. Furthermore, the patchworking method for constructing hypersurfaces with singularities of prescribed types is described. In the second part we present new existence results for hypersurfaces with many singularities. Using the patchworking method, we show asymptotically proper results for hypersurfaces in P^n with singularities of corank less than two. In the case of simple singularities, the results are even asymptotically optimal. These statements improve all previous general existence results for hypersurfaces with these singularities. Moreover, the results are also transferred to hypersurfaces defined over the real numbers. The last part of the dissertation deals with the Castelnuovo function for studying the cohomology of ideal sheaves of zero-dimensional schemes. Parts of the theory of this function for schemes in P^2 are generalized to the case of schemes on general surfaces in P^3. As an application we show an H^1-vanishing theorem for such schemes.
In this thesis we present a new method for nonlinear frequency response analysis of mechanical vibrations.
For an efficient spatial discretization of nonlinear partial differential equations of continuum mechanics we employ the concept of isogeometric analysis. Isogeometric finite element methods have already been shown to possess advantages over classical finite element discretizations in terms of exact geometry representation and higher accuracy of numerical approximations using spline functions.
For computing nonlinear frequency response to periodic external excitations, we rely on the well-established harmonic balance method. It expands the solution of the nonlinear ordinary differential equation system resulting from spatial discretization as a truncated Fourier series in the frequency domain.
A fundamental aspect for enabling large-scale and industrial application of the method is model order reduction of the spatial discretization of the equation of motion. Therefore we propose the utilization of a modal projection method enhanced with modal derivatives, providing second-order information. We investigate the concept of modal derivatives theoretically and using computational examples we demonstrate the applicability and accuracy of the reduction method for nonlinear static computations and vibration analysis.
Furthermore, we extend nonlinear vibration analysis to incompressible elasticity using isogeometric mixed finite element methods.
This thesis consists of two parts, i.e. the theoretical background of (R)ABSDE including basic theorems, theoretical proofs and properties (Chapter 2-4), as well as numerical algorithms and simulations for (R)ABSDES (Chapter 5). For the theoretical part, we study ABSDEs (Chapter 2), RABSDEs with one obstacle (Chapter 3)and RABSDEs with two obstacles (Chapter 4) in the defaultable setting respectively, including the existence and uniqueness theorems, applications, the comparison theorem for ABSDEs, their relations with PDEs and stochastic differential delay equations (SDDE). The numerical algorithm part (Chapter 5) introduces two main algorithms, a discrete penalization scheme and a discrete reflected scheme based on a random walk approximation of the Brownian motion as well as a discrete approximation of the default martingale; we give the convergence results of the algorithms, provide a numerical example and an application in American game options in order to illustrate the performance of the algorithms.