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Actuarial ScienceProbability·Captain: WillR

Actuarial Mathematics XLIII: DB Commutation and Maximum Pension Commencement Lump SumTextbook

Motivation

A defined benefit pension commencement lump sum cannot generally be determined by multiplying the pre-commutation pension by a cash conversion factor without considering the remaining pension. HMRC's Pensions Tax Manual PTM063240 (https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/pensions-tax-manual/ptm063240) establishes the applicable amount for a DB arrangement and gives a simplified exact solution 20fg/(20+3f) when the pension is partially surrendered at commutation factor f. PTM063230 (https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/pensions-tax-manual/ptm063230) identifies other statutory allowance restrictions. This mission formalises the HMRC arithmetic under explicit assumptions, and then extends the model to separate pension tranche reductions rather than pretending all pensions must use a single commutation factor.

Setting

Let g denote the annual pension before commutation, L the pension commencement cash and f the cash paid per pound of annual pension surrendered. The remaining annual pension is P_B=g−L/f. For the simplified DB arrangement with no disqualifying pension credit and no other relevant linked lump sum, the statutory test becomes 3L≤20P_B. Solving this with f>0 gives the maximum applicable cash L_max=20fg/(20+3f). A real value A can represent an externally determined available allowance, giving the capped amount min(L_max,A). For a collection of tranches, annual reduction x(i) and individual cash factor f(i) generate cash contributions f(i)x(i). The residual annual pension is the sum of P(i)−x(i).

Formalization targets

The following declarations are original derived results, not direct quotations of numbered textbook or statutory theorems. Exact hypotheses and corner cases are fixed by the formal Lean statements.

Fundamental boundary

The named result ActuarialValuation.dbCommutedPension_zero_cash captures the relevant actuarial relationship. Original derived theorem for UK DB pension valuation. If no pension is commuted, the original annual DB pension remains unchanged. In the published mission the exact Lean binders and all positivity conditions determine the actuarial model. This proposition is a new derived finite or real-algebraic statement and is not asserted to be a numbered theorem in a pension statute.

L=0⟹PB=gL=0\Longrightarrow P_B=gL=0⟹PB​=g

Intermediate valuation relation

The named result ActuarialValuation.dbCappedPCLS_le_max captures the relevant actuarial relationship. Original derived theorem for UK DB pension valuation. The allowance cap cannot increase cash above the base applicable amount. In the published mission the exact Lean binders and all positivity conditions determine the actuarial model. This proposition is a new derived finite or real-algebraic statement and is not asserted to be a numbered theorem in a pension statute.

Lcap≤Lmax⁡L_{\rm cap}\le L_{\max}Lcap​≤Lmax​

Main actuarial capstone

The named result ActuarialValuation.dbPCLSMaximum_fundamental captures the relevant actuarial relationship. Original derived theorem for UK DB pension valuation. The capstone proves the attained basic HMRC cash limit, verifies the allowance-limited cash remains admissible, and retains a nonnegative pension tax headroom. In the published mission the exact Lean binders and all positivity conditions determine the actuarial model. This proposition is a new derived finite or real-algebraic statement and is not asserted to be a numbered theorem in a pension statute.

H(Lmax⁡)=0,0≤Lcap≤min⁡(Lmax⁡,A),H(Lcap)≥0H(L_{\max})=0,\quad0\le L_{\rm cap}\le\min(L_{\max},A),\quad H(L_{\rm cap})\ge0H(Lmax​)=0,0≤Lcap​≤min(Lmax​,A),H(Lcap​)≥0

Additional supporting theorems establish cancellations, finite-sum identities, positivity and uniqueness. In all cases the generated formal theorem type rather than an informal diagram is authoritative.

Significance

The equations are financially useful because the HMRC basic limit depends on the annual pension remaining after cash has been commuted. Using the original pension instead of P_B would overstate the permitted amount. HMRC PTM063240 (https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/pensions-tax-manual/ptm063240) gives the explicit formula and examples, while PTM063230 (https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/pensions-tax-manual/ptm063230) explains the allowance components of the permitted maximum. The formal result provides a check of cash amount, pension reduction, binding constraint and residual HMRC headroom. Separate tranche cash and residual pension definitions are appropriate when benefit tranches have different commutation factors and noncommutable components. They will support more advanced finite optimisation and pension rights constraints.

Difficulty

Cross multiplication and the residual pension test require f strictly positive. Without this, division by f does not correspond to a legal pension surrender and reversed inequality steps are possible. The formula L_max is required to attain zero HMRC headroom in the simplified case, and every lower nonnegative cash amount must satisfy the same basic maximum relation. Allowance caps must themselves be nonnegative to preserve a nonnegative paid amount. An actual arrangement can also have disqualifying pension credits, other linked lump sums, protected rights, scheme minimum pensions or a finite available lump sum and death benefit allowance. The reduced mathematics must not be misrepresented as covering these cases automatically.

Formalization scope

The Lean model uses exact real arithmetic for the single-factor formula and finite sums for the separate-tranche amounts. It proves basic nonnegativity, monetary identities, headroom monotonicity, the cash upper bound and an allowance-capped admissible solution. Noncommutable GMP and scheme-specific rules are deliberately outside this first formal capstone, with reductions of zero available as an abstract representation of such tranches. The external allowance input does not calculate a member's statutory tax allowances. This limits the formal claims to the HMRC simplified applicable-amount formula, while providing separate tranche arithmetic that a subsequent mission can enrich with survivor minimums, GMP guarantees and more involved cash waterfalls.

Existing actuarial valuation theory gives the financial identities motivating these new formal obligations, but the exact original Lean declarations have no accepted proofs yet. The proposed capstone is nontrivial because arbitrary benefit dates, positivity hypotheses and boundary cases cannot be excluded or replaced with a degenerate zero-cashflow special case. The algebraic components are reusable in future UK scheme valuation and administration missions. For source interpretation, a valuation basis means the explicit package assumptions and a benefit constraint means a scheme-specific rule, not an implicit mathematical axiom.

The pinned Mathlib revision is 0df444a360eaa60ab8c11dca51a86af692955474. All source declarations use targeted imports, with no unrelated namespace opening. An authoring compilation with open sorry targets checks source elaboration but does not prove a mathematical statement. The full actuarial benefit schedule may require further scheme-specific data beyond this theorem graph.

Selected references

  • HM Revenue & Customs, Pensions Tax Manual PTM063240, defined-benefit PCLS applicable amount, updated (2026). https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/pensions-tax-manual/ptm063240
  • HM Revenue & Customs, Pensions Tax Manual PTM063230, available allowances, updated (2026). https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/pensions-tax-manual/ptm063230
  • Dickson, Hardy and Waters, Actuarial Mathematics for Life Contingent Risks (2009). https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511800146
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Actuarial ScienceProbability·Captain: WillR

Actuarial Mathematics XLI: Separate Tranche Retirement Factors and DB Cashflow ValuesTextbook

Motivation

Defined benefit pension schemes may contain multiple legally different benefit tranches. Their pension increases, retirement ages, survivor benefits, guarantees and death-in-deferment provisions need not be identical. Applying one arithmetic average factor to a total pension would ignore differences in complete present value. The controlled UK DB Retirement Factors Mathematical Framework (2026, Chapter 18, equations 58–60) specifies a separately derived factor for each tranche, and treats a shared factor only when scheme provisions actually permit it. Dickson, Hardy and Waters (2009, Pension mathematics, Chapter 9, https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511800146) explain pension cashflows and service-table valuation. This mission defines formal monetary equivalence for every tranche separately, retaining each actuarial package.

Setting

Take a finite number n of pension tranches. For each index i, P(i) denotes accrued annual pension measured in pounds per year, A(i) the complete early-date immediate retirement package value in annuity years, and D(i) the alternative normal-retirement comparator in the same units. Each package can itself be the sum of discounted expected payments at tranche-specific dates. The individual factor f(i)=D(i)/A(i) is applied only to the original pension in tranche i, giving R(i)=P(i)f(i). Its immediate monetary value is R(i)A(i). Total retirement pension and total actuarial liability must be formed by summing their respective tranche contributions. The model never substitutes a pension-only average factor.

Formalization targets

The following declarations are original derived results, not direct quotations of numbered textbook or statutory theorems. Exact hypotheses and corner cases are fixed by the formal Lean statements.

Fundamental boundary

The named result ActuarialValuation.trancheAnnuityLedgerValue_zero captures the relevant actuarial relationship. Original derived theorem for UK DB pension valuation. A tranche with no ledger payment dates has zero immediate package value. In the published mission the exact Lean binders and all positivity conditions determine the actuarial model. This proposition is a new derived finite or real-algebraic statement and is not asserted to be a numbered theorem in a pension statute.

Ai(0)=0A_i(0)=0Ai​(0)=0

Intermediate valuation relation

The named result ActuarialValuation.trancheSchemePension_zero captures the relevant actuarial relationship. Original derived theorem for UK DB pension valuation. No tranches means no payable scheme pension. In the published mission the exact Lean binders and all positivity conditions determine the actuarial model. This proposition is a new derived finite or real-algebraic statement and is not asserted to be a numbered theorem in a pension statute.

Ptotal(0)=0P_{\rm total}(0)=0Ptotal​(0)=0

Main actuarial capstone

The named result ActuarialValuation.separateTrancheFactors_fundamental captures the relevant actuarial relationship. Original derived theorem for UK DB pension valuation. The capstone asserts per-tranche and aggregate monetary equivalence simultaneously, without computing or applying a common averaged factor. In the published mission the exact Lean binders and all positivity conditions determine the actuarial model. This proposition is a new derived finite or real-algebraic statement and is not asserted to be a numbered theorem in a pension statute.

(∀i<n: PifiAi=PiDi)∧Vadjusted=Vcomparator(\forall i<n:\ P_if_iA_i=P_iD_i)\land V_{\rm adjusted}=V_{\rm comparator}(∀i<n: Pi​fi​Ai​=Pi​Di​)∧Vadjusted​=Vcomparator​

Additional supporting theorems establish cancellations, finite-sum identities, positivity and uniqueness. In all cases the generated formal theorem type rather than an informal diagram is authoritative.

Significance

Tranche-specific monetary valuation is crucial for pension administration, where two pensions with identical nominal amounts may carry different spouse percentages, indexation and normal retirement dates. The actuarial cost of each unit of pension can consequently vary, and the conditions for equivalence differ. Dickson, Hardy and Waters, pension mathematics (2009, https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511800146), provides the standard actuarial valuation background, while the UK retirement-factor framework 5.3.0 demonstrates the particular multi-tranche application. The resulting identity is useful in migration audits, administering benefit rectifications, reconciling aggregate valuation, and checking that rounding or source ordering has not silently changed benefit values. Separate original benefit rights remain authoritative.

Difficulty

The denominator A(i) must not vanish when cancelling the value ratio. In particular, the real-number convention that division by zero has a defined total Lean value does not make its ordinary actuarial quotient meaningful. Even when total monetary values happen to match, separate per-tranche equality cannot be inferred without additional assumptions. The formal task must retain all individual tranche indices and not count a benefit twice. Zero pension tranches, empty pension schedules and appending another tranche are meaningful cases, rather than mathematical errors. Every unit package must be valued on its own scheme-rule basis, including its relevant discount and contingent cashflows.

Formalization scope

The declarations use exact real arithmetic and finite sums. In particular, the discount, survival, pension increases, guarantee and survivor entitlement details may be assembled into each package ledger as inputs. Their stochastic derivation is an additional task and not silently asserted by a generic real-valued annuity factor. The central identity is P(i)f(i)A(i)=P(i)D(i), and the whole scheme result sums these monetary equivalence equations over finite tranches. The derived calculation remains exact before administration rounding, with no common average factor theorem and no claim that all tranches have the same normal retirement age. It is a reusable base for more detailed pension option missions.

Existing actuarial valuation theory gives the financial identities motivating these new formal obligations, but the exact original Lean declarations have no accepted proofs yet. The proposed capstone is nontrivial because arbitrary benefit dates, positivity hypotheses and boundary cases cannot be excluded or replaced with a degenerate zero-cashflow special case. The algebraic components are reusable in future UK scheme valuation and administration missions. For source interpretation, a valuation basis means the explicit package assumptions and a benefit constraint means a scheme-specific rule, not an implicit mathematical axiom.

The pinned Mathlib revision is 0df444a360eaa60ab8c11dca51a86af692955474. All source declarations use targeted imports, with no unrelated namespace opening. An authoring compilation with open sorry targets checks source elaboration but does not prove a mathematical statement. The full actuarial benefit schedule may require further scheme-specific data beyond this theorem graph.

Selected references

  • Dickson, Hardy and Waters, Actuarial Mathematics for Life Contingent Risks, Cambridge University Press (2009). https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511800146
  • UK DB Retirement Factors Project, Mathematical Framework v5.3.0, controlled pension valuation manuscript (2026). Background: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511800146
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Actuarial ScienceProbability·Captain: WillR

Actuarial Mathematics XLII: Early and Late Retirement Actuarial EquivalenceTextbook

Motivation

Retiring earlier changes the number of pension payments and may introduce payments before normal retirement age. Retiring later removes some payments but may entitle the member to an uplift and missed increases. A defensible actuarial equivalence calculation compares complete benefit packages, including contingent benefits, at the same valuation date. The UK DB Retirement Factors Mathematical Framework 5.3.0 (2026, Chapters 8 to 11) explicitly treats early and late benefit routes, guaranteed periods, pension increases and pre-commencement death. Dickson, Hardy and Waters (2009, Chapter 9, https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511800146) provide independent actuarial pension valuation background. This mission first formalises a carefully delimited factor-independent death-benefit model and retains explicit differences between pure and total late-retirement factors.

Setting

For early retirement, A_E is the immediate retirement package, D_E the normal retirement comparator, and F_E=D_E/A_E the unrounded reduction factor. The comparator may contain a death-before-retirement component plus survival-to-normal-age probability p times an appropriate discount v and normal pension annuity A_N. For late retirement N is the value of the benefit package at normal retirement, D the value of death benefits payable while commencement is postponed, and A_L the immediate package at the late date. The positive multiplier m represents pension increases that would otherwise have accrued while in payment. The pure LRF F_L solves N=D+pvm A_L F_L. The total pension multiplier M_L=mF_L includes both late uplift and missed increases.

Formalization targets

The following declarations are original derived results, not direct quotations of numbered textbook or statutory theorems. Exact hypotheses and corner cases are fixed by the formal Lean statements.

Fundamental boundary

The named result ActuarialValuation.pensionEarlyComparator_nonneg captures the relevant actuarial relationship. Original derived theorem for UK DB pension valuation. Nonnegative disjoint death and surviving deferred-annuity route values yield a nonnegative comparator. In the published mission the exact Lean binders and all positivity conditions determine the actuarial model. This proposition is a new derived finite or real-algebraic statement and is not asserted to be a numbered theorem in a pension statute.

DE≥0D_E\ge0DE​≥0

Intermediate valuation relation

The named result ActuarialValuation.pensionLatePureFactor_nonneg captures the relevant actuarial relationship. Original derived theorem for UK DB pension valuation. The net value available for deferred pension is nonnegative once factor-independent death costs are deducted. In the published mission the exact Lean binders and all positivity conditions determine the actuarial model. This proposition is a new derived finite or real-algebraic statement and is not asserted to be a numbered theorem in a pension statute.

N≥D, pvmA>0⟹FL≥0N\ge D,\ pv m A>0\Longrightarrow F_L\ge0N≥D, pvmA>0⟹FL​≥0

Main actuarial capstone

The named result ActuarialValuation.pensionRetirementEquivalence_fundamental captures the relevant actuarial relationship. Original derived theorem for UK DB pension valuation. The capstone validates both early and late monetary equivalence and proves that the pure factor and total missed-increase multiplier represent the same late pension liability. In the published mission the exact Lean binders and all positivity conditions determine the actuarial model. This proposition is a new derived finite or real-algebraic statement and is not asserted to be a numbered theorem in a pension statute.

FEAE=DE,D+pv mALFL=N,D+pvALML=NF_E A_E=D_E,\quad D+pv\,m A_LF_L=N,\quad D+pv A_L M_L=NFE​AE​=DE​,D+pvmAL​FL​=N,D+pvAL​ML​=N

Additional supporting theorems establish cancellations, finite-sum identities, positivity and uniqueness. In all cases the generated formal theorem type rather than an informal diagram is authoritative.

Significance

The distinction prevents a common implementation error: treating the total missed-increase pension multiplier as the pure actuarial LRF and then applying increases a second time. The financial basis and cashflow boundaries must be stated before taking an algebraic ratio. The UK retirement factor methodology v5.3.0 details the pension ledger and explicitly separates pure and total late multipliers. Pension mathematics and contingent annuities in Dickson, Hardy and Waters (2009, https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511800146) explain the broader framework. The resulting small formal theorem can be combined with exact-dated benefit ledgers and numerical models to test early and late valuation reconciliation before rounding. That reuse is important when individual tranches have different dates and benefit conditions.

Difficulty

Both ratio definitions need nonzero annuity packages or survival-weighted denominators. If normal survival probability is zero, a late pension cannot compensate financially in the ordinary quotient model, and Lean division must not hide that failure. The death benefit during late postponement is assumed independent of the eventual pure factor, an explicit limitation. Factor-dependent death benefits require solving a different potentially nonlinear root equation; simply dividing a fixed numerator would be wrong. Increases accrued while waiting are distinct from in-payment increases already present in A_L. All route components are valued at a common date, and different death and survival outcomes are treated as disjoint events.

Formalization scope

The theorem graph establishes early comparator positivity, factor existence and uniqueness, and exact equivalence when an annuity denominator is nonzero. It separately proves late pension value and uniqueness under the corresponding nonzero survival-discount-increase-annuity product. The capstone reconciles the early option and the two equivalent late expressions: using the pure late factor and using the total multiplier mF_L. The underlying cashflow package values are abstract real inputs, which enables later missions to supply actual discounted mortality-weighted schedules. The current restricted identity does not claim to model every dependant, guarantee, calendar increase or factor-linked death benefit. Scheme-specific cashflow rights remain controlling.

Existing actuarial valuation theory gives the financial identities motivating these new formal obligations, but the exact original Lean declarations have no accepted proofs yet. The proposed capstone is nontrivial because arbitrary benefit dates, positivity hypotheses and boundary cases cannot be excluded or replaced with a degenerate zero-cashflow special case. The algebraic components are reusable in future UK scheme valuation and administration missions. For source interpretation, a valuation basis means the explicit package assumptions and a benefit constraint means a scheme-specific rule, not an implicit mathematical axiom.

The pinned Mathlib revision is 0df444a360eaa60ab8c11dca51a86af692955474. All source declarations use targeted imports, with no unrelated namespace opening. An authoring compilation with open sorry targets checks source elaboration but does not prove a mathematical statement. The full actuarial benefit schedule may require further scheme-specific data beyond this theorem graph.

Selected references

  • Dickson, Hardy and Waters, Actuarial Mathematics for Life Contingent Risks, Cambridge University Press (2009). https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511800146
  • UK DB Retirement Factors Project, Mathematical Framework v5.3.0, controlled retirement factors manuscript (2026). Background: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511800146
19 thms1 active userReviewed
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Algebraic TopologyCategory TheoryGeometry & Topology+1·Captain: Alien60

Weatherall 2016: Potentials vs. Field Strengths on a Finite 2-ComplexResearch Paper

Motivation

Philosophers of physics ask when a formulation of a theory carries excess structure: mathematical distinctions between models that make no physical difference. The standard example is electromagnetism written with a vector potential AAA. Potentials that differ by a gauge transformation A↦A+dλA \mapsto A + d\lambdaA↦A+dλ have the same field strength F=dAF = dAF=dA, and on the usual view they represent the same physical situation.

Weatherall (2016) made this precise with category theory. Each formulation becomes a category of models, and a translation between formulations becomes a functor. A functor that is faithful and essentially surjective but not full forgets structure. One that is full and faithful but not essentially surjective forgets properties. One that is full and essentially surjective but not faithful forgets stuff. Weatherall's Proposition 1 says the functor A↦dAA \mapsto dAA↦dA from potentials to field strengths forgets only structure, provided the arrows between potentials are spacetime symmetries that preserve AAA. His Proposition 2 says the principal-bundle formulation, whose arrows include gauge transformations, forgets nothing. His footnote 15 notes that adding gauge transformations as arrows between potentials yields a category equivalent to that of field strengths (Weatherall, arXiv:1411.5757).

These arguments work on Minkowski space, which is contractible. Weatherall's footnote 9 sets topology aside for that reason. The follow-up literature, for example Nguyen, Teh and Wells (2018), compares these and related functors further. This mission states the comparison exactly on a finite cell complex, where topology cannot be set aside. Each of the three ways a functor can forget information then corresponds to one cohomology group.

Setting

A finite oriented 2-complex XXX has nVn_VnV​ vertices, nEn_EnE​ edges and nPn_PnP​ faces, together with integer incidence numbers ∂1(e,v)\partial_1(e,v)∂1​(e,v) and ∂2(p,e)\partial_2(p,e)∂2​(p,e) satisfying ∑e∂2(p,e) ∂1(e,v)=0\sum_e \partial_2(p,e)\,\partial_1(e,v) = 0∑e​∂2​(p,e)∂1​(e,v)=0 for every face ppp and vertex vvv. Nothing beyond this identity is required, so the incidence data need not come from a geometric complex; all results hold for any such integer data. Fix an additive commutative group KKK of coefficients, for example Z\mathbb{Z}Z, R\mathbb{R}R, or Z/n\mathbb{Z}/nZ/n as a discrete stand-in for U(1)U(1)U(1). The cochains are C0=KVC^0 = K^{V}C0=KV (gauge parameters λ\lambdaλ), C1=KEC^1 = K^{E}C1=KE (potentials AAA) and C2=KPC^2 = K^{P}C2=KP (field strengths FFF). The coboundaries are

(δ0λ)(e)=∑v∂1(e,v) λ(v),(δ1A)(p)=∑e∂2(p,e) A(e),(\delta^0\lambda)(e) = \sum_v \partial_1(e,v)\,\lambda(v), \qquad (\delta^1 A)(p) = \sum_e \partial_2(p,e)\,A(e),(δ0λ)(e)=v∑​∂1​(e,v)λ(v),(δ1A)(p)=e∑​∂2​(p,e)A(e),

and δ1δ0=0\delta^1\delta^0 = 0δ1δ0=0.

There are three categories, with spacetime symmetries taken to be trivial:

  • Fld\mathsf{Fld}Fld (Weatherall's EM1): its objects are the 2-cochains FFF, and its only arrows are identities.
  • Pot0\mathsf{Pot}_0Pot0​ (Weatherall's EM2): its objects are the 1-cochains AAA, and its only arrows are identities.
  • PotG\mathsf{Pot}_GPotG​ (potentials with gauge arrows): its objects are the 1-cochains AAA. An arrow A→A′A \to A'A→A′ is a gauge parameter λ∈C0\lambda \in C^0λ∈C0 with A+δ0λ=A′A + \delta^0\lambda = A'A+δ0λ=A′, and composition adds the parameters. Arrows are the parameters λ\lambdaλ themselves, so two parameters differing by an element of ker⁡δ0\ker\delta^0kerδ0 (e.g. a constant) are distinct arrows, just as distinct vertical automorphisms are distinct arrows in Weatherall's bundle category EM3. This is the category of his footnote 15.

