The fundamental problem of approximation theory is to resolve a possibly complicated function, called the target function, by simpler, easier to compute functions called approximants. Increasing the resolution of the target function can generally only be achieved by increasing the complexity of the approximants. The understanding of this trade-off between resolution and complexity is the main goal of approximation theory, a classical subject that goes back to the early results on Taylor's and Fourier's expansions of a function.

Modern problems in approximation, driven by applications in biology, medicine, and engineering, are being formulated in very high dimensions, which brings to the fore new phenomena. One aspect of the high-dimensional regime is a focus on sparse signals, motivated by the fact that many real world signals can be well approximated by sparse ones. The goal of compressed sensing is to reconstruct such signals from their incomplete linear information. Another aspect... (more)

The workshop is devoted to the following problem of fundamental importance throughout science and engineering: how to approximate, integrate, or optimize multivariate functions.

The breakthroughs demanded by high dimensional problems may be at hand. Good methods of approximation arise as solutions of optimization problems over certain function classes that are now well understood in small and modesty large dimensions.

In high dimensions, the appropriate models involve sparse representations, which give rise to issues in nonlinear approximation methods such as greedy approximation. High dimensional optimization problems become intractable to solve exactly, but substantial gains in efficiency can be made by allowing for a small probability of failure (probabilistic recovery guarantees), and by seeking approximate solutions (up to a pre-specified threshold) rather than exact solutions. The contemporary requirements of numerical analysis connect approximation, optimization, and... (more)

Discrepancy theory deals with the problem of distributing points uniformly over some geometric object and evaluating the inevitably arising errors. The theory was ignited by such famous early results as Herman Weyl's equidistribution theorem and Klaus Roth's theorem on the irregularities of point distributions.

The subject has now grown into a broad field with deep connections tomany areas such as number theory, combinatorics, approximation theory, harmonic analysis, and probability theory, in particular empirical and Gaussian processes. The computational aspects of the subject include searching for well-distributed sets and numerical integration rules. Despite years of research, many fundamental questions, especially in high dimensions, remain wide open, although several important advances have been achieved recently.

The participants of this workshop will share a wide range of views on topics related to discrepancy with an eye towards the recent developments in the subject. The... (more)

Harmonic analysis provides the mathematical backbone for modern signal and image processing. It also constitutes an important part of the foundation several scientific and engineering areas, including communication theory, control science, fluid dynamics, and electromagnetics, that underpin a much broader set of current applications. Although computer implementation of concepts from harmonic analysis is prevalent, relatively little attention is given to computational and numerical aspects of the discipline in its own literature. Further, many of the most capable young mathematicians working in this area have only modest exposure to the roles of such crucial computational considerations as finite data effects; e.g., How much error is introduced by truncating this infinite-series representation of a function in terms of a frame, and where will it be manifested?

On the other hand, new tools and ideas have entered the mainstream of harmonic analysis in recent years that have not yet... (more)

Harmonic analysis provides the mathematical backbone for modern signal and image processing. It also constitutes an important part of the foundation several scientific and engineering areas, including communication theory, control science, fluid dynamics, and electromagnetics, that underpin a much broader set of current applications. Although computer implementation of concepts from harmonic analysis is prevalent, relatively little attention is given to computational and numerical aspects of the discipline in its own literature. Further, many of the most capable young mathematicians working in this area have only modest exposure to the roles of such crucial computational considerations as finite data effects; e.g., How much error is introduced by truncating this infinite-series representation of a function in terms of a frame, and where will it be manifested?

On the other hand, new tools and ideas have entered the mainstream of harmonic analysis in recent years that have not yet... (more)