The field-strength functors Pot0→Fld\mathsf{Pot}_0 \to \mathsf{Fld}Pot0​→Fld and PotG→Fld\mathsf{Pot}_G \to \mathsf{Fld}PotG​→Fld send A↦δ1AA \mapsto \delta^1 AA↦δ1A. In the second functor every gauge arrow goes to an identity.

Cohomology vanishing is stated elementarily:

  • H0=0H^0 = 0H0=0 means δ0λ=0⇒λ=0\delta^0\lambda = 0 \Rightarrow \lambda = 0δ0λ=0⇒λ=0.
  • H1=0H^1 = 0H1=0 means every AAA with δ1A=0\delta^1 A = 0δ1A=0 equals δ0λ\delta^0\lambdaδ0λ for some λ\lambdaλ.
  • H2=0H^2 = 0H2=0 means every FFF equals δ1A\delta^1 Aδ1A for some AAA.

Formalization targets

Goal: the cohomological classification

For every finite 2-complex XXX and coefficient group KKK, the functor PotG→Fld\mathsf{Pot}_G \to \mathsf{Fld}PotG​→Fld satisfies

faithful  ⟺  H0=0,full  ⟺  H1=0,essentially surjective  ⟺  H2=0.\text{faithful} \iff H^0 = 0,\qquad \text{full} \iff H^1 = 0,\qquad \text{essentially surjective} \iff H^2 = 0.faithful⟺H0=0,full⟺H1=0,essentially surjective⟺H2=0.

Milestones

  1. Proposition 1 analogue. If some δ0λ≠0\delta^0\lambda \neq 0δ0λ=0, then Pot0→Fld\mathsf{Pot}_0 \to \mathsf{Fld}Pot0​→Fld is faithful and not full, and it is essentially surjective iff H2=0H^2 = 0H2=0.
  2. Faithful iff H0=0H^0 = 0H0=0.
  3. Full iff H1=0H^1 = 0H1=0.
  4. Essentially surjective iff H2=0H^2 = 0H2=0.
  5. Aharonov–Bohm. On the triangle boundary circle3 with Z\mathbb{Z}Z coefficients, the potential equal to 111 on one edge has the same field strength as 000. No gauge arrow connects the two, so the functor is not full.
  6. Forgetting only stuff. On the filled triangle with Z\mathbb{Z}Z coefficients, the functor is full and essentially surjective but not faithful.

Significance

The result. The classification turns a qualitative philosophical diagnostic into a cohomological criterion.

  • Structure: Weatherall's "forgets structure" verdict for potentials without gauge arrows is the statement that ker⁡δ1≠0\ker\delta^1 \neq 0kerδ1=0.
  • Topology: once gauge arrows are added, whether any structure is still forgotten is exactly the question whether H1≠0H^1 \neq 0H1=0. A nonzero H1H^1H1 is the Aharonov–Bohm situation, in which potentials with equal field strength differ by a gauge-invariant holonomy.
  • Stuff: the clause faithful  ⟺  H0=0\text{faithful} \iff H^0 = 0faithful⟺H0=0 shows that on a geometric complex (every edge has boundary head minus tail) with at least one vertex and K≠0K \neq 0K=0, constant gauge parameters are non-identity automorphisms that the functor sends to identities. The functor therefore forgets stuff. This contrasts with the faithfulness clause of Weatherall's Proposition 2 for the bundle formulation, where the analogous constant vertical automorphisms are the subtle case.

Formalizing it. No machine-checked version of the theories-as-categories programme for gauge theory is known to the author of this mission. This mission is the base case of a planned discrete gauge-functor development: non-abelian groups, nontrivial symmetry groups, and holonomy-based equivalences.

Difficulty

The mathematics is elementary once stated. The work is in making the categorical notions line up with the cochain conditions. Three points need care:

  • In a discrete category, an isomorphism is an equality.
  • Fullness must be tested against arrows between arbitrary pairs of potentials, not only potentials with zero field strength.
  • Faithfulness concerns parallel gauge arrows, which differ exactly by elements of ker⁡δ0\ker\delta^0kerδ0.

The concrete milestones require computations on explicit complexes, including a gauge-invariant obstruction for the Aharonov–Bohm example.

Formalization scope

  • Complexes. Cells are indexed by Fin types, and the incidence numbers are integer-valued. The complex is finite but may be empty in any dimension.
  • Coefficients. KKK is any AddCommGroup, and integers act on it by zsmul.
  • Categories. Fld and Pot0 are Mathlib Discrete categories. PotG carries a hand-written Category instance whose arrows are the structure GaugeHom.
  • Functor properties. Fullness, faithfulness and essential surjectivity are Mathlib's Functor.Full, Functor.Faithful and Functor.EssSurj.
  • Symmetries. Spacetime symmetries are fixed to be trivial, so the results compare categories of potentials and fields over a fixed complex.
  • Non-triviality. The cohomology conditions are explicit Props about the coboundaries, so none of them is a definition that makes a target hold trivially. The hypothesis of Milestone 1 excludes the degenerate case δ0=0\delta^0 = 0δ0=0, in which that functor is full.
  • Infrastructure. The cochain API (delta0, delta1, δ1δ0=0\delta^1\delta^0 = 0δ1δ0=0) is proved in the definitions file and is reusable for discrete gauge theory and toric-code missions.

Selected references

  • J. O. Weatherall, "Understanding Gauge", Philosophy of Science 83 (2016) 1039–1049. arXiv:1505.02229, doi:10.1086/687936
  • J. O. Weatherall, "Are Newtonian Gravitation and Geometrized Newtonian Gravitation Theoretically Equivalent?". arXiv:1411.5757
  • J. Nguyen, N. J. Teh, L. Wells, "Why surplus structure is not superfluous", British Journal for the Philosophy of Science 71 (2020). arXiv:1712.01228
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Actuarial ScienceProbability·Captain: WillR

Actuarial Mathematics XL: Exposure-Dependent Bühlmann–Straub CredibilityTextbook

Motivation

The Bühlmann–Straub credibility method allocates weight to individual observed claims experience according to total exposure and variability. It balances the expected value of process variance EPV with the variance of hypothetical means VHM. More exposure raises the statistical information carried by the policyholder's observed rate and should weakly improve the resulting optimal linear prediction error. The established credibility formula and its interpretation are developed in Loss Data Analytics (https://openacttexts.github.io/LDAVer2/ChapCredibility.html). The new mission formalises how these exact deterministic weight and risk formulae change with exposure.

Setting

Let P be a nonnegative real representing total risk exposure. EPV is strictly positive, while VHM is nonnegative and may equal zero for a homogeneous risk class. The credibility factor Z(P) is P times VHM divided by the sum of P times VHM and EPV. A credibility premium combines the policyholder's experience rate with the collective mean using weights Z(P) and 1-Z(P). A normalised optimal quadratic prediction error is EPV times VHM over the same positive denominator. A scaled quadratic expression captures the trade-off between random process noise and between-risk heterogeneity.

Formalization targets

The formal targets progress from structural boundary identities to financial sensitivity and the full capstone. Supporting theorems remain genuine Open declarations until accepted Lean proofs are submitted; no previously accepted proof is silently assumed.

Boundary identity

The exact theorem name is ActuarialValuation.exposureCredibilityWeight_zero. Without any exposure, the experience credibility weight must be zero, provided the process variance is strictly positive.

EPV>0⟹Z(0)=0\mathrm{EPV}>0\Longrightarrow Z(0)=0EPV>0⟹Z(0)=0

Structural intermediate target

The exact theorem name is ActuarialValuation.exposureCredibilityPremium_between. As the credibility weight lies in the unit interval, a lower observed claim rate produces a premium bounded by the observed and collective rates.

xˉ≤μ⟹xˉ≤μ^(P)≤μ\bar x\le\mu\Longrightarrow \bar x\le\widehat\mu(P)\le\muxˉ≤μ⟹xˉ≤μ​(P)≤μ

Main capstone

The exact theorem name is ActuarialValuation.exposureCredibilityAccuracy_fundamental. The capstone reconciles exposure-driven increases in credibility with the monotone decline of minimum expected squared error, including the zero heterogeneity boundary.

Z(P1)≤Z(P2),G(P1,P2)≥0,Rmin⁡(P2)≤Rmin⁡(P1)Z(P_1)\le Z(P_2),\quad G(P_1,P_2)\ge0,\quad R_{\min}(P_2)\le R_{\min}(P_1)Z(P1​)≤Z(P2​),G(P1​,P2​)≥0,Rmin​(P2​)≤Rmin​(P1​)

The graph also contains separately stated supporting inequalities and exact definitions, with the intended original derived mathematical identity written out in every milestone.

Significance

Experience-rating systems can be checked for sensible monotonicity when an additional policy year or risk exposure enters the rating base. Larger exposure should not decrease the weight assigned to otherwise unchanged policy experience and should not increase the theoretically optimal error. The classical structure of Bühlmann credibility and its use of EPV and VHM are described by Loss Data Analytics (https://openacttexts.github.io/LDAVer2/ChapCredibility.html). These precise algebraic statements are reusable for downstream weighted risk models, rating systems and numerical sensitivity checks.

Difficulty

Credibility is a rational function whose denominator could vanish under an invalid zero-process-variance model. The hypotheses impose strictly positive EPV and retain zero VHM as a legitimate boundary. Monotonicity is therefore weak, not strict, since a homogeneous portfolio provides no justification for relying more on experience. Comparisons between two exposures must use the same structural parameters, otherwise a change of class could reverse the effect. The theorem relating quadratic risk and the credibility weight is a genuine completing-square identity, while the mission does not assert that an arbitrary Bayesian posterior has linear form.

Formalization scope

Lean uses exact real arithmetic for exposure, EPV, VHM, premium and risk formulae. The finite statistical model is reduced to its deterministic structural-parameter consequences; estimation of the parameters and robustness of individual claims are outside the scope. The theorem graph begins with positivity and zero-exposure boundaries, continues through weight and premium identities, and ends with a conjunction linking increasing credibility to decreasing minimal prediction error. The mathematical framework is known, but the newly stated Lean specialisations have to be proved and exclude vacuous denominator cases.

The pinned Mathlib revision and the precise Lean type of each definition or proposition are authoritative. The imported source must use targeted Mathlib modules; one large aggregate compiler check never substitutes for testing individual definition imports and obsolete namespace openings. The source-specific intermediate statements separate units and hypotheses. The finite index always counts claims, scenarios, or observations according to the declaration, not an implicit probability measure. In an insurance pricing setting the difference between a gross loss, a ceded payment, a net premium and a credibility risk estimate is financially important. A positive coefficient does not by itself imply the coefficients sum to one. Likewise a deterministic algebraic identity does not grant stochastic independence or a forecast model. These restrictions preserve the distinction between a purely algebraic result and a probabilistic interpretation. The formal theorem declarations have to maintain exactly the same quantifiers, arithmetic operations and endpoint conventions as the descriptions, including meaningful boundary cases. Future extensions can introduce richer distributions and dependence without altering the precise finite identities established here.

Selected references

  • S. David Promislow, Fundamentals of Actuarial Mathematics, third edition, Wiley, 2015, printed page 489. https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/fundamentals-of-actuarial/9781118782521/

  • Frees and colleagues, Loss Data Analytics: Experience Rating Using Credibility Theory, 2024. https://openacttexts.github.io/LDAVer2/ChapCredibility.html

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Actuarial ScienceProbability·Captain: WillR

Actuarial Mathematics XXXIX: Stop-Loss Premium Convexity and Retention SensitivityTextbook

Motivation

The stop-loss transform is the expected value of the positive excess of a claim above an attachment, an important building block of actuarial risk ordering. Increasing retention should never increase an otherwise unchanged pure reinsurance premium. A second useful criterion is that the decrease in price should not exceed the increase in retention, once scenario probabilities are normalised. Insurance mathematics describes stop-loss premiums as decreasing functions of the deductible (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/4958878_The_Concept_of_Comonotonicity_in_Actuarial_Science_And_Finance_Theory). This mission additionally identifies their convexity in retention and develops finite verification targets for the exact bound.

Setting

A real loss X(s), a real attachment d and a real scenario weight w(s) determine a positive excess payment max(X(s)-d,0). The pure stop-loss premium at d is the weighted finite sum across s in the range from zero through bound B. Scenario weights are nonnegative for premium-order and convexity theorems. Their finite total W may be arbitrary, while W=1 expresses a genuine probability distribution and yields a sharp unit Lipschitz constant. Two attachments a and b can be combined by d(theta)=(1-theta)a+theta b, with interpolation weight theta between zero and one.

Formalization targets

The formal targets progress from structural boundary identities to financial sensitivity and the full capstone. Supporting theorems remain genuine Open declarations until accepted Lean proofs are submitted; no previously accepted proof is silently assumed.

Boundary identity

The exact theorem name is ActuarialValuation.retentionExcessPositive_nonneg. An excess loss payment cannot be negative even for signed real inputs, since the positive part is the maximum against zero.

(x−d)+≥0(x-d)_+\ge0(x−d)+​≥0

Structural intermediate target

The exact theorem name is ActuarialValuation.retentionStopLossPremium_zero_weight. With no scenario mass, a finite net premium is zero regardless of loss amounts and attachment.

ws≡0⟹Π(d)=0w_s\equiv0\Longrightarrow\Pi(d)=0ws​≡0⟹Π(d)=0

Main capstone

The exact theorem name is ActuarialValuation.retentionStopLossSensitivity_fundamental. The capstone states the three structural constraints on an actuarially valid premium curve, including convex interpolation, when finite scenario weights are normalized.

0≤Π(a)−Π(b)≤b−a,Π(dθ)≤(1−θ)Π(a)+θΠ(b)0\le\Pi(a)-\Pi(b)\le b-a,\qquad\Pi(d_\theta)\le(1-\theta)\Pi(a)+\theta\Pi(b)0≤Π(a)−Π(b)≤b−a,Π(dθ​)≤(1−θ)Π(a)+θΠ(b)

The graph also contains separately stated supporting inequalities and exact definitions, with the intended original derived mathematical identity written out in every milestone.

Significance

These conditions provide powerful reasonableness checks for treaty pricing functions. An actuary can diagnose a premium that rises with retention, or an implausibly large fall inconsistent with maximum ceded-payment change, before relying on a stochastic model. The classical stop-loss transform is extensively studied in insurance finance (https://www.researchgate.net/publication/4958878_The_Concept_of_Comonotonicity_in_Actuarial_Science_And_Finance_Theory). The reusable finite inequalities connect claim severity, scenario weights and contract terms, and can support downstream optimisation, layered reinsurance sensitivity and refinement of discrete tail distributions.

Difficulty

The positive part is a maximum of two affine functions, which is convex but not differentiable when the claim equals the retention. The finite theorem must not assume every claim is above a or b: a distribution can straddle both attachment points. The premium derivative is not required, since pointwise algebraic inequalities suffice to justify convex interpolation and monotone order. The mass-dependent Lipschitz bound becomes one only when total mass is one, so probability normalisation must be stated. Claim severity need not be nonnegative for the algebraic result, while weights must be nonnegative for order preservation.

Formalization scope

The Lean representation uses real numbers for claim severities, deductibles, masses and convex interpolation. Finite scenarios are represented by natural indices and Finset.range. Positive excess is a maximum of two real numbers. All inequalities are original derived finite specialisations of well-known stop-loss facts, with explicit mathematical types and numerical boundary conventions. The formalisation intentionally excludes continuous distributions, derivatives, infinite-dimensional weak convergence and loaded commercial premium assumptions. The main goal is nontrivial because it demands the general weighted convexity and Lipschitz properties for an arbitrary finite loss table.

The pinned Mathlib revision and the precise Lean type of each definition or proposition are authoritative. The imported source must use targeted Mathlib modules; one large aggregate compiler check never substitutes for testing individual definition imports and obsolete namespace openings. The source-specific intermediate statements separate units and hypotheses. The finite index always counts claims, scenarios, or observations according to the declaration, not an implicit probability measure. In an insurance pricing setting the difference between a gross loss, a ceded payment, a net premium and a credibility risk estimate is financially important. A positive coefficient does not by itself imply the coefficients sum to one. Likewise a deterministic algebraic identity does not grant stochastic independence or a forecast model. These restrictions preserve the distinction between a purely algebraic result and a probabilistic interpretation. The formal theorem declarations have to maintain exactly the same quantifiers, arithmetic operations and endpoint conventions as the descriptions, including meaningful boundary cases. Future extensions can introduce richer distributions and dependence without altering the precise finite identities established here.

Selected references

  • S. David Promislow, Fundamentals of Actuarial Mathematics, third edition, Wiley, 2015, printed page 409. https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/fundamentals-of-actuarial/9781118782521/

  • Denuit and colleagues, The Concept of Comonotonicity in Actuarial Science and Finance: Theory, 2002. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/4958878_The_Concept_of_Comonotonicity_in_Actuarial_Science_And_Finance_Theory

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Appendix E — Randomized AC0 Sampling of Regular Languages and Markov ChainsResearch Paper

Motivation

Sampling an entire finite-state execution is a different computational task from recognizing a supplied word. A membership circuit must answer correctly on its given input. A sampler instead chooses the input together with its associated output, while preserving their joint distribution. This distinction is relevant when finite-state models describe allowable executions and when parallel generation should avoid a sequential pass through every transition. The source paper establishes constant-depth sampling results for regular languages and finite Markov chains in Appendix E (Zhang et al., 2026).

The mission concerns that appendix's finite-state sampling results. It formalizes all six numbered results E.1–E.6, together with the seed bounds stated in the surrounding text. Each milestone points to a published theorem with a separately checked proof. The objects to sample are complete words, word–acceptance pairs, and complete state trajectories. Sampling only the final state would lose the joint temporal information required by the targets.

Finite-state models and fair-bit circuits

A binary deterministic finite automaton has finitely many states, a designated start state, a transition for each state and bit, and a set of accepting states. Starting from its initial state, a binary word of length nnn determines a run. Let LLL be the set of words whose final state is accepting. Put Ln=L∩{0,1}nL_n=L\cap\{0,1\}^nLn​=L∩{0,1}n. An arbitrary such automaton represents an arbitrary binary regular language, with no assumption that membership belongs to AC0\mathrm{AC}^0AC0.

A finite Markov chain consists of a nonempty finite state set QQQ, an initial probability vector μ\muμ, and a row-stochastic transition matrix PPP. Entries are nonnegative real numbers, not restricted to rational numbers. For γ=(x0,…,xn)\gamma=(x_0,\ldots,x_n)γ=(x0​,…,xn​), its probability is pM(γ)=μ(x0)∏i=1nP(xi−1,xi)p_M(\gamma)=\mu(x_0)\prod_{i=1}^{n}P(x_{i-1},x_i)pM​(γ)=μ(x0​)∏i=1n​P(xi−1​,xi​). The distribution of all n+1n+1n+1 states is denoted Pathn(M)\mathrm{Path}_n(M)Pathn​(M). For F⊆QF\subseteq QF⊆Q, conditioning is allowed when the probability that Xn∈FX_n\in FXn​∈F is positive.

A randomized AC0\mathrm{AC}^0AC0 sampler is a deterministic Boolean circuit supplied with independent, unbiased random bits. AND and OR gates have unbounded fan-in; NOT gates and Boolean constants are permitted. Its size is polynomial and its depth has a constant bound independent of trajectory length. Approximate families are nonuniform in both nnn and their real error tolerance ϵ\epsilonϵ: existence does not require efficiently computing circuit descriptions or numerical tables from a supplied transition matrix.

Formalization targets

The main goal is the conjunction of all results E.1–E.6, including the linear seed guarantee for E.5. This organizational theorem is not an additional numbered result attributed to the paper. All six milestones must be proved for the goal to hold. The exact Markov sampling criterion in Theorem E.5 is one component. A nonnegative real number is dyadic if it equals a/2ka/2^ka/2k for natural numbers a,ka,ka,k, including zero. A chain is path-dyadic when every finite trajectory, including a trajectory of length zero, has a dyadic probability. The target is

Pathn(M) has an exact randomized AC0 sampler family⟺∀n≥0  ∀γ∈Qn+1, pM(γ) is dyadic.\mathrm{Path}_n(M)\text{ has an exact randomized }\mathrm{AC}^0\text{ sampler family} \quad\Longleftrightarrow\quad \forall n\geq0\;\forall\gamma\in Q^{n+1},\ p_M(\gamma)\text{ is dyadic}.Pathn​(M) has an exact randomized AC0 sampler family⟺∀n≥0∀γ∈Qn+1, pM​(γ) is dyadic.

On the left, the family has polynomial size in n+1n+1n+1 and depth bounded independently of nnn. A supporting target records the linear fair-bit budget OM(n+1)O_M(n+1)OM​(n+1) when path-dyadicity holds. Lemma E.4 supplies another target: every path-dyadic chain is the coordinatewise projection of a finite chain whose initial and transition probabilities are all dyadic. Path-dyadicity must not be replaced by the stronger requirement that the original transition matrix itself be dyadic (Appendix E.3).

Theorem E.1 concerns exact sampling of a uniformly random word together with its acceptance indicator:

(X,1[X∈L]),X∼Unif⁡({0,1}n).(X,\mathbf 1[X\in L]),\qquad X\sim\operatorname{Unif}(\{0,1\}^n).(X,1[X∈L]),X∼Unif({0,1}n).

The sampler uses exactly nnn fair bits, polynomial size, and depth depending only on the fixed automaton. This is a sampling assertion and does not assert that membership can be computed in constant depth on an arbitrary externally supplied word.

Theorem E.2 concerns the uniform law on nonempty LnL_nLn​. For every 0<ϵ≤1/20<\epsilon\leq1/20<ϵ≤1/2, the target is

dTV(Qn,ϵ,Unif⁡(Ln))≤ϵ,rn,ϵ≤n+CLlog⁡2(1/ϵ).d_{\mathrm{TV}}(Q_{n,\epsilon},\operatorname{Unif}(L_n))\leq\epsilon, \qquad r_{n,\epsilon}\leq n+C_L\log_2(1/\epsilon).dTV​(Qn,ϵ​,Unif(Ln​))≤ϵ,rn,ϵ​≤n+CL​log2​(1/ϵ).

Every possible output is accepted. Size is polynomial in n+1n+1n+1 and 1/ϵ1/\epsilon1/ϵ, and depth depends only on the fixed language or its automaton. In particular, the leading coefficient of the nnn term in the random-bit bound is one (Appendix E.2).

Theorem E.6 is the corresponding approximate target for trajectories conditioned on Xn∈FX_n\in FXn​∈F. It requires total variation error at most ϵ\epsilonϵ, only positive-probability outputs ending in FFF, OM(n+log⁡(1/ϵ))O_M(n+\log(1/\epsilon))OM​(n+log(1/ϵ)) fair bits, polynomial size in n+1n+1n+1 and 1/ϵ1/\epsilon1/ϵ, and depth depending only on the chain. There is no lower bound on the conditioning probability beyond strict positivity (Appendix E.4).

Lemma E.3 supplies the exact representation used in the Markov construction. A transition-dyadic chain is represented by one binary DFA and a fixed state projection. On a uniform input of length v+nsv+nsv+ns, with positive constants v,sv,sv,s, the states observed after v,v+s,…,v+nsv,v+s,\ldots,v+nsv,v+s,…,v+ns bits project to exactly the complete trajectory law of the chain. The same DFA and projection work for every length, including zero.

Significance of the targets

These results separate sampling an input together with its finite-state behavior from computing that behavior on a prescribed input. They also identify a precise obstruction to exact sampling with a finite fair-bit seed: each output probability must be dyadic. Approximate sampling allows arbitrary real transition probabilities while retaining the valid trajectory support. The complete trajectory requirement preserves correlations among all time coordinates.

The formalization makes the circuit model, seed accounting, support guarantees and asymptotic quantifiers explicit and reusable. The theorem statements and their separately submitted proofs have passed the platform verifier. The goal proof imports all six milestones; its E.5 milestone in turn imports both the equivalence and the linear seed theorem. Thus the platform dependency graph covers the entire appendix. Platform verification establishes the formal statements; semantic correspondence is documented in the statement descriptions and source references.

Difficulty

A literal step-by-step implementation of a run makes circuit depth grow with nnn, so it does not meet the constant-depth target. Recognition results alone do not furnish the required joint sampler. For approximate word sampling, an error estimate alone is insufficient: the output must remain in the accepted support, and the coefficient-one seed bound must also hold. For exact Markov sampling, unreachable states and non-dyadic individual transitions prevent identifying the desired criterion with entrywise dyadicity. Conditioning on a rare terminal event must not introduce an unstated dependence on its probability.

Formalization scope

States are indexed by finite types Fin(q)\mathrm{Fin}(q)Fin(q). Binary words have type Fin(n)→Bool\mathrm{Fin}(n)\to\mathrm{Bool}Fin(n)→Bool; trajectories have n+1n+1n+1 coordinates. Markov vectors and matrices are real-valued and carry normalization and nonnegativity proofs. Sampling probabilities are defined by counting all seeds that give a particular encoded outcome and dividing by 2r2^r2r. Total variation is half the finite sum of absolute probability differences.

The circuit representation is an explicit topologically ordered gate list with checked wire references. Size counts input bits, gates, gate-input wires and output wires; this yields the usual polynomial-size class. State trajectories use a fixed one-hot encoding at each time coordinate. The invalid-output predicate is checked over every seed, so neither arbitrary decoders nor unrepresented outcomes can satisfy an exact or support-preserving claim. The encodings used by the targets are injective. The circuit family is existentially quantified after the fixed finite-state model; the depth and polynomial constants precede nnn and ϵ\epsilonϵ.

Zero-length words and zero-transition Markov paths are included. The word target excludes empty accepted slices. The conditioned target excludes zero-probability conditioning events. Definitions of division by zero still exist as total Lean functions, but the hypotheses exclude those cases from approximate claims. Extensions of these results, reusable finite-state probability lemmas, and further circuit constructions are welcome. No sampler-existence axiom, vacuous model or final-state-only replacement is part of the interface.

Selected references

  • Jiarui Zhang, Chengwei Liang, Haozhe Jiang, Binhang Yuan and Jingzhao Zhang. Revision Provably Reduces Sequential Computation in Diffusion Language Models. Zenodo preprint, 2026. DOI 10.5281/zenodo.23105365, Appendix E, Theorems E.1, E.2, E.5, E.6 and Lemmas E.3, E.4, printed pages 33–36.
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Actuarial Mathematics XXXVIII: Aggregate versus Per-Claim DeductiblesTextbook

Motivation

Per-occurrence excess and aggregate excess have different financial triggers. One aggregate deductible applies once to the sum of claims, while a per-risk retention is charged against each loss. Combining many small claims may exhaust an aggregate deductible without producing a payment under any separate per-claim policy. HMRC explains how non-proportional reinsurance differs across individual risks and catastrophe or aggregate protections (https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/general-insurance-manual/gim8060). The valuation question is how the ceded amounts and their pure expected costs are ordered when otherwise identical annual experience and deductibles are used.

Setting

The individual claims x(i), their finite number n, and the deductible d are natural-number monetary quantities. Gross aggregate loss S(n) is the sum of the first n claims. Aggregate recovery is positive excess of S(n) above d; separate per-claim recovery is the sum of each claim's positive excess over d. Finite scenario weights w(s) are real. A scenario maps to an entire loss sequence, and its total claim portfolio is evaluated consistently under both treaty designs. Weighted claims are aggregated for indices from zero to a finite bound B, allowing the scenario count itself to be zero or the probability weights to lack normalisation.

Formalization targets

The formal targets progress from structural boundary identities to financial sensitivity and the full capstone. Supporting theorems remain genuine Open declarations until accepted Lean proofs are submitted; no previously accepted proof is silently assumed.

Boundary identity

The exact theorem name is ActuarialValuation.aggregateLossTotal_zero. An empty collection of claims has zero gross claims and therefore defines the base case for deductible comparisons.

S0=0S_0=0S0​=0

Structural intermediate target

The exact theorem name is ActuarialValuation.aggregateDeductibleCeded_zero_attachment. With attachment zero, the aggregate excess treaty covers every unit of gross annual claims.

Cagg(0)=SnC_{\mathrm{agg}}(0)=S_nCagg​(0)=Sn​

Main capstone

The exact theorem name is ActuarialValuation.aggregateVsPerClaim_fundamental. The capstone joins the nontrivial pointwise reinsurance coverage inequality to the same ordering of expected pure premiums, without conflating a whole-year treaty with a per-claim deductible.

Cindividual≤Cagg,0≤Πagg,Πindividual≤ΠaggC_{\mathrm{individual}}\le C_{\mathrm{agg}},\quad0\le\Pi_{\mathrm{agg}},\quad\Pi_{\mathrm{individual}}\le\Pi_{\mathrm{agg}}Cindividual​≤Cagg​,0≤Πagg​,Πindividual​≤Πagg​

The graph also contains separately stated supporting inequalities and exact definitions, with the intended original derived mathematical identity written out in every milestone.

Significance

The comparison can diagnose material pricing errors, since an aggregate deductible and a per-risk deductible with the same quoted monetary value should not normally have the same technical premium. HMRC's treatment of non-proportional reinsurance (https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/general-insurance-manual/gim8060) makes this distinction a contractual reality. The formal theorem is useful for ceded reserve reconciliation, claims-data audit, treaty design, and future models including several occurrence covers within a separate annual limit. In each case exact mathematical relationships are more valuable than approximate simulation agreement.

Difficulty

The algebra of positive-part natural subtraction differs from ordinary subtraction over integers or real values. The aggregate deductible is taken once, whereas the per-event premium subtracts the same amount separately from each positive claim. The theorem is a weak inequality and must remain valid even when every event is below the separate retention but the aggregate exceeds the annual attachment. The model explicitly includes zero claims, zero deductible, empty portfolios and nonnegative scenario weights. Signed weights would make the expectation order invalid and are not silently permitted in that result.

Formalization scope

Lean treats all claim amounts, event counts, attachment values and scenario bounds as natural numbers. Real numbers occur only in the finite expected ceded amounts. Each individual-claim sum uses Finset.range and the pure premium is a further finite sum over scenarios. This is an exact deterministic relationship between two reinsurance structures rather than an assumption of independence or identical event distributions. No catastrophe frequency model, claims adjustment expenses or risk load is included. The established contractual idea motivates original derived finite relations, and the formal statements remain open until proved.

The pinned Mathlib revision and the precise Lean type of each definition or proposition are authoritative. The imported source must use targeted Mathlib modules; one large aggregate compiler check never substitutes for testing individual definition imports and obsolete namespace openings. The source-specific intermediate statements separate units and hypotheses. The finite index always counts claims, scenarios, or observations according to the declaration, not an implicit probability measure. In an insurance pricing setting the difference between a gross loss, a ceded payment, a net premium and a credibility risk estimate is financially important. A positive coefficient does not by itself imply the coefficients sum to one. Likewise a deterministic algebraic identity does not grant stochastic independence or a forecast model. These restrictions preserve the distinction between a purely algebraic result and a probabilistic interpretation. The formal theorem declarations have to maintain exactly the same quantifiers, arithmetic operations and endpoint conventions as the descriptions, including meaningful boundary cases. Future extensions can introduce richer distributions and dependence without altering the precise finite identities established here.

Selected references

  • S. David Promislow, Fundamentals of Actuarial Mathematics, third edition, Wiley, 2015, printed page 389. https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/fundamentals-of-actuarial/9781118782521/

  • HM Revenue & Customs, General Insurance Manual: Non-proportional reinsurance, GOV.UK, 2023. https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/general-insurance-manual/gim8060

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Actuarial Mathematics XX: Finite-Horizon Hattendorff Reserve-Loss VarianceTextbook

Motivation

Hattendorff's theorem allocates the variance of an insurer's life-contingent loss to policy years. In a fully discrete life insurance model, each policy year's contribution depends on the discounted net amount at risk, the probability of dying in that year, and the conditional probability of surviving the year. Shiu and Xiong (1) derive the classical loss-at-issue formula and the corresponding discrete Hattendorff variance through reserve identities and a summation-by-parts argument. Gerber [2, §6.7] discusses the actuarial allocation of total loss to individual policy years.

The related Missions XVI and XIX address two complementary parts of that argument. XVI specifies death/survival masses for a finite lifetime distribution and proposes proofs of centred annual mortality innovations, cross-year orthogonality and variance. XIX describes a pathwise, year-by-year accounting identity expressing insurer loss, including the terminal reserve, as the opening reserve plus discounted mortality innovations. The present mission is the mathematical bridge combining these structures.

It targets the full finite-horizon reserve-loss expectation and variance theorem under consistent conditional mortality probabilities and the annual prospective reserve recurrence. Unlike a purely algebraic zero-covariance lemma, the mortality model supplies the orthogonality. Unlike a standalone cashflow telescoping lemma, the result calculates the variance of the insurer's actual policy loss.

Setting

Fix a finite scenario space Ω\OmegaΩ, with nonnegative probabilities wωw_\omegawω​ summing to one, and a curtate future lifetime K:Ω→NK:\Omega\to\mathbb NK:Ω→N. An insured with K(ω)=tK(\omega)=tK(ω)=t dies during policy year ttt.

Define the in-force and death-year probability masses

St=∑ω∈Ωwω1{K(ω)≥t},Dt=∑ω∈Ωwω1{K(ω)=t}.S_t=\sum_{\omega\in\Omega}w_\omega\mathbf1_{\{K(\omega)\ge t\}}, \qquad D_t=\sum_{\omega\in\Omega}w_\omega\mathbf1_{\{K(\omega)=t\}}.St​=ω∈Ω∑​wω​1{K(ω)≥t}​,Dt​=ω∈Ω∑​wω​1{K(ω)=t}​.

The disjoint survival/death partition gives St=Dt+St+1S_t=D_t+S_{t+1}St​=Dt​+St+1​. For each year covered by the policy valuation horizon, assume positive in-force mass, St>0S_t>0St​>0, so that the conditional death and survival rates are well-defined:

qt=DtSt,pt=St+1St,qt+pt=1.q_t=\frac{D_t}{S_t}, \qquad p_t=\frac{S_{t+1}}{S_t}, \qquad q_t+p_t=1.qt​=St​Dt​​,pt​=St​St+1​​,qt​+pt​=1.

These rates are derived from one joint lifetime distribution. The annual death indicators are therefore linked across years and are not independent. The zero-covariance result must be derived from the nested survival-event structure rather than assumed.

Let nnn denote the finite number of years covered, vvv a deterministic annual discount factor, πt\pi_tπt​ the beginning-of-year premium, bt+1b_{t+1}bt+1​ the death benefit payable at time t+1t+1t+1, and VtV_tVt​ the prospective reserve at time ttt for a policy still in force.

Assume that, for each year 0≤t<n0\le t<n0≤t<n, the prospective reserve satisfies

Vt+πt=v(ptVt+1+qtbt+1).\boxed{ V_t+\pi_t=v\left(p_tV_{t+1}+q_tb_{t+1}\right). }Vt​+πt​=v(pt​Vt+1​+qt​bt+1​).​

The realised insurer loss, valued at issue, is

Ln(ω)=∑0≤t<n[vt+1bt+11{K(ω)=t}−vtπt1{K(ω)≥t}]+vnVn1{K(ω)≥n}.\begin{aligned} L_n(\omega) ={}&\sum_{0\le t<n}\left[ v^{t+1}b_{t+1}\mathbf1_{\{K(\omega)=t\}} -v^t\pi_t\mathbf1_{\{K(\omega)\ge t\}} \right]\\ &+v^nV_n\mathbf1_{\{K(\omega)\ge n\}}. \end{aligned}Ln​(ω)=​0≤t<n∑​[vt+1bt+1​1{K(ω)=t}​−vtπt​1{K(ω)≥t}​]+vnVn​1{K(ω)≥n}​.​

The terminal reserve is explicitly included if the insured survives beyond the chosen horizon. Thus L0=V0L_0=V_0L0​=V0​, a life may remain insured after year nnn, and neither V0V_0V0​ nor VnV_nVn​ is assumed zero. The original Shiu–Xiong complete-life issue-loss formula is recovered only under appropriate terminal/residual liability conditions; the present finite-horizon formula is the reserve-inclusive extension needed for a finite theorem.

Formalization targets

Mortality innovation and pointwise reserve loss

The year-ttt mortality innovation is

It(ω)=1{K(ω)=t}−qt1{K(ω)≥t}.I_t(\omega)= \mathbf1_{\{K(\omega)=t\}} -q_t\mathbf1_{\{K(\omega)\ge t\}}.It​(ω)=1{K(ω)=t}​−qt​1{K(ω)≥t}​.

The discounted net amount at risk is

ρt=vt+1(bt+1−Vt+1).\rho_t=v^{t+1}(b_{t+1}-V_{t+1}).ρt​=vt+1(bt+1​−Vt+1​).

By the annual reserve recurrence and the in-force event partition, the change in the insurer's loss across a policy year equals ρtIt\rho_tI_tρt​It​. Summing over years gives the exact pathwise representation

Ln(ω)=V0+∑0≤t<nρtIt(ω).\boxed{ L_n(\omega)=V_0+\sum_{0\le t<n}\rho_tI_t(\omega). }Ln​(ω)=V0​+0≤t<n∑​ρt​It​(ω).​

Mission XIX describes this pointwise reserve-loss identity. The present formalisation must bridge XIX's realised-death-year indicator and reserve-derived innovation to XVI's scenario-based mortality innovation. They represent the same object when the death probabilities are calculated from the same w,Kw,Kw,K model.

From the finite scenario lifetime law and St>0S_t>0St​>0, the annual innovations satisfy

Ew[It]=0,Ew[IiIj]=0(i≠j),Ew[It2]=Dtpt.\mathbb E_w[I_t]=0,\qquad \mathbb E_w[I_iI_j]=0\quad(i\ne j),\qquad \mathbb E_w[I_t^2]=D_tp_t.Ew​[It​]=0,Ew​[Ii​Ij​]=0(i=j),Ew​[It2​]=Dt​pt​.

The final factor ptp_tpt​ is the conditional one-year survival probability and is essential to the fully discrete variance formula. It must not be replaced by an assumed independence condition or omitted by importing a continuous-time formula.

Full expectation and variance capstone

Taking expectations of the pathwise identity, using ∑ωwω=1\sum_\omega{} w_\omega=1∑ω​wω​=1, yields

Ew[Ln]=V0.\boxed{\mathbb E_w[L_n]=V_0.}Ew​[Ln​]=V0​.​

The variance of an insurer loss is unaffected by adding a deterministic opening reserve when the probability weights have unit total mass. Consequently,

Var⁡w(Ln)=Var⁡w(∑0≤t<nρtIt)=∑0≤t<nρt2Ew[It2]=∑0≤t<nv2(t+1)(bt+1−Vt+1)2Dtpt.\begin{aligned} \operatorname{Var}_w(L_n) &=\operatorname{Var}_w\left(\sum_{0\le t<n}\rho_tI_t\right)\\ &=\sum_{0\le t<n}\rho_t^2\mathbb E_w[I_t^2]\\ &=\boxed{\sum_{0\le t<n}v^{2(t+1)} (b_{t+1}-V_{t+1})^2D_tp_t}. \end{aligned}Varw​(Ln​)​=Varw​(0≤t<n∑​ρt​It​)=0≤t<n∑​ρt2​Ew​[It2​]=0≤t<n∑​v2(t+1)(bt+1​−Vt+1​)2Dt​pt​​.​

The capstone combines these two results, with no unproved independence assumption. Its mathematical hypotheses explicitly include nonnegative, normalised scenario weights, positive in-force probability for every year in the range, and the one-year reserve recurrence with conditional rates computed from the given lifetime distribution.

The theorem remains valid at n=0n=0n=0: the insurer's finite-horizon loss is deterministically V0V_0V0​, and the variance sum is empty and equals zero.

The exact final theorem is ActuarialValuation.finiteHattendorffReserveLoss_fundamental. This result is nontrivial at positive horizons. The formal model does not assert independence, fix the opening reserve to zero, or substitute a deterministic insurer loss.

Significance

The annual decomposition separates valuation assumptions from stochastic fluctuations in mortality. Shiu and Xiong's classical fully discrete treatment (https://doi.org/10.1007/s13385-020-00256-9) emphasises that a survival factor remains in each annual variance contribution. Preserving this factor makes the result useful for actuarial risk allocation and for reconciling the valuation reserve with actual finite-period insurer loss.

The finite-scenario definitions are reusable in downstream insurance valuation missions, for example multiple-decrement reserves and explicit conditional mortality shock models. The result also supplies finite boundary tests for nonzero opening reserves, death exactly at the horizon, and survival beyond the final premium year.

Difficulty

Annual death events arise from the same curtate lifetime, so their indicator variables have nested dependence. Their centred innovations have vanishing cross-year covariance only under the correct conditional in-force rates and probability-weighting conventions. Incorrect denominators or an unproved independence assumption would change the result.

The pathwise identity also accounts for different timing of premiums and benefits, and includes a terminal reserve for survivors. At the last covered year a policy death and survival are disjoint, so the last benefit and terminal reserve must not both be counted. The exact Lean imports must retain the definitions and parameter order of the previously published mortality and loss modules.

Formalization scope

The Lean 4 model uses a finite scenario type with Fintype, real-valued weights, a natural-number curtate lifetime, and the published definition modules from related actuarial missions. Four new definitions and 13 Open theorem obligations form the formal graph, including 12 supporting targets before the conjunction capstone. The accepted proof status of another theorem is never inferred merely from its publication.

The result is finite horizon, finite probability space and fully discrete. The source's complete-life identity would additionally require justified limiting arguments, the disappearance (or valuation) of terminal reserves, integrability and interchange of expectation, variance and limit. None of those conditions is silently assumed here. There is no continuous-time martingale or Lévy-process result in this mission.

The classical full-life result is known mathematically, while the specific finite-horizon Lean declarations remain open proof targets. A compiler-accepted declaration with a sorry body does not establish a proof.

Selected references

  • [1] Shiu, Elias S. W. and Xiong, Xiaoyi (2021), “An elementary derivation of Hattendorff's theorem”, European Actuarial Journal, 11, pp. 319–323, equations (1)–(5). Source for the discrete variance survival factor and the reserve-based derivation.
  • [2] Gerber, Hans U. (1997), Life Insurance Mathematics, third edition, Springer, Chapter 6, §6.7, Allocation of the Overall Loss to Policy Years.
  • [3] Gerber, Hans U., Leung, Bartholomew P. K. and Shiu, Elias S. W. (2003), “Indicator Function and Hattendorff Theorem”, North American Actuarial Journal, 7(1), pp. 38–47. Relates mortality indicator functions, actuarial loss variance and orthogonal yearly increments.
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Functional Analysis·Captain: Mazecto

Abstract Fredholm Theory on Banach SpacesTextbook

Motivation

A bounded linear operator u:E→Fu : E \to Fu:E→F between Banach spaces is Fredholm if its kernel is finite-dimensional and its range is closed and of finite codimension. Its index

ind⁡u=dim⁡Ker⁡u−dim⁡Coker⁡u,Coker⁡u=F/Im⁡u,\operatorname{ind} u = \dim \operatorname{Ker} u - \dim \operatorname{Coker} u, \qquad \operatorname{Coker} u = F/\operatorname{Im} u,indu=dimKeru−dimCokeru,Cokeru=F/Imu,

is an integer that survives deformation: it does not change under small perturbations or under compact perturbations, and it is additive under composition. These properties make Fredholm operators the setting for index theorems. Elliptic differential operators on compact manifolds, Toeplitz operators, linearized Cauchy–Riemann operators in symplectic topology, and the linearizations of nonlinear Fredholm maps in transversality arguments (Sard–Smale) all rest on them. Atkinson's theorem characterizes Fredholm operators as those invertible modulo compact operators. For endomorphisms this says that the image in the Calkin algebra L(E)/K(E)\mathcal{L}(E)/\mathcal{K}(E)L(E)/K(E) is invertible.

This mission formalizes the abstract theory on Banach spaces over R\mathbb{R}R or C\mathbb{C}C, following N. Bourbaki, Théories spectrales, Chapitre III, §§ 3–5 (Springer, 2023). It builds on Mathlib's ContinuousLinearMap.IsFredholm, which already provides the definition and its equivalent descriptions on topological vector spaces. It adds the index and the results listed below.

Setting

K\mathbb{K}K is R\mathbb{R}R or C\mathbb{C}C. EEE, FFF, GGG are Banach spaces over K\mathbb{K}K, and L(E;F)\mathcal{L}(E;F)L(E;F) is the Banach space of bounded linear maps with the operator norm.

  • Fredholm operator. u∈L(E;F)u \in \mathcal{L}(E;F)u∈L(E;F) is Fredholm if Ker⁡u\operatorname{Ker} uKeru is finite-dimensional and topologically complemented, Im⁡u\operatorname{Im} uImu is closed and of finite codimension, and uuu is a strict map (it induces a homeomorphism E/Ker⁡u→Im⁡uE/\operatorname{Ker} u \to \operatorname{Im} uE/Keru→Imu). On Banach spaces this agrees with Bourbaki's Définition 1 (TS III.41): uuu has a quasi-inverse v∈L(F;E)v \in \mathcal{L}(F;E)v∈L(F;E), i.e. 1E−v∘u1_E - v\circ u1E​−v∘u and 1F−u∘v1_F - u\circ v1F​−u∘v have finite rank.
  • Index. ind⁡u=dim⁡Ker⁡u−dim⁡(F/Im⁡u)∈Z\operatorname{ind} u = \dim \operatorname{Ker} u - \dim (F/\operatorname{Im} u) \in \mathbb{Z}indu=dimKeru−dim(F/Imu)∈Z. Bourbaki (TS III.43, formula (1)) uses the opposite sign; this mission uses the sign above, which is the usual one in analysis and geometry.
  • Compact operator. h∈L(E;F)h \in \mathcal{L}(E;F)h∈L(E;F) is compact if it maps some neighbourhood of 000 into a compact set (Mathlib's IsCompactOperator).

Formalization targets

Goal: Atkinson's theorem

u∈L(E;F)u \in \mathcal{L}(E;F)u∈L(E;F) is Fredholm if and only if there is v∈L(F;E)v \in \mathcal{L}(F;E)v∈L(F;E) such that 1E−v∘u1_E - v\circ u1E​−v∘u and 1F−u∘v1_F - u\circ v1F​−u∘v are compact (Bourbaki III, §5, Corollaire 1, TS III.74).

Milestones

  1. Finite codimension gives closed range. If F/Im⁡uF/\operatorname{Im} uF/Imu is finite-dimensional, then Im⁡u\operatorname{Im} uImu is closed and uuu is strict (§3, Lemme 6, TS III.52).
  2. Fredholm criterion. uuu is Fredholm if and only if Ker⁡u\operatorname{Ker} uKeru and F/Im⁡uF/\operatorname{Im} uF/Imu are finite-dimensional (§3, Proposition 11, TS III.52).
  3. Composition. If u:E→Fu : E \to Fu:E→F and v:F→Gv : F \to Gv:F→G are Fredholm, so is v∘uv\circ uv∘u (§3, Remarque 2, TS III.41).
  4. Additivity of the index. ind⁡(v∘u)=ind⁡v+ind⁡u\operatorname{ind}(v\circ u) = \operatorname{ind} v + \operatorname{ind} uind(v∘u)=indv+indu (§3, formula (2), TS III.43).
  5. Restriction to subspaces of finite codimension. For closed subspaces E1⊂EE_1 \subset EE1​⊂E, F1⊂FF_1 \subset FF1​⊂F of finite codimension with u(E1)⊂F1u(E_1) \subset F_1u(E1​)⊂F1​, uuu is Fredholm if and only if its restriction u1:E1→F1u_1 : E_1 \to F_1u1​:E1​→F1​ is, and then ind⁡u−ind⁡u1=codim⁡E1−codim⁡F1\operatorname{ind} u - \operatorname{ind} u_1 = \operatorname{codim} E_1 - \operatorname{codim} F_1indu−indu1​=codimE1​−codimF1​ (§3, Proposition 3, TS III.44).
  6. Index zero. A Fredholm operator of index 000 that is injective or surjective is an isomorphism (§3, n° 3, TS III.44).
  7. Openness and local constancy. The Fredholm operators form an open subset of L(E;F)\mathcal{L}(E;F)L(E;F), and the index is locally constant on it (§4, Théorème 1, TS III.58).
  8. Compact perturbation, kernel side. If Ker⁡u\operatorname{Ker} uKeru is finite-dimensional, Im⁡u\operatorname{Im} uImu is closed and hhh is compact, then Ker⁡(u+h)\operatorname{Ker}(u+h)Ker(u+h) is finite-dimensional and Im⁡(u+h)\operatorname{Im}(u+h)Im(u+h) is closed (§5, Théorème 1, TS III.72).
  9. Compact perturbation, cokernel side. If Im⁡u\operatorname{Im} uImu has finite codimension and hhh is compact, then Im⁡(u+h)\operatorname{Im}(u+h)Im(u+h) is closed and of finite codimension (§5, Théorème 2, TS III.73).
  10. Compact perturbation of Fredholm operators. If uuu is Fredholm and hhh is compact, then u+hu+hu+h is Fredholm and ind⁡(u+h)=ind⁡u\operatorname{ind}(u+h) = \operatorname{ind} uind(u+h)=indu (§5, Théorème 3, TS III.73).
  11. Index-zero characterization. uuu is Fredholm of index 000 if and only if uuu is the sum of an isomorphism E→FE \to FE→F and a finite-rank operator, if and only if it is the sum of an isomorphism and a compact operator (§5, Corollaire 2, TS III.74).

Significance

The result. Atkinson's theorem identifies the Fredholm operators with the units modulo the compact ideal. Together with the stability of the index under compact and small perturbations, it is the abstract input of every Fredholm index computation. Examples are the Fredholm alternative for integral equations, the index of Toeplitz operators, and the index of elliptic and Cauchy–Riemann operators on compact or punctured surfaces.

Formalizing it. Mathlib defines Fredholm operators on topological vector spaces (ContinuousLinearMap.IsFredholm) and proves that four descriptions agree (isFredholm_tfae). It has no index, no statement about compositions, and no perturbation theory. Its documentation lists the Banach-space criterion (milestone 2) and the restriction statement (milestone 5) as not yet formalized. The library built here is intended for reuse by any later index computation.

Difficulty

The statements combine linear algebra and topology. The index is a difference of dimensions of a subspace and a quotient space, and every statement about it carries a Fredholm hypothesis, since Module.finrank is 000 on infinite-dimensional spaces. Openness and local constancy are statements about the operator-norm topology on L(E;F)\mathcal{L}(E;F)L(E;F), and the perturbation statements involve operators that are compact but not necessarily of finite rank. The completeness hypotheses are part of the statements: over incomplete normed spaces, a range of finite codimension need not be closed.

Formalization scope

  • Namespace FredholmBanach. The definition module FredholmBanach_Setting defines only index. Fredholm operators are Mathlib's ContinuousLinearMap.IsFredholm and compact operators are Mathlib's IsCompactOperator.
  • Field and spaces. [RCLike 𝕜], [NormedAddCommGroup E] [NormedSpace 𝕜 E] [CompleteSpace E], and likewise for F and G. Bourbaki states several results for locally convex or Fréchet spaces; this mission specializes all of them to Banach spaces.
  • Index. index u = finrank 𝕜 u.ker - finrank 𝕜 (F ⧸ u.range) in ℤ. Module.finrank is 000 on infinite-dimensional spaces, so index is meaningful only for Fredholm u. Every statement about it assumes u.IsFredholm.
  • Subspaces and quotients. The codimension of a subspace E1E_1E1​ is finrank 𝕜 (E ⧸ E₁), and "finite codimension" is FiniteDimensional 𝕜 (E ⧸ E₁). The restriction in milestone 5 is ContinuousLinearMap.restrict.
  • Isomorphisms are E ≃L[𝕜] F. "Finite rank" is FiniteDimensional 𝕜 (u - e).range.

Contributions welcome: reusable general-purpose lemmas about bounded and compact operators between Banach spaces.

Selected references

  • N. Bourbaki, Théories spectrales, Chapitres III à V, Springer (2023), Chapitre III, §§ 3–5. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-19505-1
  • F. V. Atkinson, The normal solubility of linear equations in normed spaces, Mat. Sb. (N.S.) 28(70):1 (1951), 3–14 (in Russian), MR0042059. https://mathnet.ru/eng/sm5589
  • T. Kato, Perturbation Theory for Linear Operators, Springer (1995 reprint of the 2nd ed.). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-66282-9
  • D. McDuff, D. Salamon, J-holomorphic Curves and Symplectic Topology, 2nd ed., AMS Colloquium Publications 52 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1090/coll/052
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Functional AnalysisHarmonic AnalysisSymplectic Geometry·Captain: Mazecto

Conley–Zehnder Index II: Asymptotic Operators on the CircleResearch Paper

Motivation

Let S:S1→R2n×2nS : S^1 \to \mathbb{R}^{2n\times 2n}S:S1→R2n×2n be a loop of symmetric matrices. The asymptotic operator

AS=−J0 ∂t−S(t)A_S = -J_0\,\partial_t - S(t)AS​=−J0​∂t​−S(t)

acts on loops S1→R2nS^1 \to \mathbb{R}^{2n}S1→R2n. It appears wherever a pseudoholomorphic curve approaches a periodic orbit. Near a puncture, a finite-energy curve in a symplectization converges to a Reeb orbit, and in a trivialization along that orbit the linearized Reeb flow is Ψ′=J0SΨ\Psi' = J_0 S \PsiΨ′=J0​SΨ. The operator ASA_SAS​ is the Hessian of the action functional at that orbit. The rate of approach and the winding of the curve around the orbit come from its eigenfunctions (Hofer–Wysocki–Zehnder 1995). In Floer theory the operator −J0∂t−S-J_0\partial_t - S−J0​∂t​−S is the Hessian of the symplectic action at a 111-periodic orbit, and the gradient-flow operator ∂s+AS(s)\partial_s + A_{S(s)}∂s​+AS(s)​ is the linearized Floer operator (Robbin–Salamon 1995).

The operator links functional analysis to the linear algebra of stage I. ASA_SAS​ is nondegenerate, i.e. 000 is not an eigenvalue, exactly when the time-one map Ψ(1)\Psi(1)Ψ(1) of the linearized flow has no eigenvalue 111. Then Ψ∣[0,1]\Psi|_{[0,1]}Ψ∣[0,1]​ lies in SP(n)\mathrm{SP}(n)SP(n) and has a Conley–Zehnder index. The Fredholm index formula for Cauchy–Riemann operators on punctured surfaces is written in terms of the Conley–Zehnder indices of the asymptotic operators at the punctures (Wendl, Lectures on SFT, Lecture 3).

This is stage II of a series that formalizes the Fredholm theory of linearized Cauchy–Riemann operators. Stage I (Conley–Zehnder Index I: Axiomatic Characterization on Paths of Symplectic Matrices) characterizes the Conley–Zehnder index on SP(n)\mathrm{SP}(n)SP(n). This stage sets up the spectral theory of asymptotic operators: the operator itself, self-adjointness, discrete spectrum, compact resolvent, and the dictionary between the kernel of ASA_SAS​ and the time-one map. Later stages are the Fredholm theory of ∂s+AS(s)\partial_s + A_{S(s)}∂s​+AS(s)​ in Banach spaces, elliptic regularity for ∂ˉ\bar\partial∂ˉ, and the index formula.

Setting

S1=R/ZS^1 = \mathbb{R}/\mathbb{Z}S1=R/Z with its Haar probability measure. R2n\mathbb{R}^{2n}R2n has coordinates (q,p)(q,p)(q,p) and the Euclidean inner product, and

J0=(0−IdId0).J_0 = \begin{pmatrix} 0 & -\mathrm{Id}\\ \mathrm{Id} & 0\end{pmatrix}.J0​=(0Id​−Id0​).

S:S1→R2n×2nS : S^1 \to \mathbb{R}^{2n\times 2n}S:S1→R2n×2n is continuous with S(t)T=S(t)S(t)^{\mathsf T} = S(t)S(t)T=S(t) for every ttt.

  • Fourier coefficients. For f∈L2(S1,R2n)f \in L^2(S^1,\mathbb{R}^{2n})f∈L2(S1,R2n) and k∈Zk \in \mathbb{Z}k∈Z, f^k=∫S1e−2πiktf(t) dt∈C2n\hat f_k = \int_{S^1} e^{-2\pi i k t} f(t)\,dt \in \mathbb{C}^{2n}f^​k​=∫S1​e−2πiktf(t)dt∈C2n.
  • Domain. W1,2(S1,R2n)W^{1,2}(S^1,\mathbb{R}^{2n})W1,2(S1,R2n) is the set of f∈L2f \in L^2f∈L2 with ∑k∈Z(1+k2) ∣f^k∣2<∞\sum_{k\in\mathbb{Z}} (1+k^2)\,|\hat f_k|^2 < \infty∑k∈Z​(1+k2)∣f^​k​∣2<∞.
  • The operator. For f∈W1,2f \in W^{1,2}f∈W1,2, ASf=gA_S f = gAS​f=g means g^k=−2πik J0f^k−(Sf)k∧\hat g_k = -2\pi i k\,J_0 \hat f_k - (Sf)^\wedge_kg^​k​=−2πikJ0​f^​k​−(Sf)k∧​ for every kkk, i.e. g=−J0f′−Sfg = -J_0 f' - S fg=−J0​f′−Sf with the derivative taken in L2L^2L2. This is Wendl's (3.4) with period 111.
  • Fundamental solution. Ψ:R→R2n×2n\Psi : \mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R}^{2n\times2n}Ψ:R→R2n×2n with Ψ(0)=Id\Psi(0) = \mathrm{Id}Ψ(0)=Id and Ψ′(t)=J0S(t)Ψ(t)\Psi'(t) = J_0 S(t)\Psi(t)Ψ′(t)=J0​S(t)Ψ(t). These are the solutions of (−J0∂t−S)Ψ=0(-J_0\partial_t - S)\Psi = 0(−J0​∂t​−S)Ψ=0. For constant SSS, Ψ(t)=exp⁡(tJ0S)\Psi(t) = \exp(tJ_0S)Ψ(t)=exp(tJ0​S) is the path in the signature property of stage I.

Formalization targets

Goal: spectral theory of the asymptotic operator

For every continuous loop SSS of symmetric matrices:

  1. ASA_SAS​ with domain W1,2W^{1,2}W1,2 is self-adjoint on L2(S1,R2n)L^2(S^1,\mathbb{R}^{2n})L2(S1,R2n);
  2. L2(S1,R2n)L^2(S^1,\mathbb{R}^{2n})L2(S1,R2n) has an orthonormal basis of eigenvectors of ASA_SAS​ lying in W1,2W^{1,2}W1,2; the eigenvalues are real, each has finite multiplicity, and they accumulate only at ±∞\pm\infty±∞;
  3. ker⁡AS≅ker⁡(Ψ(1)−Id)\ker A_S \cong \ker(\Psi(1) - \mathrm{Id})kerAS​≅ker(Ψ(1)−Id), where Ψ\PsiΨ is the fundamental solution.

Milestones

  1. Well-defined operator. Exactly one partially defined linear map on L2L^2L2 has graph {(f,ASf)}\{(f, A_S f)\}{(f,AS​f)}.
  2. Domain. The domain of ASA_SAS​ is W1,2W^{1,2}W1,2, and it is dense in L2L^2L2.
  3. Symmetry. ⟨ASf,g⟩=⟨f,ASg⟩\langle A_S f, g\rangle = \langle f, A_S g\rangle⟨AS​f,g⟩=⟨f,AS​g⟩ for f,g∈W1,2f, g \in W^{1,2}f,g∈W1,2.
  4. Self-adjointness.
  5. Discrete spectrum. An orthonormal eigenbasis exists, with eigenvalues of finite multiplicity tending to ±∞\pm\infty±∞.
  6. Compact resolvent. If μ∈R\mu \in \mathbb{R}μ∈R is not an eigenvalue, AS−μ:W1,2→L2A_S - \mu : W^{1,2} \to L^2AS​−μ:W1,2→L2 is bijective and its inverse is a compact operator on L2L^2L2.
  7. Unbounded spectrum. For n≥1n \geq 1n≥1 there are eigenvalues of both signs with arbitrarily large absolute value.
  8. The unperturbed operator. The eigenvalues of −J0∂t-J_0\partial_t−J0​∂t​ are exactly 2πk2\pi k2πk, k∈Zk\in\mathbb{Z}k∈Z, and each eigenspace has dimension 2n2n2n.
  9. Fundamental solution. Ψ\PsiΨ exists and is unique for every continuous loop SSS.
  10. Symplecticity. If SSS is symmetric, Ψ(t)∈Sp(2n)\Psi(t) \in \mathrm{Sp}(2n)Ψ(t)∈Sp(2n) for every ttt.
  11. Kernel. ker⁡AS≅ker⁡(Ψ(1)−Id)\ker A_S \cong \ker(\Psi(1) - \mathrm{Id})kerAS​≅ker(Ψ(1)−Id).
  12. Nondegeneracy. 000 is not an eigenvalue of ASA_SAS​ if and only if Ψ∣[0,1]∈SP(n)\Psi|_{[0,1]} \in \mathrm{SP}(n)Ψ∣[0,1]​∈SP(n).

Significance

The result. These are the analytic facts that every use of asymptotic operators relies on. Self-adjointness and the discrete spectrum define the eigenvalue branches and the spectral flow. The compact resolvent makes AS−μA_S - \muAS​−μ Fredholm of index 000 for every real μ\muμ, and the weighted Sobolev spaces of the later Fredholm theory are chosen with weights avoiding the spectrum. The kernel dictionary identifies nondegenerate asymptotic operators with the paths of stage I. It is the bridge through which Conley–Zehnder indices enter the index formula.

Formalizing it. All results here are classical. Mathlib has partially defined linear maps and their adjoints, the Fourier basis of L2L^2L2 on the circle, and compact operators. It has no Sobolev spaces on the circle, no unbounded operator with discrete spectrum beyond trivial cases, and no first-order differential operator treated as an unbounded operator. This stage builds the first such example. The same pattern applies to other first-order elliptic operators on S1S^1S1, and the library is reusable for spectral flow and for Floer-type operators.

Difficulty

ASA_SAS​ is unbounded and not defined on all of L2L^2L2, so self-adjointness is a statement about the domain of the adjoint, not a symmetry identity. The spectral statements concern the resolvent of a first-order differential operator with non-constant coefficients, as an operator on L2L^2L2. The kernel dictionary relates L2L^2L2 classes, defined through Fourier coefficients, to classical solutions of a linear ODE. The statements about Ψ\PsiΨ concern linear ODEs whose coefficients are only continuous.

Formalization scope

  • Namespace AsymptoticOperator; all definitions are in AsymptoticOperator_Setting, which imports stage I's ConleyZehnder_Setting (for Mat n, J₀, IsSymplectic and SP).
  • The circle is UnitAddCircle (R/Z\mathbb{R}/\mathbb{Z}R/Z) with AddCircle.haarAddCircle. L2(S1,R2n)L^2(S^1,\mathbb{R}^{2n})L2(S1,R2n) is Lp (EuclideanSpace ℝ (Fin n ⊕ Fin n)) 2 haarAddCircle, a real Hilbert space.
  • Fourier coefficients are Mathlib's fourierCoeff, applied to the componentwise complexification R2n→C2n\mathbb{R}^{2n} \to \mathbb{C}^{2n}R2n→C2n. J0J_0J0​ and S(t)S(t)S(t) act on C2n\mathbb{C}^{2n}C2n through the real-to-complex coercion.
  • The operator is a LinearPMap, defined by choice as the map whose graph is the set of pairs (f,g)(f, g)(f,g) satisfying the coefficient identity. The fallback is 000, and milestone 1 makes it unreachable. Self-adjointness is Mathlib's IsSelfAdjoint for LinearPMap, and symmetry is IsFormalAdjoint.
  • Eigenspaces are kernels of AS−μA_S - \muAS​−μ on the domain. The discrete spectrum is stated as a HilbertBasis of eigenvectors whose eigenvalues tend to ∞\infty∞ in absolute value along the cofinite filter. This covers n=0n = 0n=0, where L2=0L^2 = 0L2=0.
  • Regularity of SSS. Wendl assumes SSS smooth; Hofer–Wysocki–Zehnder (§3, (35)) take SSS continuous, as here. HWZ state self-adjointness, compact resolvent and discreteness of the spectrum for n=1n = 1n=1; this mission states them for all nnn.
  • Sign conventions follow Wendl §3.2: AS=−J0∂t−SA_S = -J_0\partial_t - SAS​=−J0​∂t​−S and Ψ′=J0SΨ\Psi' = J_0S\PsiΨ′=J0​SΨ.

Contributions welcome: reusable lemmas on Sobolev spaces of vector-valued functions on the circle (Fourier characterization, continuity of W1,2W^{1,2}W1,2 functions), on unbounded self-adjoint operators with compact resolvent, and on linear ODEs with continuous periodic coefficients.

Selected references

  • C. Wendl, Lectures on Symplectic Field Theory, arXiv:1612.01009, Lecture 3 (§§3.2–3.4). https://arxiv.org/abs/1612.01009
  • H. Hofer, K. Wysocki, E. Zehnder, Properties of pseudoholomorphic curves in symplectisations II: Embedding controls and algebraic invariants, Geom. Funct. Anal. 5 (1995), 270–328. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01895669
  • J. Robbin, D. Salamon, The spectral flow and the Maslov index, Bull. London Math. Soc. 27 (1995), 1–33. https://doi.org/10.1112/blms/27.1.1
  • D. Salamon, Lectures on Floer homology, in: Symplectic Geometry and Topology, IAS/Park City Math. Ser. 7, AMS (1999), 143–229. https://doi.org/10.1090/pcms/007/05
  • J. Gutt, Generalized Conley–Zehnder index, Ann. Fac. Sci. Toulouse Math. (6) 23 (2014), 907–932. https://doi.org/10.5802/afst.1430
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Actuarial Mathematics XXXVII: Bounded Gambler Ruin and Exact Harmonic Capital FunctionsTextbook

Motivation

A small insurance fund or participant with limited resources can gain or lose capital repeatedly and be forced to stop at one of two barriers. This is the familiar gambler's ruin problem, useful as a discrete illustration of capital adequacy, finite-state absorption and the distinction between ruin and eventual success. Promislow's treatment derives fair and biased cases using finite capital and a bounded opponent, and Grinstead and Snell present related random-walk absorption probabilities (https://stats.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Probability_Theory/Introductory_Probability_%28Grinstead_and_Snell%29/12%3A_Random_Walks/12.02%3A_Gambler%27s_Ruin). The practical distinction is whether a probability refers to absorption at some eventual time or only to absorption within a fixed number of additional bets.

Setting

A unit-stake capital process occupies a natural-number capital state i between zero and a positive upper barrier N. With probability p the next bet raises capital by one unit; with complementary probability one minus p it lowers capital by one unit. Capital zero and capital N are absorbing. The fair case has p equal to one-half and a linear harmonic success function. In the biased case, a down-to-up odds ratio r is defined by (1−p)/p. An additional finite-horizon model records separately the chance of hitting the upper barrier and the chance of hitting zero before a given step count, leaving unresolved paths in the interior.

The fair finite-capital eventual upper-absorption harmonic candidate is named actuarial_gamblerFairSuccess in the Lean development. A fair unit-stake random walk on capital states zero through positive target N has eventual upper-barrier success probability i/N when starting from integer capital i in the bounded interval. This source defines the harmonic candidate, not the underlying stochastic stopping-time construction.

The downward-to-upward transition probability ratio is named actuarial_gamblerOddsRatio in the Lean development. The fixed probability of an up step is p; the probability of a down step is 1−p. Their ratio (1−p)/p controls the biased harmonic solution and requires p>0 to be interpreted as transition odds.

The biased finite-capital upper-absorption harmonic candidate is named actuarial_gamblerBiasedSuccess in the Lean development. For a biased unit-stake walk with r=(1−p)/p different from one and a positive upper barrier N, the formula gives the eventual probability of hitting N before zero: (1−r^i)/(1−r^N). The denominator must be nonzero. The fair p=1/2 case requires the separate linear formula.

The probability of hitting upper capital target within finitely many steps is named actuarial_gamblerFiniteSuccess in the Lean development. The bounded random walk makes unit upward jumps with probability p and unit downward jumps with probability 1−p. It is absorbed at capital zero or at or above target N. This finite-horizon recursion records only the probability of reaching the success barrier by time n; ongoing paths at the horizon remain unresolved.

The probability of reaching zero capital within finitely many steps is named actuarial_gamblerFiniteRuin in the Lean development. The second finite-horizon recursion tracks absorption at zero capital, the ruin boundary. Successful absorption at the upper target contributes zero ruin probability. At an interior state it mixes successor ruin probabilities, and paths still active at horizon n contribute to neither finite success nor finite ruin.

Formalization targets

The formal targets are ordered from elementary boundary and consistency claims to their combined capstone. The exact Lean identifiers below are the authoritative local targets; none of the listed theorem bodies is already accepted as a machine-checked proof. The mathematical results themselves are established actuarial or probability identities.

Baseline identities

The declaration ActuarialValuation.gamblerFairSuccess_zero states the following relation. The fair candidate's numerator is zero at the lower absorbing boundary, so the proposed upper-barrier success probability is zero even if the target denominator is algebraically zero.

Hfair(0)=0H_{\rm fair}(0)=0Hfair​(0)=0

Stronger structural properties

The declaration ActuarialValuation.gamblerFiniteRuin_nonneg states the following relation. Ruin starts at the boundary indicators zero or one and evolves through nonnegative weighted averages at every interior capital state. Therefore finite-horizon absorption-at-zero probability cannot be negative under valid win probabilities.

0≤p≤1⇒Rn(i)≥00\le p\le1\Rightarrow R_n(i)\ge00≤p≤1⇒Rn​(i)≥0

Capstone valuation statement

The declaration ActuarialValuation.gamblerBoundedRuin_fundamental states the following relation. The capstone formalises the correct first-step harmonic equations for the fair and biased finite-capital random walk and nonnegative bounded finite-horizon absorption-event probabilities. Unlike an infinite-horizon gambler's ruin theorem, it does not assert that every path has already been absorbed by a finite horizon or identify finite success directly with the harmonic candidate.

H1/2(i)=12(H1/2(i+1)+H1/2(i−1)),Hp(i)=pHp(i+1)+(1−p)Hp(i−1)H_{1/2}(i)=\tfrac12(H_{1/2}(i+1)+H_{1/2}(i-1)),\quad H_p(i)=pH_p(i+1)+(1-p)H_p(i-1)H1/2​(i)=21​(H1/2​(i+1)+H1/2​(i−1)),Hp​(i)=pHp​(i+1)+(1−p)Hp​(i−1)

Significance

The exact harmonic functions identify candidate upper-absorption probabilities for fair and biased walks, while the finite-horizon recursions quantify how much absorption can have occurred after a specified number of steps. The latter distinction matters for capital planning because some solvent paths may still be active when an assessment period ends. Standard treatments show the importance of the bias ratio and the two absorbing barriers (https://stats.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Probability_Theory/Introductory_Probability_%28Grinstead_and_Snell%29/12%3A_Random_Walks/12.02%3A_Gambler%27s_Ruin). The mathematical identities themselves are known; a Lean representation offers checkable conventions around capital zero, positive target, finite horizon and the singular fair limit. Its state-recursion definitions can be reused in finite Markov reward and insurance capital models.

Difficulty

The fair success expression cannot simply be obtained by substituting p=one-half into the biased quotient: both its numerator and denominator become zero. The separate linear expression needs its own fair-case convention. A second easy mistake is to regard finite-horizon success and ruin as exhaustive complementary events. They are disjoint, but an interior path may reach neither barrier during the available number of steps. At extreme probabilities zero or one, the odds ratio may be undefined or degenerate, and an eventual absorption assertion requires hypotheses not present in a finite first-step equality. These boundary distinctions are central to the stated target.

Formalization scope

Lean uses natural numbers for capital, positive upper barrier and finite horizon, with real-valued probabilities and harmonic candidate functions. Both boundary states are absorbing; ruin is capital equal to zero, unlike the strictly negative surplus convention in another insurance reserve model. The biased quotient is used only when its normalising denominator is nonzero, and the fair case is represented separately. The source does not assert almost-sure absorption or equality of finite-horizon success with an eventual harmonic function, and it does not equate unresolved paths with failure. Mathlib finite recursion and rational function arithmetic support the scope. Reusable contributions include independent success/ruin state operators, boundary-state lemmas and nonnegative weighted continuation bounds.

The five local definitions form the available mathematical vocabulary: actuarial_gamblerFairSuccess, actuarial_gamblerOddsRatio, actuarial_gamblerBiasedSuccess, actuarial_gamblerFiniteSuccess, actuarial_gamblerFiniteRuin. Their support conditions, nonzero denominators, and variable types are fixed by the Lean declarations rather than inferred from examples. The nontrivial mathematical content must not be replaced by a vacuous premise or by a special case that bypasses the model boundaries. The existing paper mathematics is known, while these particular theorem declarations remain formalisation targets with no accepted proofs. Contributions that strengthen reusable finite identities or expose missing boundary hypotheses are appropriate, provided they preserve the exact authoritative theorem types.

Selected references

  • S. David Promislow, Fundamentals of Actuarial Mathematics, third edition, Wiley, 2015. https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/fundamentals-of-actuarial/9781118782521/

  • Charles M. Grinstead and J. Laurie Snell, Introduction to Probability, American Mathematical Society, 1997. https://stats.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Probability_Theory/Introductory_Probability_%28Grinstead_and_Snell%29/12%3A_Random_Walks/12.02%3A_Gambler%27s_Ruin

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Actuarial Mathematics XXXVI: Limited-Layer Excess-of-Loss Reinsurance ValuationTextbook

Motivation

Non-proportional reinsurance allows an insurer to retain ordinary claims while transferring part of the cost of larger claims to a reinsurer. Such contracts specify both an attachment point and a maximum amount the reinsurer will pay. Confusing the retention with the limit changes ceded payments, claims reporting and the net expected treaty cost. HMRC describes common non-proportional arrangements and their layers in its general-insurance technical guidance (https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/general-insurance-manual/gim8080). Pricing systems must distinguish an unlimited excess claim from the finite reimbursement available under one layer, including claims exactly at the attachment or at the upper layer boundary.

Setting

A gross claim x, attachment d and layer width L are nonnegative natural-number amounts in the same currency unit. An unlimited excess contract pays only the positive part of x minus d. A capped ceded layer pays the smaller of that gross excess and L. Amounts beyond the top of the layer, d plus L, form a separate higher excess. The expected treaty cost is evaluated under a bounded severity distribution with nonnegative mass w(x) at each integer claim amount from zero through the finite bound B. An unlimited stop-loss expected cost uses the same distribution without a layer cap.

The single-claim positive excess over an attachment is named actuarial_layerExcessLoss in the Lean development. The claim amount remaining above the insurer's retained attachment is natural-number positive-part subtraction. Below attachment it is zero, matching the gross excess payment of an unlimited stop-loss treaty.

The capped single-layer reinsurance payment is named actuarial_layerCededPayment in the Lean development. For a claim amount x, a reinsurance layer of width or limit L attaching at d reimburses the lesser of excess x−d positive part and the layer limit. It pays zero below attachment and cannot pay more than L.

The remaining gross excess above the top of the layer is named actuarial_layerHigherExcess in the Lean development. Any part of the claim above the layer's upper attachment d+L is left for higher reinsurance layers or the ultimate insurer. It is the positive excess loss above the sum of the lower attachment and the stated layer width.

The finite aggregate expected ceded loss cost of a layer is named actuarial_layerExpectedCeded in the Lean development. The finite bounded claim-severity mass model computes the net expected excess-of-loss reinsurance premium by weighting each loss payment of the capped layer by its claim probability. Expected ceded cost excludes risk loading and expenses.

The finite unlimited stop-loss expected payment is named actuarial_layerExpectedExcess in the Lean development. The net stop-loss premium above an attachment d is the finite weighted expected excess claim amount without an upper layer cap. The difference of this value at d and at d+L will equal the capped layer's expected ceded cost.

Formalization targets

The formal targets are ordered from elementary boundary and consistency claims to their combined capstone. The exact Lean identifiers below are the authoritative local targets; none of the listed theorem bodies is already accepted as a machine-checked proof. The mathematical results themselves are established actuarial or probability identities.

Baseline identities

The declaration ActuarialValuation.layerExcessLoss_below states the following relation. When the claim amount does not exceed the attachment, no monetary loss lies above the retention. Saturating natural-number subtraction gives zero excess exactly.

x≤d⇒Ed(x)=0x\le d\Rightarrow E_d(x)=0x≤d⇒Ed​(x)=0

Stronger structural properties

The declaration ActuarialValuation.layerExpectedCeded_stoploss_difference states the following relation. The expected capped ceded payment equals the expected unlimited excess above attachment d, less the excess above the upper layer attachment d+L. The identity follows termwise from the exact pointwise loss partition and finite linearity, with no distribution-normalisation assumption.

ELd,L=SL(d)−SL(d+L)\mathrm{EL}_{d,L}=\mathrm{SL}(d)-\mathrm{SL}(d+L)ELd,L​=SL(d)−SL(d+L)

Capstone valuation statement

The declaration ActuarialValuation.layerCededValuation_fundamental states the following relation. The capstone unifies a bounded single-claim excess-of-loss treaty's payment decomposition with the exact net layer premium as difference of two unlimited stop-loss premiums, and establishes its nonnegative bound against gross excess. It does not assert an expense-loaded reinsurance price or infinite-support integration.

Ed(x)=Cd,L(x)+Hd,L(x),ELd,L=SL(d)−SL(d+L)E_d(x)=C_{d,L}(x)+H_{d,L}(x),\quad \mathrm{EL}_{d,L}=\mathrm{SL}(d)-\mathrm{SL}(d+L)Ed​(x)=Cd,L​(x)+Hd,L​(x),ELd,L​=SL(d)−SL(d+L)

Significance

The difference between net unlimited excess payments at two attachments gives an immediately auditable valuation of a finite reinsurance layer. A treaty administrator can reconcile the covered amount, the higher excess and the original unlimited amount without making assumptions about claim frequencies or total policyholder losses. This separation is useful in exposure rating and in modelling multiple reinsurance towers, including arrangements described in the HMRC guidance at https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/general-insurance-manual/gim8080. The identity is already a standard insurance-payment relation; formalising its finite version would produce reusable payment functions and expected-cost inequalities rather than announcing a new result about treaty markets. It would also distinguish claim indemnities from premiums loaded for operating costs and capital.

Difficulty

An intuitive subtraction of the reinsurance limit from the gross excess can become negative and cannot describe the remaining claim burden below the top of a layer. Likewise, a formula that gives every loss above attachment an unlimited reimbursement silently overstates the provider's maximum liability. Natural-number subtraction in Lean saturates at zero, so any stated decomposition must respect positive-part semantics at both the lower and upper treaty thresholds. There are also two independent directions of monotonicity: increased layer width raises coverage, while a larger retention generally reduces the covered part. The capstone fixes only the former and the precise difference of stop-loss expected amounts.

Formalization scope

The source uses natural numbers for money, including the deductible and treaty limit, and real numbers for bounded claim coefficients and expected ceded payment. There is no independent hidden frequency distribution, and the finite claim grid can include zero severity and zero layer width. Nonnegative weights are explicitly required for order and positivity conclusions, while pointwise payment identities hold without probability normalisation. The formalisation does not collapse a capped layer into a trivial unlimited excess contract, nor assume an expense-loaded market premium is equal to an actuarial expectation. Reusable contributions include positive-part payments, min-limited cover, finite layer aggregation and higher-attachment functions. Later models may combine several layers or add claims-inflation adjustments.

The five local definitions form the available mathematical vocabulary: actuarial_layerExcessLoss, actuarial_layerCededPayment, actuarial_layerHigherExcess, actuarial_layerExpectedCeded, actuarial_layerExpectedExcess. Their support conditions, nonzero denominators, and variable types are fixed by the Lean declarations rather than inferred from examples. The nontrivial mathematical content must not be replaced by a vacuous premise or by a special case that bypasses the model boundaries. The existing paper mathematics is known, while these particular theorem declarations remain formalisation targets with no accepted proofs. Contributions that strengthen reusable finite identities or expose missing boundary hypotheses are appropriate, provided they preserve the exact authoritative theorem types.

Selected references

  • S. David Promislow, Fundamentals of Actuarial Mathematics, third edition, Wiley, 2015. https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/fundamentals-of-actuarial/9781118782521/

  • HM Revenue & Customs, General Insurance Manual: Non-proportional reinsurance, UK government technical guidance, accessed 2026. https://www.gov.uk/hmrc-internal-manuals/general-insurance-manual/gim8080

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Actuarial Mathematics XXXIV: Finite-Horizon Ruin and Lundberg Exponential BoundTextbook

Motivation

An insurer can expect premium income to exceed claims and nevertheless become insolvent because the timing and size of claim payments are uncertain. Ruin theory asks about the chance of crossing an insolvency boundary before a specified date or eventually. The classic actuarial approach uses the distribution of yearly net cashflows and, when it exists, an exponential adjustment condition to bound risk as starting capital increases. Finite-state random walks provide a related illustration of first-passage probability and absorption (https://stats.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Probability_Theory/Introductory_Probability_%28Grinstead_and_Snell%29/12%3A_Random_Walks/12.02%3A_Gambler%27s_Ruin). The mission isolates the finite-horizon inequality that can be stated without imposing the measure-theoretic hypotheses of an infinite stopping-time theorem.

Setting

An annual aggregate claim X is a nonnegative integer taking values zero through a fixed maximum B, with annual probabilities w(k). The insurer starts at signed integer surplus u, receives nonnegative integer premium c each year and pays an independent claim from the same finite distribution. The next signed surplus is current surplus plus c minus that claim. Strict ruin occurs as soon as surplus becomes negative, including at time zero if the initial reserve is negative. A finite-horizon ruin probability assigns one to an already-ruined state, zero to a solvent state at zero horizon, and a probability-weighted continuation at other states.

The one-period integer insurance surplus update is named actuarial_ruinNextSurplus in the Lean development. The insurer begins a period with an integer surplus, receives a fixed nonnegative integer premium, then pays the period's aggregate integer claim. The next surplus can be negative, so it is represented as an integer rather than a natural number with saturating subtraction.

The total annual claim probability on a bounded integer grid is named actuarial_ruinClaimMass in the Lean development. The finite annual aggregate-claim model has possible integer loss amounts 0 through B. Its total probability is the sum of those coefficients, required to equal one in the genuine probability interpretation of the recursion.

The exponential moment of one period's net insurance loss is named actuarial_ruinAdjustmentMoment in the Lean development. The adjustment coefficient R compares the annual aggregate claim X with the premium c via the exponential moment E[exp(R(X−c))]. When this quantity is no greater than one and R≥0, the exponential capital bound becomes a supermartingale-style one-step estimate.

The lundberg exponential benchmark for an integer initial surplus is named actuarial_ruinExponentialBound in the Lean development. The benchmark at current surplus u is exp(−Ru). For R≥0 this is at least one if u is negative, allowing it to bound an already-ruined state whose ruin indicator equals one; for a nonnegative initial reserve it falls exponentially with additional starting capital.

The first-passage ruin probability over a finite number of annual periods is named actuarial_ruinProbabilityFinite in the Lean development. The probability of ruin by horizon n records whether surplus was ever strictly negative. Already-ruined integer states have probability one at any horizon. Otherwise the next-year claim distribution mixes the ruin probabilities of all possible updated signed surpluses, recursively for n further years. The horizon is finite and annual claims are modelled as conditionally independent copies of w.

Formalization targets

The formal targets are ordered from elementary boundary and consistency claims to their combined capstone. The exact Lean identifiers below are the authoritative local targets; none of the listed theorem bodies is already accepted as a machine-checked proof. The mathematical results themselves are established actuarial or probability identities.

Baseline identities

The declaration ActuarialValuation.ruinNextSurplus_zero_claim states the following relation. If the insurance portfolio generates no claim payment during a period, only the fixed premium c affects the insurer's capital. The signed next-period surplus is therefore the old surplus plus the earned premium.

U′=U+cU'=U+cU′=U+c

Stronger structural properties

The declaration ActuarialValuation.ruinProbabilityFinite_le_one states the following relation. With an annual claim mass function summing to one, every solvent state averages predecessor-horizon ruin probabilities with nonnegative weights of total one. Since the base and already-ruined values lie at most one, induction establishes that the finite-horizon ruin probability never exceeds one.

w≥0, ∑kwk=1⇒ψn(u)≤1w\ge0,\ \sum_kw_k=1\Rightarrow\psi_n(u)\le1w≥0, k∑​wk​=1⇒ψn​(u)≤1

Capstone valuation statement

The declaration ActuarialValuation.ruinFiniteHorizon_fundamental states the following relation. The capstone formalises a bounded annual integer-claim surplus recursion with an absorbing strict-negative ruin condition. Proper nonnegative annual claim probabilities keep finite-horizon ruin probability within the unit interval. A nonnegative exponential adjustment parameter satisfying E[exp(R(X−c))]≤1 then bounds it by exp(−Ru) for every finite horizon and signed starting capital.

0≤ψn(u)≤1,M(R)≤1⇒ψn(u)≤e−Ru0\le\psi_n(u)\le1,\quad M(R)\le1\Rightarrow\psi_n(u)\le e^{-Ru}0≤ψn​(u)≤1,M(R)≤1⇒ψn​(u)≤e−Ru

Significance

A valid exponential upper bound gives a transparent relationship between initial capital and probability of failure over every finite number of years. It can be used to compare capital buffers or to test an insurer's response to a changed premium and annual claims distribution. The bounded recursive setting is particularly relevant when annual severity is itself computed by exact portfolio convolution. Classical first-passage models distinguish eventual absorption from a finite-horizon crossing event (https://stats.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Probability_Theory/Introductory_Probability_%28Grinstead_and_Snell%29/12%3A_Random_Walks/12.02%3A_Gambler%27s_Ruin). The formal target is the known exponential comparison property, not a new adjustment-root existence result. It yields reusable recursion and exponential-moment definitions for subsequent finite insurance reserve analysis.

Difficulty

A tempting representation of surplus as a natural number is incorrect for insolvency, because saturating subtraction hides the negative state that defines ruin. A second mistake is to present the exponential capital function as an unconditional bound. It can fail when the claim-loss exponential moment exceeds one, even in a deterministic one-year example. The argument also needs the negative-surplus boundary, at which ruin probability is already one. These complications are visible at finite horizons and cannot be repaired merely by assuming that premium income has a positive expected margin.

Formalization scope

The Lean source uses signed integers for surplus and natural numbers for annual claim amounts, premium, severity bound and horizon. Annual probabilities and adjustment exponent are real. The event is strictly negative first-passage ruin, distinct from reaching exactly zero in a gambler's ruin model. A nonnegative adjustment exponent and an explicit upper bound of one on its net-claim exponential moment are mandatory. The source gives the finite recursive quantity algebraically, not an independently constructed probability space, an infinite-horizon supremum or a theorem that a positive adjustment root exists. Reusable developments include finite weighted expectation operators, signed reserve transitions and nonnegative probability bounds; meaningful contributions may extend these to random premiums or general annual claim distributions.

The five local definitions form the available mathematical vocabulary: actuarial_ruinNextSurplus, actuarial_ruinClaimMass, actuarial_ruinAdjustmentMoment, actuarial_ruinExponentialBound, actuarial_ruinProbabilityFinite. Their support conditions, nonzero denominators, and variable types are fixed by the Lean declarations rather than inferred from examples. The nontrivial mathematical content must not be replaced by a vacuous premise or by a special case that bypasses the model boundaries. The existing paper mathematics is known, while these particular theorem declarations remain formalisation targets with no accepted proofs. Contributions that strengthen reusable finite identities or expose missing boundary hypotheses are appropriate, provided they preserve the exact authoritative theorem types.

Selected references

  • S. David Promislow, Fundamentals of Actuarial Mathematics, third edition, Wiley, 2015. https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/fundamentals-of-actuarial/9781118782521/

  • Charles M. Grinstead and J. Laurie Snell, Introduction to Probability, American Mathematical Society, 1997. https://stats.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Probability_Theory/Introductory_Probability_%28Grinstead_and_Snell%29/12%3A_Random_Walks/12.02%3A_Gambler%27s_Ruin

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Actuarial Mathematics XXXV: Negative Binomial Claim Frequency and OverdispersionTextbook

Motivation

Insurers model annual claim frequency to price collections of policies and assess how often unusually large numbers of claims may arrive together. A Poisson count model has equal mean and variance, but heterogeneity between policyholders can produce materially more dispersion. The negative-binomial family is an established alternative, including as a marginal count law obtained by mixing the Poisson intensity over a Gamma distribution. The mathematical relationship, with explicit Gamma shape and rate parameters, is set out in the Stanford discussion of mixture models (https://web.stanford.edu/class/bios221/MixtureLecture.html). A reliable formal description must specify which negative-binomial probability parameter is being used, since actuarial and statistical literature adopt incompatible success and failure conventions.

Setting

A negative-binomial count variable N records a nonnegative integer number of claims. The integer shape parameter r is strictly positive, and a real count probability parameter p lies between zero and one, with the upper endpoint excluded when calculating moments. In this convention p is associated with powers of the claim count n, while 1 minus p is associated with powers of the shape r. The Gamma-mixed Poisson model starts from a Gamma-distributed intensity with positive rate beta and integer shape r; at one future exposure unit its negative-binomial count parameter equals the reciprocal of beta plus one.

The negative-binomial claim count coefficient is named actuarial_negBinCountMass in the Lean development. Defines a negative-binomial frequency coefficient for n claims and positive integer shape r, with p the count probability parameter and 1−p the Bernoulli success probability. The finite choose expression is mathematically the conventional formula only for shape r≥1.

The expected claim count under nb size and count parameter is named actuarial_negBinCountMean in the Lean development. For 0≤p<1 and positive integer shape, the negative-binomial mean count equals r p divided by one minus p. This p denotes count rather than Bernoulli success probability, so the formula differs from sources that reverse the parametrisation.

The negative-binomial count variance is named actuarial_negBinCountVariance in the Lean development. For valid negative-binomial parameters, the variance exceeds the mean because uncertainty in the Poisson event frequency introduces additional dispersion. The exact variance is r p divided by (1−p) squared.

The unit-exposure gamma-poisson predictive count parameter is named actuarial_negBinGammaProbability in the Lean development. A Gamma mixing distribution with positive rate beta and positive integer shape yields a negative-binomial mixed-Poisson count law at one exposure unit with the count parameter p=1/(beta+1). This is the reciprocal rate-plus-one, not beta/(beta+1), which is the complementary success parameter.

The integer-shape gamma-poisson predictive count coefficient is named actuarial_negBinGammaPredictive in the Lean development. The model uses a shape/rate Gamma prior for a Poisson rate at unit exposure. The predictive count mass is the integer-shape negative-binomial coefficient evaluated at the rate-derived count parameter. The declaration encodes the known mixture result algebraically without asserting an integral identity.

Formalization targets

The formal targets are ordered from elementary boundary and consistency claims to their combined capstone. The exact Lean identifiers below are the authoritative local targets; none of the listed theorem bodies is already accepted as a machine-checked proof. The mathematical results themselves are established actuarial or probability identities.

Baseline identities

The declaration ActuarialValuation.negBinGammaProbability_pos states the following relation. Prior Gamma rate b positive implies denominator b+1 strictly positive, so its reciprocal is a valid strictly positive negative-binomial count parameter.

β>0⇒p>0\beta>0\Rightarrow p>0β>0⇒p>0

Stronger structural properties

The declaration ActuarialValuation.negBinGammaMean_unit_exposure states the following relation. The frequency mean for the negative-binomial predictive law derived from a Gamma shape/rate prior at one future exposure is shape divided by rate. This agrees with the prior Gamma mean Poisson intensity, not shape times rate.

μ=r/β\mu=r/\betaμ=r/β

Capstone valuation statement

The declaration ActuarialValuation.negBinClaimFrequency_fundamental states the following relation. The capstone combines the exact integer-shape negative-binomial count-mass recursion and the unit-exposure Gamma-Poisson mixture parameterisation. It verifies both predictive moments and coefficient nonnegativity, without claiming an infinite PMF normalisation proof or a Gamma mixture integral in Lean.

(n+1)g(n+1)=(n+r)pg(n),μ=r/β,σ2=μ+r/β2(n+1)g(n+1)=(n+r)pg(n),\quad\mu=r/\beta,\quad\sigma^2=\mu+r/\beta^2(n+1)g(n+1)=(n+r)pg(n),μ=r/β,σ2=μ+r/β2

Significance

The ability to compute neighbouring frequency coefficients from one another supports actuarial claim-table construction without repeatedly evaluating large factorial ratios. The difference between count variance and mean provides a direct overdispersion diagnostic when comparing heterogeneous risks with a Poisson benchmark. Under a Gamma prior, the mixed frequency mean and variance recover the Gamma shape/rate moments, linking pricing assumptions to uncertainty in latent risk intensity. Panjer's work on recursive compound distribution evaluation shows why stable frequency recurrences matter for downstream aggregate insurance claims (https://doi.org/10.1017/S0515036100006796). The results are known mathematics; an exact formalisation would make the parameter conventions and real-valued boundary assumptions machine checkable and provide coefficient lemmas reusable by collective-risk computations.

Difficulty

The main hazard is a parameterisation mismatch. Some publications place p on the Bernoulli success count and others put p on the recorded total of failures or claims; the mean and Gamma mapping change accordingly. The integer-binomial coefficient must also be interpreted with positive shape: allowing r=0 while retaining the expression choose(n+r−1,n) introduces natural subtraction at a degenerate boundary. Moment formulas include one-minus-p in a denominator and therefore cannot be stated as ordinary probability facts at p=1. Finally, the algebraic coefficient sequence alone does not supply a probability-space proof that Gamma integration produces the count law.

Formalization scope

The Lean representation uses natural numbers for integer shape and count, and real numbers for the probability parameter, Gamma prior rate and moment expressions. The combinatorial coefficient is Nat.choose, and all arithmetic is within Mathlib. The zero-shape index is excluded from the conventional distribution claim, although some sign statements remain algebraically valid there. This mission does not assert an infinite normalisation sum, an unrestricted non-integer shape model or a vacuous Gamma-mixture identity proved by defining the mixture as the desired result. Reusable contributions include count-ratio recurrences, nonnegative binomial coefficient calculations and parameter conversion lemmas. Future work could connect those components to a genuine Gamma integral or a separately formalised Panjer aggregate recursion.

The five local definitions form the available mathematical vocabulary: actuarial_negBinCountMass, actuarial_negBinCountMean, actuarial_negBinCountVariance, actuarial_negBinGammaProbability, actuarial_negBinGammaPredictive. Their support conditions, nonzero denominators, and variable types are fixed by the Lean declarations rather than inferred from examples. The nontrivial mathematical content must not be replaced by a vacuous premise or by a special case that bypasses the model boundaries. The existing paper mathematics is known, while these particular theorem declarations remain formalisation targets with no accepted proofs. Contributions that strengthen reusable finite identities or expose missing boundary hypotheses are appropriate, provided they preserve the exact authoritative theorem types.

Selected references

  • S. David Promislow, Fundamentals of Actuarial Mathematics, third edition, Wiley, 2015. https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/fundamentals-of-actuarial/9781118782521/

  • Harry H. Panjer, Recursive evaluation of a family of compound distributions, ASTIN Bulletin, 1981. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0515036100006796

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Actuarial ScienceProbability·Captain: WillR

Actuarial Mathematics XXXIII: Discrete Stop-Loss Order and Mean-Preserving SpreadsTextbook

Motivation

A pair of insurance portfolios can have the same expected aggregate claim while requiring different ceded premiums or capital to withstand severe outcomes. Expected loss alone cannot identify the difference: the distribution of loss across small and large events also matters. The stop-loss order compares expected loss above every retention level and provides a concrete way to rank riskiness for excess-of-loss contracts. Müller studied wider relationships among such risk orders and their stop-loss transforms (https://doi.org/10.1016/0167-6687(96)90002-5). The present object is a local, explicit change in an integer loss distribution that preserves its first moment but shifts probability from a middle amount towards two neighbouring outcomes.

Setting

A bounded aggregate-loss distribution has nonnegative coefficients w(s) for integer losses s between zero and a finite maximum B, with total coefficient mass usually equal to one. Its gross expected claim is the weighted sum of loss amounts and its stop-loss premium at integer deductible d is the expected positive excess above d. A proposed new coefficient array moves an amount delta out of one interior integer claim centre c, placing equal halves at the adjacent claim sizes c minus one and c plus one. Strictly positive centre and a top neighbour no higher than B keep the change within the declared support.

The bounded discrete expected excess above an integer attachment is named actuarial_orderStopLossPremium in the Lean development. The actuarial stop-loss transform multiplies each aggregate loss's excess over the attachment point by its real coefficient and sums over the finite covered loss grid. A nonnegative probability mass law gives its net excess-of-loss reinsurance premium.

The bounded aggregate loss expectation is named actuarial_orderAggregateMean in the Lean development. The finite aggregate claims mean uses the claim amount at each integer index as its payment and multiplies it by its probability mass. Comparing mean claims is necessary when interpreting stop-loss order as mean-preserving convex order.

The aggregate probability within a finite loss bound is named actuarial_orderAggregateMass in the Lean development. The sum of all coefficients on the finite aggregate-loss support is the bounded probability mass, whose value is one for a normalised distribution. An explicit mass operator makes the mean-preserving spread's total-mass conservation separately checkable.

The mean-preserving symmetric transfer from one claim amount to adjacent values is named actuarial_orderNeighbourSpread in the Lean development. A fixed amount δ of probability mass is moved away from an interior integer claim level centre: half is allocated one unit below, and half one unit above. Under 1≤centre and centre+1≤B these three loss levels lie within the support and the transfer preserves the aggregate mean.

The finite-grid stop-loss ordering of aggregate risks is named actuarial_orderStopLossDominates in the Lean development. The first aggregate loss distribution is no riskier in stop-loss order than the second when its expected excess payment never exceeds the other's for any integer attachment d. Equal means and unit total masses can be imposed separately to obtain a mean-preserving spread interpretation.

Formalization targets

The formal targets are ordered from elementary boundary and consistency claims to their combined capstone. The exact Lean identifiers below are the authoritative local targets; none of the listed theorem bodies is already accepted as a machine-checked proof. The mathematical results themselves are established actuarial or probability identities.

Baseline identities

The declaration ActuarialValuation.orderStopLossPremium_zero states the following relation. Since every nonnegative integer loss exceeds or equals attachment zero, the stop-loss payment equals the gross loss in each scenario. Thus the expected excess premium at attachment zero coincides exactly with the original aggregate expected claim.

Πw(0)=μw\Pi_w(0)=\mu_wΠw​(0)=μw​

Stronger structural properties

The declaration ActuarialValuation.orderNeighbourSpread_stoploss states the following relation. The payment function (s−d) positive-part is convex in the claim amount s. Transferring nonnegative mass symmetrically from centre to its adjacent lower and higher losses can only increase its expected value, with a difference equal to δ/2 times the nonnegative discrete second difference at c.

Πw′(d)−Πw(d)=δ2[(c−1−d)++(c+1−d)+−2(c−d)+]≥0\Pi_{w'}(d)-\Pi_w(d)=\frac{\delta}{2}[(c-1-d)_++(c+1-d)_+-2(c-d)_+]\ge0Πw′​(d)−Πw​(d)=2δ​[(c−1−d)+​+(c+1−d)+​−2(c−d)+​]≥0

Capstone valuation statement

The declaration ActuarialValuation.orderNeighbourSpread_fundamental states the following relation. The capstone shows that a feasible symmetric probability transfer to adjacent losses produces a valid nonnegative bounded coefficient distribution, preserves the aggregate total probability and mean, yet weakly raises every stop-loss expected excess premium. This is an explicit constructive mean-preserving spread and a finite-lattice convex-order result.

w′≥0, Mw′=Mw, μw′=μw, w⪯slw′w'\ge0,\ M_{w'}=M_w,\ \mu_{w'}=\mu_w,\ w\preceq_{\rm sl}w'w′≥0, Mw′​=Mw​, μw′​=μw​, w⪯sl​w′

Significance

A mean-preserving spread separates the effect of greater claim variability from a change in the underlying expected loss. By conserving total mass and gross mean, the comparison can be attributed to the redistribution of outcomes rather than an increase in total claim cost. Its downstream consequence is a weak rise in the expected ceded payout for every positive-part reinsurance retention. This connects aggregate frequency/severity valuation to ordered risks and tail measures, consistent with wider stop-loss ordering results studied in https://doi.org/10.1016/0167-6687(96)90002-5. Formalising the finite construction provides a reusable bounded-grid example of stochastic-order consequences without requiring an axiomatic treatment of all convex functions.

Difficulty

The obvious claim that any symmetric redistribution increases expected excess is false if the transfer is allowed to cross the boundary of the support or remove more probability than the central cell contains. At centre zero the intended lower neighbouring loss is negative and no longer exists in a natural-number grid. If delta exceeds the centre's initial coefficient, the resulting array is not a probability distribution. Equality of expected claim amounts by itself also does not imply stop-loss order. The formal statement must account for the actual positive-part payment at each possible deductible, including deductions outside the claim support.

Formalization scope

Lean represents loss indices, attachment points and the spread centre as naturals, and probability coefficients and expected claims as reals. The claim grid is finite, and the full probability-normalisation equation is separate from local mass conservation. The capstone explicitly requires nonnegative starting coefficients and a feasible interior transfer. It does not substitute a trivial comparison between identical distributions, nor claim general continuous convex order or a complete converse representation of risk ordering. Mathlib finite sums and arithmetic over nonnegative parts are enough for the declared scope. Reusable infrastructure includes finite aggregate means, bounded mass totals and stop-loss order on arrays, suitable for later reinsurance layers and capital-risk measures.

The five local definitions form the available mathematical vocabulary: actuarial_orderStopLossPremium, actuarial_orderAggregateMean, actuarial_orderAggregateMass, actuarial_orderNeighbourSpread, actuarial_orderStopLossDominates. Their support conditions, nonzero denominators, and variable types are fixed by the Lean declarations rather than inferred from examples. The nontrivial mathematical content must not be replaced by a vacuous premise or by a special case that bypasses the model boundaries. The existing paper mathematics is known, while these particular theorem declarations remain formalisation targets with no accepted proofs. Contributions that strengthen reusable finite identities or expose missing boundary hypotheses are appropriate, provided they preserve the exact authoritative theorem types.

Selected references

  • S. David Promislow, Fundamentals of Actuarial Mathematics, third edition, Wiley, 2015. https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/fundamentals-of-actuarial/9781118782521/

  • Alfred Müller, Orderings of risks: A comparative study via stop-loss transforms, Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, 1996. https://doi.org/10.1016/0167-6687(96)90002-5

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Actuarial ScienceProbability·Captain: WillR

Actuarial Mathematics XXXII: Gamma-Poisson Bayesian Credibility and Sequential ExperienceTextbook

Motivation

Insurers routinely estimate next-period frequency from policyholders who have accumulated unequal historical exposure. A raw observed rate can swing markedly when the exposure base is small, while a collective rate may ignore evidence of persistent individual risk differences. The Gamma–Poisson model gives a precisely defined compromise: a posterior expected claim intensity that responds to observed counts and earned exposure. The literature on credibility analysis documents the distinction between process variation and variation across risks, including the role of Bayesian conjugacy (https://openacttexts.github.io/LDAVer2/ChapCredibility.html). The relevant question is how the posterior parameters and credibility premium behave under sequential reporting, zero-data boundaries and different exposure amounts.

Setting

The latent claim frequency is measured in expected events per insured exposure unit. A Gamma prior has shape alpha greater than zero and rate beta greater than zero, so beta is the reciprocal of the Gamma scale. Conditional on this frequency, the observed number of claims C is Poisson with mean equal to exposure E times the intensity. Distinct observed blocks contribute counts C and D and exposures E and F. The formal declarations use natural numbers for counts and real numbers for rates, exposures and expected frequencies. The posterior shape/rate update and credibility-weight equations are the objects of the stated algebraic model.

The gamma posterior shape after observing claim count is named actuarial_gammaPoissonPosteriorShape in the Lean development. The Gamma prior uses the shape-and-rate parameterisation and starts with prior shape α. Observing a nonnegative integer aggregate count C increases the posterior shape to α+C. This is an algebraic conjugacy update rather than a complete formalisation of the Gamma probability density.

The gamma posterior rate after exposure volume is named actuarial_gammaPoissonPosteriorRate in the Lean development. The Gamma distribution's second parameter is a rate, not a scale. The posterior rate is prior rate β plus observed insured exposure E; this explicit convention prevents the common reciprocal-scale error in Poisson-Gamma credibility.

The posterior expected claim frequency per exposure unit is named actuarial_gammaPoissonPosteriorMean in the Lean development. For a Poisson count model and shape/rate Gamma prior, the posterior expected frequency per unit exposure is updated shape divided by updated rate. Positive prior rate and nonnegative exposure ensure an ordinary positive denominator.

The exposure-dependent exact bayesian credibility coefficient is named actuarial_gammaPoissonExperienceWeight in the Lean development. The exact credibility weight in the Poisson-Gamma conjugate model is E divided by β+E. When β>0 and E≥0 this lies between zero and one, approaching greater reliance on claim experience as accumulated exposure increases.

The weighted experience and collective frequency is named actuarial_gammaPoissonCredibilityBlend in the Lean development. The credibility premium combines observed aggregate claims per unit exposure C/E and the Gamma prior population frequency α/β, with respective weights E/(β+E) and β/(β+E). The usual representation requires E>0 and β>0; at zero exposure the claim rate C/E is not a valid observed experience statistic.

Formalization targets

The formal targets are ordered from elementary boundary and consistency claims to their combined capstone. The exact Lean identifiers below are the authoritative local targets; none of the listed theorem bodies is already accepted as a machine-checked proof. The mathematical results themselves are established actuarial or probability identities.

Baseline identities

The declaration ActuarialValuation.gammaPoissonPosteriorShape_zero states the following relation. When no claims are observed, the sufficient statistic added to the shape is zero. The updated Gamma posterior shape therefore equals its prior shape, even before imposing positivity required by the probabilistic model.

α+0=α\alpha+0=\alphaα+0=α

Stronger structural properties

The declaration ActuarialValuation.gammaPoissonCredibilityBlend_exact states the following relation. With positive prior rate and positive observed exposure, the observed claim frequency and collective mean are both well-defined. Substituting weight E/(β+E) and simplifying proves the exact Bayesian credibility decomposition of posterior mean (α+C)/(β+E).

Z C/E+(1−Z)α/β=(α+C)/(β+E)Z\,C/E+(1-Z)\alpha/\beta=(\alpha+C)/(\beta+E)ZC/E+(1−Z)α/β=(α+C)/(β+E)

Capstone valuation statement

The declaration ActuarialValuation.gammaPoissonCredibility_fundamental states the following relation. The capstone combines exact Gamma-Poisson experience credibility at positive exposure with associative sequential count/exposure updates and admissibility of the Bayesian experience weight. It formalises the conjugate-model parameter and premium algebra without claiming a full measure-theoretic Gamma likelihood integral.

λ^=ZC/E+(1−Z)α/β, α′=α+C, β′=β+E, 0≤Z≤1\hat\lambda=ZC/E+(1-Z)\alpha/\beta,\ \alpha'=\alpha+C,\ \beta'=\beta+E,\ 0\le Z\le1λ^=ZC/E+(1−Z)α/β, α′=α+C, β′=β+E, 0≤Z≤1

Significance

Exact agreement between the posterior mean and the collective/individual premium blend allows underwriting calculations to be reconciled across reporting intervals. Exposure aggregation must not alter the end-of-period estimate when the underlying sufficient statistics are unchanged. The additional Gamma predictive parameter variance explains why a future claim count can exhibit dispersion beyond that of a Poisson distribution with deterministic intensity. These are established properties of conjugate credibility models, rather than new claims about the existence of a posterior distribution; the mathematical background is described in https://openacttexts.github.io/LDAVer2/ChapCredibility.html. The formal output would certify the numeric parameter identities and boundary assumptions in Lean, allowing subsequent developments to reuse the same frequency and credibility conventions.

Difficulty

The common failure is to confuse a Gamma rate with a Gamma scale: this reverses the update and the ratio used as the experience credibility weight. Another false shortcut is to take the product of a zero exposure weight and an undefined observed count divided by zero as a meaningful zero experience contribution. Those algebraic terms are distinguishable in Lean's totalised division and in actuarial modelling. The exact mixture identity needs positive observed exposure, whereas the no-data statement requires both zero exposure and zero observed claims. Strict positivity is also essential when the total rate appears in a denominator.

Formalization scope

The Lean development uses Mathlib real arithmetic and natural claim counts. The source represents the posterior parameter update directly and does not formalise an underlying Gamma density, conditional-expectation kernel or integration proof of conjugacy. In particular, no vacuous statistical assumption is allowed to stand in for a parameter identity, and the nonzero-exposure requirement is retained where observed frequency occurs. Reusable contributions include real-valued exposure-ratio identities, independent positivity facts, sequential sufficient-statistic updates and sharply stated data boundaries. Further work could construct the probability-space interpretation or the negative-binomial predictive count law without changing the current capstone.

The five local definitions form the available mathematical vocabulary: actuarial_gammaPoissonPosteriorShape, actuarial_gammaPoissonPosteriorRate, actuarial_gammaPoissonPosteriorMean, actuarial_gammaPoissonExperienceWeight, actuarial_gammaPoissonCredibilityBlend. Their support conditions, nonzero denominators, and variable types are fixed by the Lean declarations rather than inferred from examples. The nontrivial mathematical content must not be replaced by a vacuous premise or by a special case that bypasses the model boundaries. The existing paper mathematics is known, while these particular theorem declarations remain formalisation targets with no accepted proofs. Contributions that strengthen reusable finite identities or expose missing boundary hypotheses are appropriate, provided they preserve the exact authoritative theorem types.

Selected references

  • S. David Promislow, Fundamentals of Actuarial Mathematics, third edition, Wiley, 2015. https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/fundamentals-of-actuarial/9781118782521/

  • OpenActTexts contributors, Loss Data Analytics: Experience Rating Using Credibility Theory, online actuarial textbook, accessed 2026. https://openacttexts.github.io/LDAVer2/ChapCredibility.html

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Mathematical PhysicsPartial Differential EquationsProbability+1·Captain: mikedeng1

Global-in-Time Mean-Field Convergence for Singular Riesz-Type Diffusive Flows 2: A Uniform-in-Time Modulated-Energy Bound for Globally Superharmonic Riesz-Type PotentialsResearch Paper

Motivation

Systems of many particles that interact through a singular pair potential and are subject to independent noise appear in plasma physics (Coulomb interactions), in vortex models of fluids, in models of collective behaviour and in the analysis of training dynamics of wide neural networks. When the number of particles NNN is large, the empirical measure of the system is expected to follow a deterministic nonlinear partial differential equation, the mean-field limit. For singular interactions the classical coupling arguments, which need Lipschitz forces, do not apply. The modulated-energy method of Serfaty (Duke Math. J. 2020) and its extensions by Duerinckx, Nguyen, Rosenzweig and Serfaty (NRS21, arXiv:2107.02592) give quantitative convergence for Riesz-type potentials ∣x∣−s|x|^{-s}∣x∣−s, but with rates that degrade exponentially in time.

M. Rosenzweig and S. Serfaty (arXiv:2108.09878v1, 2021) show that additive noise improves this: the expected modulated energy grows at most polynomially in time for sub-Coulombic potentials (their Theorem 1.1, the subject of the first mission of this series), and stays bounded uniformly in time when the potential is globally superharmonic (their Theorem 1.2, the subject of this mission). Uniform-in-time propagation of chaos had been known for smooth or convex interactions; this result covers singular, non-gradient interactions on the whole space.

Setting

Fix d≥3d\ge3d≥3, an exponent 0≤s<d−20\le s<d-20≤s<d−2, a diffusion strength σ>0\sigma>0σ>0 and a d×dd\times dd×d matrix M\mathbb MM with Mξ⋅ξ≤0\mathbb M\xi\cdot\xi\le0Mξ⋅ξ≤0 for all ξ\xiξ. The particle system is

dxit=1N∑j≠iM∇g(xit−xjt) dt+2σ dWit,i=1,…,N,dx^t_i=\frac1N\sum_{j\ne i}\mathbb M\nabla\mathsf g(x^t_i-x^t_j)\,dt+\sqrt{2\sigma}\,dW^t_i,\qquad i=1,\dots,N,dxit​=N1​j=i∑​M∇g(xit​−xjt​)dt+2σ​dWit​,i=1,…,N,

started from pairwise distinct points xN0=(x10,…,xN0)x^0_N=(x^0_1,\dots,x^0_N)xN0​=(x10​,…,xN0​) and driven by independent standard Brownian motions W1,…,WNW_1,\dots,W_NW1​,…,WN​ in Rd\mathbb R^dRd. The potential g\mathsf gg is admissible: it satisfies ten assumptions (i)–(x) on symmetry, blow-up at 000, superharmonicity near 000, derivative bounds of order ∣x∣−s−k|x|^{-s-k}∣x∣−s−k, a doubling property, a Fourier transform comparable to ∣ξ∣−(d−s)|\xi|^{-(d-s)}∣ξ∣−(d−s), an extension to Rd+m\mathbb R^{d+m}Rd+m when d−4<sd-4<sd−4<s, a Calderón–Zygmund property in the cases s=d−2ks=d-2ks=d−2k, and M:∇⊗2g≥0\mathbb M:\nabla^{\otimes2}\mathsf g\ge0M:∇⊗2g≥0. The model case is g(x)=∣x∣−s\mathsf g(x)=|x|^{-s}g(x)=∣x∣−s.

The mean-field equation is

∂tμ=−div⁡(μ M∇g∗μ)+σΔμ,μ∣t=0=μ0,\partial_t\mu=-\operatorname{div}(\mu\,\mathbb M\nabla\mathsf g*\mu)+\sigma\Delta\mu,\qquad\mu|_{t=0}=\mu^0,∂t​μ=−div(μM∇g∗μ)+σΔμ,μ∣t=0​=μ0,

for a probability density μ0∈L∞\mu^0\in L^\inftyμ0∈L∞, solved in the mild (Duhamel) sense in C([0,∞);L1∩L∞)C([0,\infty);L^1\cap L^\infty)C([0,∞);L1∩L∞). Closeness of the empirical measure μNt=1N∑iδxit\mu_N^t=\frac1N\sum_i\delta_{x^t_i}μNt​=N1​∑i​δxit​​ to μt\mu^tμt is measured by the modulated energy

FN(xN,μ)=∫(Rd)2∖△g(x−y) d(1N∑i=1Nδxi−μ)⊗2(x,y),F_N(x_N,\mu)=\int_{(\mathbb R^d)^2\setminus\triangle}\mathsf g(x-y)\,d\Big(\frac1N\sum_{i=1}^N\delta_{x_i}-\mu\Big)^{\otimes2}(x,y),FN​(xN​,μ)=∫(Rd)2∖△​g(x−y)d(N1​i=1∑N​δxi​​−μ)⊗2(x,y),

where the diagonal △\triangle△ is removed. The potential is globally superharmonic if Δg≤0\Delta\mathsf g\le0Δg≤0 on all of Rd∖{0}\mathbb R^d\setminus\{0\}Rd∖{0} ("r0=∞r_0=\inftyr0​=∞" in assumption (iii)).

Formalization targets

Goal: Theorem 1.2 for 0<s<d−20<s<d-20<s<d−2

For globally superharmonic admissible g\mathsf gg and every d/(s+2)<p≤∞d/(s+2)<p\le\inftyd/(s+2)<p≤∞ there are βp>0\beta_p>0βp​>0 (depending on s,d,ps,d,ps,d,p), C>0C>0C>0 (depending on s,d,σ,M,g,∥μ0∥L∞s,d,\sigma,\mathbb M,\mathsf g,\|\mu^0\|_{L^\infty}s,d,σ,M,g,∥μ0∥L∞​), Cp>0C_p>0Cp​>0 and N0N_0N0​ such that for all t≥0t\ge0t≥0 and N≥N0N\ge N_0N≥N0​,

E(∣FN(xNt,μt)∣)≤C(∣FN(xN0,μ0)∣+CpN−βp).\mathbb E\big(|F_N(x^t_N,\mu^t)|\big)\le C\big(|F_N(x^0_N,\mu^0)|+C_pN^{-\beta_p}\big).E(∣FN​(xNt​,μt)∣)≤C(∣FN​(xN0​,μ0)∣+Cp​N−βp​).

The right side does not depend on ttt. The case s=0s=0s=0 of the paper's display (1.19) is not part of the goal (see Formalization scope).

Milestones

The proof combines an inequality for the time derivative of the expected modulated energy (Proposition 6.3), lower bounds for the energy and for the diffusion term (Remarks 5.10, 5.11, Proposition 5.12, Remark 5.13, Corollary 5.14), a commutator estimate for the transport term (Proposition 5.15), and decay of ∥μt∥Lp\|\mu^t\|_{L^p}∥μt∥Lp​ (Remark 3.4, Proposition 3.8), with the potential estimates of Lemma 2.3 and Remark 2.5.

Significance

A uniform-in-time bound means that the mean-field description is valid on time scales that do not shrink as the accuracy requirement grows. Combined with the control of negative Sobolev norms by the modulated energy, it yields uniform-in-time convergence in law of the empirical measure and, for chaotic initial data, uniform-in-time propagation of chaos at an explicit rate, for singular interactions such as sub-Coulombic Riesz gases with dissipative or conservative dynamics.

The result is proved in the paper. No part of it, nor of the modulated-energy method, is formalized in any proof assistant. A formalization would produce a reusable library: Riesz potentials and their L1L^1L1–LpL^pLp interpolation, heat-type decay of nonlinear Fokker–Planck equations, smeared potentials and electric-energy lower bounds, renormalized commutator estimates, and a pathwise treatment of interacting diffusions with additive noise. The milestones are independent statements and can be proved separately.

Difficulty

The obvious Gronwall argument on the modulated energy fails twice. First, FNF_NFN​ is not nonnegative; it is bounded below only up to errors involving ∥μ∥L∞\|\mu\|_{L^\infty}∥μ∥L∞​, and the lower bounds near the singularity need the smearing of point charges on spheres. Second, the error terms produced when the commutator and diffusion terms are bounded must be integrable on [0,∞)[0,\infty)[0,∞); with the estimates of the general (local superharmonicity) case they grow linearly in time. Global superharmonicity removes an η2\eta^2η2 error term and lets every error carry a power of ∥μt∥L∞\|\mu^t\|_{L^\infty}∥μt∥L∞​, which decays like (σt)−d/2(\sigma t)^{-d/2}(σt)−d/2 by the Carlen–Loss method; for s=0s=0s=0 long-range effects still produce growth, which is why that case is excluded. Itô's formula cannot be applied directly to the singular energy and requires a truncation, whose stochastic integrals are removed in expectation only in the limit.

Formalization scope

All objects live in the Lean namespace RieszMF.Global and in one definitions module. Space is EuclideanSpace ℝ (Fin d); derivatives are iteratedFDeriv (operator norm), gradient and the Laplacian of Mathlib. The committed conventions:

  1. Fourier conditions (vi) and (1.17) are read away from the origin: a function g^\hat{\mathsf g}g^​ with ∫g Fφ=∫g^φ\int\mathsf g\,\mathcal F\varphi=\int\hat{\mathsf g}\varphi∫gFφ=∫g^​φ for Schwartz φ\varphiφ vanishing near 000.
  2. Assumption (iv) has a constant CkC_kCk​ for each kkk; quantities singular at 000 are required for x≠0x\neq0x=0 only; (ix) is stated componentwise with an L2L^2L2-bounded operator represented by the kernel off the support.
  3. Global superharmonicity is Δg≤0\Delta\mathsf g\le0Δg≤0 on Rd∖{0}\mathbb R^d\setminus\{0\}Rd∖{0}, together with (1.15)–(1.16) on all of Rd+m∖{0}\mathbb R^{d+m}\setminus\{0\}Rd+m∖{0} when d−4<sd-4<sd−4<s; (v) and (vii) keep a finite radius.
  4. Doubling condition (vii) for s>0s>0s>0 is read as g(y)<csg(x)\mathsf g(y)<c_s\mathsf g(x)g(y)<cs​g(x) whenever ∣y∣≥2∣x∣|y|\ge2|x|∣y∣≥2∣x∣, x≠0x\ne0x=0, with cs<1c_s<1cs​<1. The page prints g(x)<csg(y)\mathsf g(x)<c_s\mathsf g(y)g(x)<cs​g(y), which contradicts the blow-up (ii) and would leave no admissible potential, so the goal would hold vacuously. The model potential ∣x∣−s|x|^{-s}∣x∣−s satisfies the reading used here.
  5. The particle system is the pathwise integral equation (no Itô integral is needed for additive noise), with continuous paths and no collisions almost surely; the Brownian family is N⋅dN\cdot dN⋅d jointly independent standard real Brownian motions.
  6. The mild formulation of (1.5) requires every integral to converge absolutely and continuity in L1∩L∞L^1\cap L^\inftyL1∩L∞.
  7. Expectations of ∣FN∣|F_N|∣FN​∣ are lower Lebesgue integrals, and Proposition 6.3 moves positive and negative parts across the inequality, so no integrability is presupposed and no ∞−∞\infty-\infty∞−∞ arises.
  8. Constants are quantified after exactly the objects they may depend on: βp\beta_pβp​ after s,d,ps,d,ps,d,p; CCC after σ,M,g\sigma,\mathbb M,\mathsf gσ,M,g and ∥μ0∥L∞\|\mu^0\|_{L^\infty}∥μ0∥L∞​; CpC_pCp​ and N0N_0N0​ after ppp; all before μ0\mu^0μ0, NNN, the configuration, the probability space and ttt.

Restriction. The goal is Theorem 1.2 for 0<s<d−20<s<d-20<s<d−2 only, where the paper's time factor 1+(t1/σlog⁡(1+t))1s=01+(t^{1/\sigma}\log(1+t))\mathbf 1_{s=0}1+(t1/σlog(1+t))1s=0​ equals 111. For s=0s=0s=0 the proof yields a factor of order tC/σt^{C/\sigma}tC/σ rather than the printed t1/σlog⁡(1+t)t^{1/\sigma}\log(1+t)t1/σlog(1+t); the logarithmic case is covered by the first mission of this series.

Excluded trivializations. A statement in which CCC is chosen after μ0\mu^0μ0, NNN or the configuration, in which a divergent integral is read as 000, in which the solution classes are empty, or which uses N=0N=0N=0 or a division by zero is not a formalization of the theorem; the statements here avoid each of these.

Contributions are welcome on any milestone, on the existence of solutions in the classes used (which shows the hypotheses are satisfiable), and on general infrastructure (Riesz potentials, sphere averages, heat-kernel estimates) that other missions can reuse.

Selected references

  • M. Rosenzweig, S. Serfaty, Global-in-time mean-field convergence for singular Riesz-type diffusive flows, arXiv:2108.09878v1, 2021; Ann. Appl. Probab. 33(2), 2023. https://arxiv.org/abs/2108.09878
  • Q.-H. Nguyen, M. Rosenzweig, S. Serfaty, Mean-field limits of Riesz-type singular flows, Ars Inveniendi Analytica, 2022. https://arxiv.org/abs/2107.02592
  • S. Serfaty, Mean field limit for Coulomb-type flows, Duke Math. J. 169(15), 2020. https://doi.org/10.1215/00127094-2020-0019
  • M. Duerinckx, Mean-field limits for some Riesz interaction gradient flows, SIAM J. Math. Anal. 48(3), 2016. https://doi.org/10.1137/15M1042620
  • E. A. Carlen, M. Loss, Optimal smoothing and decay estimates for viscously damped conservation laws, with applications to the 2-D Navier–Stokes equation, Duke Math. J. 81(1), 1995. https://doi.org/10.1215/S0012-7094-95-08110-1
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Mathematical PhysicsPartial Differential EquationsProbability+1·Captain: mikedeng1

Global-in-Time Mean-Field Convergence for Singular Riesz-Type Diffusive Flows 1: The Expected Modulated Energy Grows at Most Polynomially in TimeResearch Paper

Motivation

Systems of NNN particles that interact through a singular pair potential and are driven by independent noise are used to model vortices in viscous fluids, collective motion of micro-organisms, aggregation phenomena and, more recently, the training dynamics of wide neural networks and stochastic gradient methods. When NNN is large, one expects the empirical measure of the particles to be close to the solution of a deterministic nonlinear PDE, the mean-field limit. Proving this with an explicit rate is difficult when the interaction is singular, because the classical coupling arguments need a Lipschitz force.

The modulated-energy method (Duerinckx 2016, Serfaty 2020, Nguyen–Rosenzweig–Serfaty 2021) measures the distance between the particles and the limit through a renormalized Coulomb/Riesz energy and closes a Gronwall argument on it. Rosenzweig and Serfaty (arXiv:2108.09878) extended it to systems with additive noise in the sub-Coulombic range. This mission formalizes their first main result, Theorem 1.1: the expected modulated energy grows at most linearly in time (polynomially for logarithmic interactions). A companion mission covers their uniform-in-time Theorem 1.2.

Setting

Fix d≥3d\ge3d≥3 and 0≤s<d−20\le s<d-20≤s<d−2. Positions live in Rd\mathbb R^dRd with Lebesgue measure. A d×dd\times dd×d real matrix M\mathbb MM satisfies Mξ⋅ξ≤0\mathbb M\xi\cdot\xi\le0Mξ⋅ξ≤0 for all ξ\xiξ (gradient flows M=−I\mathbb M=-\mathbb IM=−I, Hamiltonian flows M\mathbb MM antisymmetric, and mixtures). The interaction potential g:Rd→R\mathsf g:\mathbb R^d\to\mathbb Rg:Rd→R is admissible: it satisfies ten assumptions (i)–(x), with model cases g(x)=−log⁡∣x∣\mathsf g(x)=-\log|x|g(x)=−log∣x∣ (s=0s=0s=0) and g(x)=∣x∣−s\mathsf g(x)=|x|^{-s}g(x)=∣x∣−s (0<s<d−20<s<d-20<s<d−2). In short: g\mathsf gg is even, blows up at 000, is superharmonic on a punctured ball B(0,r0)∖{0}B(0,r_0)\setminus\{0\}B(0,r0​)∖{0}, is smooth off the origin with ∣∇⊗kg(x)∣≤Ck∣x∣−(s+k)|\nabla^{\otimes k}\mathsf g(x)|\le C_k|x|^{-(s+k)}∣∇⊗kg(x)∣≤Ck​∣x∣−(s+k) (plus a logarithm when s=k=0s=k=0s=k=0), has a Fourier transform comparable to ∣ξ∣s−d|\xi|^{s-d}∣ξ∣s−d, has a doubling property near 000, admits a superharmonic extension to Rd+m\mathbb R^{d+m}Rd+m when d−4<sd-4<sd−4<s, has a Calderón–Zygmund kernel condition when s=d−2ks=d-2ks=d−2k, and satisfies M:∇⊗2g≥0\mathbb M:\nabla^{\otimes2}\mathsf g\ge0M:∇⊗2g≥0.

The particle system (1.1) is

dxit=1N∑j≠iM∇g(xit−xjt) dt+2σ dWit,xit∣t=0=xi0,dx^t_i=\frac1N\sum_{j\ne i}\mathbb M\nabla\mathsf g(x^t_i-x^t_j)\,dt+\sqrt{2\sigma}\,dW^t_i,\qquad x^t_i|_{t=0}=x^0_i,dxit​=N1​j=i∑​M∇g(xit​−xjt​)dt+2σ​dWit​,xit​∣t=0​=xi0​,

with distinct initial points, σ>0\sigma>0σ>0, and W1,…,WNW_1,\dots,W_NW1​,…,WN​ independent standard Brownian motions in Rd\mathbb R^dRd. The mean-field equation (1.5) is

∂tμ=−div⁡(μ M∇g∗μ)+σΔμ,μ∣t=0=μ0,\partial_t\mu=-\operatorname{div}(\mu\,\mathbb M\nabla\mathsf g*\mu)+\sigma\Delta\mu,\qquad\mu|_{t=0}=\mu^0,∂t​μ=−div(μM∇g∗μ)+σΔμ,μ∣t=0​=μ0,

for a bounded probability density μ0\mu^0μ0, solved in the class C([0,∞);P(Rd)∩L∞(Rd))C([0,\infty);\mathcal P(\mathbb R^d)\cap L^\infty(\mathbb R^d))C([0,∞);P(Rd)∩L∞(Rd)). The modulated energy (1.6) is

FN(xN,μ)=∫(Rd)2∖△g(x−y) d(1N∑i=1Nδxi−μ)⊗2(x,y),F_N(x_N,\mu)=\int_{(\mathbb R^d)^2\setminus\triangle}\mathsf g(x-y)\,d\Big(\frac1N\sum_{i=1}^N\delta_{x_i}-\mu\Big)^{\otimes2}(x,y),FN​(xN​,μ)=∫(Rd)2∖△​g(x−y)d(N1​i=1∑N​δxi​​−μ)⊗2(x,y),

the diagonal △\triangle△ being removed to discard the infinite self-interaction of each particle.

Formalization targets

Goal: Theorem 1.1

There are β>0\beta>0β>0 depending on s,ds,ds,d only and, for every σ\sigmaσ, M\mathbb MM, admissible g\mathsf gg and value of ∥μ0∥L∞\|\mu^0\|_{L^\infty}∥μ0∥L∞​, a constant C>0C>0C>0 and a threshold N0N_0N0​ such that for all N≥N0N\ge N_0N≥N0​ and t≥0t\ge0t≥0

E(∣FN(xNt,μt)∣)≤C(1+t+tσ+Cσ1s=0)(∣FN(xN0,μ0)∣+N−β).\mathbb E\big(|F_N(x^t_N,\mu^t)|\big)\le C\Big(1+t+t^{\frac{\sigma+C}\sigma}\mathbf 1_{s=0}\Big)\Big(|F_N(x^0_N,\mu^0)|+N^{-\beta}\Big).E(∣FN​(xNt​,μt)∣)≤C(1+t+tσσ+C​1s=0​)(∣FN​(xN0​,μ0)∣+N−β).

The exponent β\betaβ and the constant are left unspecified, as in the paper.

Milestones

In the order the proof uses them:

  1. Lemma 2.3 and Remark 2.5: L∞L^\inftyL∞ bounds for Riesz potentials and for ∇⊗kg∗f\nabla^{\otimes k}\mathsf g*f∇⊗kg∗f.
  2. Remark 3.4, Proposition 3.9 and Proposition 3.8: LpL^pLp monotonicity, the sharp log-Sobolev inequality, and heat-equation decay ∥μt∥Lq≲(σt)−d2(1p−1q)∥μ0∥Lp\|\mu^t\|_{L^q}\lesssim(\sigma t)^{-\frac d2(\frac1p-\frac1q)}\|\mu^0\|_{L^p}∥μt∥Lq​≲(σt)−2d​(p1​−q1​)∥μ0∥Lp​.
  3. Proposition 4.5: the particle system has a unique strong solution whose particles never collide, obtained as the limit of smoothly truncated systems.
  4. Remarks 5.2, 5.3 and Proposition 5.4: lower bounds on FNF_NFN​ through smeared point charges.
  5. Corollary 5.6: the diffusion term ∬(−Δg) d(μN−μ)⊗2\iint(-\Delta\mathsf g)\,d(\mu_N-\mu)^{\otimes2}∬(−Δg)d(μN​−μ)⊗2 is bounded below by −C(1+∥μ∥L∞)N−min⁡{2,d−s−2}/min⁡{s+4,d}-C(1+\|\mu\|_{L^\infty})N^{-\min\{2,d-s-2\}/\min\{s+4,d\}}−C(1+∥μ∥L∞​)N−min{2,d−s−2}/min{s+4,d}.
  6. Proposition 5.7: the renormalized commutator estimate.
  7. Proposition 6.3: the expected Itô inequality for FNF_NFN​.

Significance

The theorem is a quantitative mean-field limit for singular interactions with additive noise on the whole space, covering conservative and dissipative dynamics at once. Since FNF_NFN​ controls a negative-order Sobolev distance between μNt\mu_N^tμNt​ and μt\mu^tμt, it gives convergence of the empirical measure, at a rate in NNN that deteriorates at most linearly in ttt for s>0s>0s>0. Its proof isolates estimates (the LpL^pLp decay of the nonlinear equation, the sign of the diffusion term, the commutator bound) that are reused for the uniform-in-time result of the companion mission.

The paper's results are proved; none of them has a machine-checked proof. Formalizing the theorem requires the modulated-energy machinery (smeared charges, Fourier positivity, commutator estimates), a Carlen–Loss decay argument, and an Itô-free treatment of the stochastic system. The milestones of §§2–3 are classical harmonic analysis (Riesz potentials, the Gross–Carlen log-Sobolev inequality) and are of independent use.

Difficulty

A direct Gronwall argument on E∣FN∣\mathbb E|F_N|E∣FN​∣ fails twice. The diffusion term σ∬Δg d(μN−μ)⊗2\sigma\iint\Delta\mathsf g\,d(\mu_N-\mu)^{\otimes2}σ∬Δgd(μN​−μ)⊗2 has no sign for a general configuration, because the singularity of Δg\Delta\mathsf gΔg at the origin is integrated against a signed measure with atoms; its control needs a second modulated-energy estimate for −Δg-\Delta\mathsf g−Δg, which is a potential of order s+2s+2s+2 and may be super-Coulombic, hence the extension of assumption (viii). The commutator term requires ∥∇ut∥L∞\|\nabla u^t\|_{L^\infty}∥∇ut∥L∞​, and bounding it by ∥μ0∥L∞\|\mu^0\|_{L^\infty}∥μ0∥L∞​ alone produces exponential growth in time; the polynomial bound needs the time decay of ∥μt∥L∞\|\mu^t\|_{L^\infty}∥μt∥L∞​, which for a nonlinear, non-divergence-free drift is not given by comparison with the heat equation. Finally, the Itô computation for FNF_NFN​ along the singular dynamics needs truncation and stopping times, since g\mathsf gg is not C2C^2C2 at collisions.

Formalization scope

All objects are defined in one module RieszMF.Linear.Setting. Space is EuclideanSpace ℝ (Fin d) with Lebesgue measure; derivatives are iteratedFDeriv with operator norms, Δ\DeltaΔ is Mathlib's Laplacian, and the Fourier transform is Mathlib's ∫e−2πix⋅ξφ(x) dx\int e^{-2\pi ix\cdot\xi}\varphi(x)\,dx∫e−2πix⋅ξφ(x)dx. Assumption (iv) is read with a constant CkC_kCk​ for each kkk; (vi) and (1.17) as Fourier transforms paired with Schwartz functions vanishing near the origin; (iii) pointwise on the punctured ball; one radius r0r_0r0​ for (iii), (v), (vii), (viii); m≥1m\ge1m≥1 in (viii). Assumption (vii) for s>0s>0s>0 is printed as g(x)<csg(y)\mathsf g(x)<c_s\mathsf g(y)g(x)<cs​g(y) for ∣y∣≥2∣x∣|y|\ge2|x|∣y∣≥2∣x∣, which together with (ii) is unsatisfiable; it is stated as g(y)<csg(x)\mathsf g(y)<c_s\mathsf g(x)g(y)<cs​g(x).

The solution of (1.5) is a mild solution (3.1) in C([0,∞);L1∩L∞)C([0,\infty);L^1\cap L^\infty)C([0,∞);L1∩L∞) with continuity in the L1+L∞L^1+L^\inftyL1+L∞ norm, with each μt\mu^tμt a probability density; every integral of (3.1) is required to converge. Because the noise is additive, a solution of (1.1) is a measurable process whose paths almost surely are continuous, never collide, and satisfy the integral equation with the Brownian path; no stochastic integral appears. Brownian motions are Mathlib's IsBrownianReal coordinates, jointly independent over all N⋅dN\cdot dN⋅d coordinates. Expectations are lower Lebesgue integrals of nonnegative quantities, and Proposition 6.3 is stated in [0,∞][0,\infty][0,∞] with positive and negative parts on opposite sides, so no ∞−∞\infty-\infty∞−∞ and no default value of a divergent integral enters.

The constants follow the paper's dependency lists: β\betaβ depends on s,ds,ds,d only and is chosen before σ,M,g\sigma,\mathbb M,\mathsf gσ,M,g; CCC and N0N_0N0​ are chosen after σ,M,g,r0\sigma,\mathbb M,\mathsf g,r_0σ,M,g,r0​ and ∥μ0∥L∞\|\mu^0\|_{L^\infty}∥μ0∥L∞​, before the data, NNN, the configuration, the probability space and ttt. A formalization with constants chosen after μ0\mu^0μ0, NNN or the configuration, with N=0N=0N=0, with a junk-zero integral in FNF_NFN​ or in (3.1), or with an empty solution class does not count. Corollary 5.6 is posed exactly under its printed assumptions, although its proof for 0≤s≤d−40\le s\le d-40≤s≤d−4 uses the superharmonicity of −Δg-\Delta\mathsf g−Δg, which those assumptions do not list.

Contributions welcome: proofs of the milestones, a Lean development of Riesz potentials and of the sharp log-Sobolev inequality on Rd\mathbb R^dRd, and the well-posedness of the mean-field equation that the goal takes as a hypothesis (Proposition 3.1 and its global continuation, not posed here).

Selected references

  • M. Rosenzweig, S. Serfaty, Global-in-time mean-field convergence for singular Riesz-type diffusive flows, arXiv:2108.09878v1, 2021; Ann. Appl. Probab. 33(2), 2023. https://arxiv.org/abs/2108.09878
  • Q. H. Nguyen, M. Rosenzweig, S. Serfaty, Mean-field limits of Riesz-type singular flows with possible multiplicative transport noise, arXiv:2107.02592, 2021. https://arxiv.org/abs/2107.02592
  • S. Serfaty, Mean field limit for Coulomb-type flows, Duke Math. J. 169(15), 2887–2935, 2020 (appendix with M. Duerinckx). https://arxiv.org/abs/1803.08345
  • E. Carlen, M. Loss, Optimal smoothing and decay estimates for viscously damped conservation laws, with applications to the 2-D Navier–Stokes equation, Duke Math. J. 81(1), 1995. https://doi.org/10.1215/S0012-7094-95-08110-1
  • L. Gross, Logarithmic Sobolev inequalities, Amer. J. Math. 97(4), 1975. https://doi.org/10.2307/2373688
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Optimal TransportOptimizationProbability+1·Captain: mikedeng1

Bridging Bayesian and Minimax Mean Square Error Estimation via Wasserstein Distributionally Robust Optimization 1: The Gelbrich Minimax and Normal-Prior Maximin Values Coincide (Sandwich Theorem)Research Paper

Motivation

Estimating an unknown parameter from a noisy linear measurement is the basic problem behind Kalman filtering, signal recovery and linear inverse problems. A Bayesian statistician picks the estimator that minimizes the mean square error under a prior distribution; a minimax statistician guards against the worst prior in some family. The Bayesian answer depends on a prior that is rarely known, and the minimax answer is often intractable.

Nguyen, Shafieezadeh-Abadeh, Kuhn and Mohajerin Esfahani (Math. Oper. Res. 48(1), 2023) bridge the two by letting nature choose the joint distribution of parameter and noise from a ball of radius ρ\rhoρ around a nominal distribution in the type-2 Wasserstein distance. At ρ=0\rho=0ρ=0 the problem is Bayesian; as ρ\rhoρ grows it becomes more conservative. For a normal nominal distribution they show that this distributionally robust problem is solved by an affine estimator, that a normal distribution is least favourable, and that both are computable from a finite convex program. The paper extends the Wasserstein Kalman filter of Shafieezadeh-Abadeh et al. (NeurIPS 2018), which treated a joint normal ball on (x,y)(x,y)(x,y), to the model with independent parameter and noise.

Setting

The parameter is x∈Rnx\in\mathbb R^nx∈Rn and the observation is y=Hx+w∈Rmy=Hx+w\in\mathbb R^my=Hx+w∈Rm, with a known observation matrix H∈Rm×nH\in\mathbb R^{m\times n}H∈Rm×n and noise www independent of xxx. Write M(Rd)\mathcal M(\mathbb R^d)M(Rd) for the probability distributions on Rd\mathbb R^dRd with finite second moments.

  • An estimator is a measurable ψ:Rm→Rn\psi:\mathbb R^m\to\mathbb R^nψ:Rm→Rn with ∥ψ(y)∥≤C(1+∥y∥)\|\psi(y)\|\le C(1+\|y\|)∥ψ(y)∥≤C(1+∥y∥) for some C>0C>0C>0; the family of estimators is F\mathcal FF, and A⊆F\mathcal A\subseteq\mathcal FA⊆F is the family of affine estimators ψ(y)=Ay+b\psi(y)=Ay+bψ(y)=Ay+b.
  • The average risk of ψ\psiψ under a joint distribution Q\mathbb QQ of (x,w)(x,w)(x,w) is R(ψ,Q)=EQ[∥x−ψ(Hx+w)∥2]\mathcal R(\psi,\mathbb Q)=\mathbb E_{\mathbb Q}[\|x-\psi(Hx+w)\|^2]R(ψ,Q)=EQ​[∥x−ψ(Hx+w)∥2].
  • The type-2 Wasserstein distance W(Q1,Q2)\mathbb W(\mathbb Q_1,\mathbb Q_2)W(Q1​,Q2​) is the square root of the least expected squared distance E∥ξ1−ξ2∥2\mathbb E\|\xi_1-\xi_2\|^2E∥ξ1​−ξ2​∥2 over all couplings of Q1\mathbb Q_1Q1​ and Q2\mathbb Q_2Q2​.
  • The Gelbrich distance between mean–covariance pairs is
G((μ1,Σ1),(μ2,Σ2))=∥μ1−μ2∥2+Tr⁡[Σ1+Σ2−2(Σ21/2Σ1Σ21/2)1/2].\mathbb G((\mu_1,\Sigma_1),(\mu_2,\Sigma_2))=\sqrt{\|\mu_1-\mu_2\|^2+\operatorname{Tr}\big[\Sigma_1+\Sigma_2-2(\Sigma_2^{1/2}\Sigma_1\Sigma_2^{1/2})^{1/2}\big]}.G((μ1​,Σ1​),(μ2​,Σ2​))=∥μ1​−μ2​∥2+Tr[Σ1​+Σ2​−2(Σ21/2​Σ1​Σ21/2​)1/2]​.

The nominal distribution is a product P^=P^x×P^w\widehat{\mathbb P}=\widehat{\mathbb P}_x\times\widehat{\mathbb P}_wP=Px​×Pw​ with radii ρx,ρw≥0\rho_x,\rho_w\ge0ρx​,ρw​≥0. Three ambiguity sets of product distributions Qx×Qw\mathbb Q_x\times\mathbb Q_wQx​×Qw​ appear:

  • the Wasserstein ball B(P^)\mathbb B(\widehat{\mathbb P})B(P): Qx∈M(Rn)\mathbb Q_x\in\mathcal M(\mathbb R^n)Qx​∈M(Rn), Qw∈M(Rm)\mathbb Q_w\in\mathcal M(\mathbb R^m)Qw​∈M(Rm), W(Qx,P^x)≤ρx\mathbb W(\mathbb Q_x,\widehat{\mathbb P}_x)\le\rho_xW(Qx​,Px​)≤ρx​, W(Qw,P^w)≤ρw\mathbb W(\mathbb Q_w,\widehat{\mathbb P}_w)\le\rho_wW(Qw​,Pw​)≤ρw​;
  • the Gelbrich ball G(P^)\mathbb G(\widehat{\mathbb P})G(P): the marginals' mean–covariance pairs lie within Gelbrich distance ρx\rho_xρx​, ρw\rho_wρw​ of those of P^x\widehat{\mathbb P}_xPx​, P^w\widehat{\mathbb P}_wPw​;
  • for normal P^x=N(μ^x,Σ^x)\widehat{\mathbb P}_x=\mathcal N(\widehat\mu_x,\widehat\Sigma_x)Px​=N(μ​x​,Σx​), P^w=N(μ^w,Σ^w)\widehat{\mathbb P}_w=\mathcal N(\widehat\mu_w,\widehat\Sigma_w)Pw​=N(μ​w​,Σw​), the normal ball BN(P^)\mathbb B_{\mathcal N}(\widehat{\mathbb P})BN​(P): products N(μ^x,Σx)×N(μ^w,Σw)\mathcal N(\widehat\mu_x,\Sigma_x)\times\mathcal N(\widehat\mu_w,\Sigma_w)N(μ​x​,Σx​)×N(μ​w​,Σw​) in B(P^)\mathbb B(\widehat{\mathbb P})B(P) with Σx⪰0\Sigma_x\succeq0Σx​⪰0, Σw≻0\Sigma_w\succ0Σw​≻0.

Then BN(P^)⊆B(P^)⊆G(P^)\mathbb B_{\mathcal N}(\widehat{\mathbb P})\subseteq\mathbb B(\widehat{\mathbb P})\subseteq\mathbb G(\widehat{\mathbb P})BN​(P)⊆B(P)⊆G(P).

Formalization targets

Goal: Theorem 4.1 (sandwich theorem)

For P^\widehat{\mathbb P}P normal with Σ^w≻0\widehat\Sigma_w\succ0Σw​≻0,

inf⁡ψ∈A sup⁡Q∈G(P^) R(ψ,Q)=sup⁡Q∈BN(P^) inf⁡ψ∈F R(ψ,Q).\inf_{\psi\in\mathcal A}\ \sup_{\mathbb Q\in\mathbb G(\widehat{\mathbb P})}\ \mathcal R(\psi,\mathbb Q)=\sup_{\mathbb Q\in\mathbb B_{\mathcal N}(\widehat{\mathbb P})}\ \inf_{\psi\in\mathcal F}\ \mathcal R(\psi,\mathbb Q).ψ∈Ainf​ Q∈G(P)sup​ R(ψ,Q)=Q∈BN​(P)sup​ ψ∈Finf​ R(ψ,Q).

The left side is the Gelbrich MMSE problem (2.1), the right side the dual problem over normal priors (3.3). The Wasserstein problem (1.7), inf⁡Fsup⁡B\inf_{\mathcal F}\sup_{\mathbb B}infF​supB​, and its dual (3.1), sup⁡Binf⁡F\sup_{\mathbb B}\inf_{\mathcal F}supB​infF​, lie between them, so all four values coincide.

Milestones

  1. Proposition A.3: the closed form of sup⁡Σ⪰0⟨D,Σ⟩−γTr⁡[Σ−2(Σ^1/2ΣΣ^1/2)1/2]\sup_{\Sigma\succeq0}\langle D,\Sigma\rangle-\gamma\operatorname{Tr}[\Sigma-2(\widehat\Sigma^{1/2}\Sigma\widehat\Sigma^{1/2})^{1/2}]supΣ⪰0​⟨D,Σ⟩−γTr[Σ−2(Σ1/2ΣΣ1/2)1/2] and its maximizer.
  2. Theorem 2.7: problem (2.1) equals a finite convex program (2.2), and for ρx,ρw>0\rho_x,\rho_w>0ρx​,ρw​>0 an affine estimator attains it.
  3. Lemma A.6: the covariance Gelbrich set S\mathcal SS is convex and compact, with Tr⁡[Σ]≤(ρ+Tr⁡[Σ^]1/2)2\operatorname{Tr}[\Sigma]\le(\rho+\operatorname{Tr}[\widehat\Sigma]^{1/2})^2Tr[Σ]≤(ρ+Tr[Σ]1/2)2.
  4. Proposition A.4 (i): max⁡Σ∈S⟨D,Σ⟩\max_{\Sigma\in\mathcal S}\langle D,\Sigma\ranglemaxΣ∈S​⟨D,Σ⟩ equals a one-dimensional infimum (A.6).
  5. Lemma A.5: a max–min problem over S\mathcal SS has a maximizer Σ⋆⪰λmin⁡(Σ^)I\Sigma^\star\succeq\lambda_{\min}(\widehat\Sigma)IΣ⋆⪰λmin​(Σ)I.
  6. Display (3.5): over normal priors, affine estimators suffice.
  7. Display (3.8): for Σ^w≻0\widehat\Sigma_w\succ0Σw​≻0 the value of (3.3) is a finite sup–inf over covariance matrices.

Companion statements, not milestones: Theorem 3.5 (problem (3.3) equals the finite program (3.4)), Corollary 4.2 (the optimal affine estimator and the optimal normal prior form a Nash equilibrium on B(P^)\mathbb B(\widehat{\mathbb P})B(P)) and Corollary 4.3 (the minimax estimator from a maximizer of (3.4)).

Significance

The sandwich theorem says that robustifying the MMSE problem against Wasserstein uncertainty around a normal distribution costs nothing in tractability: the optimal estimator is affine, the worst-case distribution is normal, and both follow from a convex program in the covariance matrices. The resulting estimator is a Kalman-type update with a least favourable covariance in place of the nominal one, which is what makes the result usable in filtering. The paper also extends it to elliptical nominal distributions (Section 5) and develops a Frank–Wolfe method for (3.4) (Section 6).

The results are proved in the paper; none of them is machine-checked. A formalization adds a checked account of a minimax argument that combines optimal transport (the Gelbrich bound and its equality for normal laws), nonlinear semidefinite programming (Propositions A.3 and A.4) and Bayesian estimation for Gaussian laws. The appendix statements are general facts about the Gelbrich ball of covariance matrices and serve beyond this paper.

Difficulty

The left side of the goal is an infimum over affine estimators of a supremum over an infinite-dimensional set of distributions; the right side reverses the order and restricts nature to normal laws while allowing every estimator. Weak duality gives ≥\ge≥ at once. For the reverse inequality, Sion's minimax theorem cannot be applied to the distributions directly: BN(P^)\mathbb B_{\mathcal N}(\widehat{\mathbb P})BN​(P) is not convex, since mixtures of normal laws are not normal, and G(P^)\mathbb G(\widehat{\mathbb P})G(P) is not compact in any useful topology. The equality has to pass through the finite matrix problems, where the worst covariance matrices must be shown to stay bounded away from singularity so that the normal noise covariance remains positive definite. That is the role of Lemma A.5 and of the hypothesis Σ^w≻0\widehat\Sigma_w\succ0Σw​≻0.

Formalization scope

  • Rd\mathbb R^dRd is EuclideanSpace ℝ (Fin d). The risk is a lower Lebesgue integral in [0,∞][0,\infty][0,∞], and every optimal value is a [0,∞][0,\infty][0,∞]- or EReal-valued infimum or supremum restricted by a membership predicate. The finite programs (2.2), (3.4), (A.3), (A.5), (A.6), (A.9) take values in EReal.
  • M(Rd)\mathcal M(\mathbb R^d)M(Rd) is "probability measure with E∥ξ∥2<∞\mathbb E\|\xi\|^2<\inftyE∥ξ∥2<∞" and is required wherever the page requires it, because means and covariances are Bochner integrals with junk value 000 otherwise.
  • F\mathcal FF keeps both measurability and linear growth.
  • N(μ,Σ)\mathcal N(\mu,\Sigma)N(μ,Σ) is Mathlib's multivariateGaussian. W\mathbb WW, means, covariances, the PSD square root and the Gelbrich ball are the published definitions WassersteinDRO.Gelbrich.{wassersteinDistance, meanVector, covarianceMatrix, psdSqrt, meanCovarianceUncertaintySet}.
  • λmin⁡\lambda_{\min}λmin​ and λmax⁡\lambda_{\max}λmax​ are 000 at dimension 000, where every statement reduces to a trivial one.
  • Added hypothesis. The goal assumes Σ^w≻0\widehat\Sigma_w\succ0Σw​≻0, which the page omits. The theorem fails without it: for n=m=1n=m=1n=m=1, H=0H=0H=0, Σ^x=1\widehat\Sigma_x=1Σx​=1, Σ^w=0\widehat\Sigma_w=0Σw​=0 and ρx=ρw=0\rho_x=\rho_w=0ρx​=ρw​=0, the normal ball is empty while the left side equals 111. The page's own proof uses (3.8), which it derives only for Σ^w≻0\widehat\Sigma_w\succ0Σw​≻0.
  • Theorem 3.5. The bounds Σ⋆⪰λmin⁡(Σ^)I\Sigma^\star\succeq\lambda_{\min}(\widehat\Sigma)IΣ⋆⪰λmin​(Σ)I are stated for some maximizer of (3.4), not for every maximizer.
  • Omitted. Proposition A.4 (ii)–(iii) is false as printed in two places and is not posed (see the mission notes). Propositions 2.4 and 3.4 (the Gelbrich bound and its equality for normal laws) are already on the platform and are not posed again.
  • Ruled out. A formalization in which BN(P^)\mathbb B_{\mathcal N}(\widehat{\mathbb P})BN​(P) is empty, the risk is a Bochner integral, or the optimal values are real sSup/sInf would make the goal trivial or false. A sanity check exhibits a member of BN(P^)\mathbb B_{\mathcal N}(\widehat{\mathbb P})BN​(P) whenever Σ^w≻0\widehat\Sigma_w\succ0Σw​≻0, and an affine estimator.

Proofs of any milestone are welcome, and so are reusable lemmas on the Gelbrich ball, the matrix square root and Gaussian conditioning.

Selected references

  • V. A. Nguyen, S. Shafieezadeh-Abadeh, D. Kuhn, P. Mohajerin Esfahani, Bridging Bayesian and minimax mean square error estimation via Wasserstein distributionally robust optimization, Math. Oper. Res. 48(1), 2023. https://arxiv.org/abs/1911.03539v2, https://doi.org/10.1287/moor.2021.1176
  • S. Shafieezadeh-Abadeh, V. A. Nguyen, D. Kuhn, P. Mohajerin Esfahani, Wasserstein distributionally robust Kalman filtering, NeurIPS 31, 2018. https://arxiv.org/abs/1809.08830
  • M. Gelbrich, On a formula for the L2 Wasserstein metric between measures on Euclidean and Hilbert spaces, Math. Nachr. 147, 1990. https://doi.org/10.1002/mana.19901470121
  • C. R. Givens, R. M. Shortt, A class of Wasserstein metrics for probability distributions, Michigan Math. J. 31(2), 1984. https://doi.org/10.1307/mmj/1029003026
  • M. Sion, On general minimax theorems, Pacific J. Math. 8, 1958. https://doi.org/10.2140/pjm.1958.8.171
  • V. A. Nguyen, D. Kuhn, P. Mohajerin Esfahani, Distributionally robust inverse covariance estimation: the Wasserstein shrinkage estimator, Oper. Res. 70(1), 2022. https://arxiv.org/abs/1805.07194
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AnalysisPartial Differential EquationsProbability+1·Captain: mikedeng1

Diffusion Approximation for Fully Coupled Stochastic Differential Equations 1: The Parametric Poisson Equation Has a Unique Centered Solution with Optimal Regularity in x and yResearch Paper

Motivation

Poisson equations for the generator of an ergodic diffusion are a standard tool in stochastic averaging, homogenization and diffusion approximation: to show that a fast ergodic component averages out in a slow equation, one writes the fluctuation f(Xt,Yt)f(X_t,Y_t)f(Xt​,Yt​) as L0u\mathscr L_0 uL0​u and applies Itô's formula to uuu. This requires a solution uuu whose regularity is controlled in two variables at once: the fast variable xxx, in which the operator is elliptic, and the slow variable yyy, which enters as a parameter.

  • Pardoux and Veretennikov (Ann. Probab. 2001, 2003, 2005) studied this equation in the whole space Rd1\mathbb R^{d_1}Rd1​ and used it for diffusion approximation of slow–fast SDEs. In parts I and III the operator does not depend on the parameter, and the solution's regularity in xxx is of Sobolev type; regularity in yyy was obtained by differentiating the associated semigroup in the parameter (Röckner–Xie, Remark 2.2(iii) and p. 1213).
  • Röckner and Xie (2021) prove optimal Hölder regularity in xxx and show that regularity in yyy follows from it, for fully coupled coefficients that depend on both variables and are only Hölder continuous. This mission formalizes that result (their Theorem 2.1) and the steps of its proof.

Setting

Fix d1,d2≥1d_1,d_2\ge1d1​,d2​≥1, a matrix field a(x,y)=(aij(x,y))a(x,y)=(a^{ij}(x,y))a(x,y)=(aij(x,y)) and a vector field b(x,y)∈Rd1b(x,y)\in\mathbb R^{d_1}b(x,y)∈Rd1​ on Rd1×Rd2\mathbb R^{d_1}\times\mathbb R^{d_2}Rd1​×Rd2​. The frozen operator acts on functions of xxx with yyy held fixed:

L0(x,y)=∑i,j=1d1aij(x,y)∂2∂xi∂xj+∑i=1d1bi(x,y)∂∂xi.\mathscr L_0(x,y)=\sum_{i,j=1}^{d_1}a^{ij}(x,y)\frac{\partial^2}{\partial x_i\partial x_j}+\sum_{i=1}^{d_1}b^i(x,y)\frac{\partial}{\partial x_i}.L0​(x,y)=i,j=1∑d1​​aij(x,y)∂xi​∂xj​∂2​+i=1∑d1​​bi(x,y)∂xi​∂​.

The Poisson equation (1.1) is L0(x,y)u(x,y)=f(x,y)\mathscr L_0(x,y)u(x,y)=f(x,y)L0​(x,y)u(x,y)=f(x,y) for all x∈Rd1x\in\mathbb R^{d_1}x∈Rd1​, for each parameter y∈Rd2y\in\mathbb R^{d_2}y∈Rd2​.

The standing assumptions are:

  • (Aσ): a=σσ∗a=\sigma\sigma^*a=σσ∗ is uniformly nondegenerate, i.e. λ−1∣ξ∣2≤∣a(x,y)ξ∣2≤λ∣ξ∣2\lambda^{-1}|\xi|^2\le|a(x,y)\xi|^2\le\lambda|\xi|^2λ−1∣ξ∣2≤∣a(x,y)ξ∣2≤λ∣ξ∣2 for some λ>1\lambda>1λ>1;
  • (Ab): lim⁡∣x∣→∞sup⁡y⟨x,b(x,y)⟩=−∞\lim_{|x|\to\infty}\sup_y\langle x,b(x,y)\rangle=-\inftylim∣x∣→∞​supy​⟨x,b(x,y)⟩=−∞, a weak recurrence condition.

Under these, for each yyy the frozen diffusion dXt=b(Xt,y) dt+σ(Xt,y) dWtdX_t=b(X_t,y)\,dt+\sigma(X_t,y)\,dW_tdXt​=b(Xt​,y)dt+σ(Xt​,y)dWt​ has a unique invariant measure μy\mu^yμy. Since constants solve L0u=0\mathscr L_0u=0L0​u=0, the equation is only solvable for centered right-hand sides, ∫f(x,y) μy(dx)=0\int f(x,y)\,\mu^y(dx)=0∫f(x,y)μy(dx)=0 for every yyy (1.3), and the solution is fixed by requiring it to be centered as well.

Regularity is measured in weighted Hölder classes. f∈Cpδ,0f\in C^{\delta,0}_pf∈Cpδ,0​ (0<δ≤10<\delta\le10<δ≤1) means ∣f(x,y)∣≤C(1+∣x∣m)|f(x,y)|\le C(1+|x|^m)∣f(x,y)∣≤C(1+∣x∣m) and ∣f(x1,y)−f(x2,y)∣≤C(∣x1−x2∣δ∧1)(1+∣x1∣m+∣x2∣m)|f(x_1,y)-f(x_2,y)|\le C(|x_1-x_2|^\delta\wedge1)(1+|x_1|^m+|x_2|^m)∣f(x1​,y)−f(x2​,y)∣≤C(∣x1​−x2​∣δ∧1)(1+∣x1​∣m+∣x2​∣m), uniformly in yyy. Cpδ,ηC^{\delta,\eta}_pCpδ,η​ adds η\etaη derivatives in yyy, with a (η−[η])(\eta-[\eta])(η−[η])-Hölder top derivative. The subscript bbb denotes the bounded version, and Cp2+δ,ηC^{2+\delta,\eta}_pCp2+δ,η​ asks the same of ∇x2u\nabla^2_xu∇x2​u together with growth bounds on uuu and ∇xu\nabla_xu∇x​u.

Formalization targets

Goal: Theorem 2.1

If (Aσ), (Ab) hold and a,b∈Cbδ,ηa,b\in C^{\delta,\eta}_ba,b∈Cbδ,η​ with 0<δ≤10<\delta\le10<δ≤1, η≥0\eta\ge0η≥0, then for every centered f∈Cpδ,ηf\in C^{\delta,\eta}_pf∈Cpδ,η​ there is a unique centered u∈Cp2+δ,ηu\in C^{2+\delta,\eta}_pu∈Cp2+δ,η​ with L0u=f\mathscr L_0u=fL0​u=f. For some C0,m>0C_0,m>0C0​,m>0,

∣u∣+∣∇xu∣+∣∇x2u∣≤C0(1+∣x∣m),∣∇x2u(x1,y)−∇x2u(x2,y)∣≤C0(∣x1−x2∣δ∧1)(1+∣x1∣m+∣x2∣m),|u|+|\nabla_xu|+|\nabla^2_xu|\le C_0(1+|x|^m),\qquad|\nabla^2_xu(x_1,y)-\nabla^2_xu(x_2,y)|\le C_0(|x_1-x_2|^\delta\wedge1)(1+|x_1|^m+|x_2|^m),∣u∣+∣∇x​u∣+∣∇x2​u∣≤C0​(1+∣x∣m),∣∇x2​u(x1​,y)−∇x2​u(x2​,y)∣≤C0​(∣x1​−x2​∣δ∧1)(1+∣x1​∣m+∣x2​∣m),

and, for η>0\eta>0η>0, ∥u(x,⋅)∥Cbη≤C0(1+∣x∣m)\|u(x,\cdot)\|_{C^\eta_b}\le C_0(1+|x|^m)∥u(x,⋅)∥Cbη​​≤C0​(1+∣x∣m).

Milestones, in the order of the proof

  1. The transfer formula for η=1\eta=1η=1 (Remark 3.3(ii), Lemma 3.2(i)): if u∈Cp2+δ,0u\in C^{2+\delta,0}_pu∈Cp2+δ,0​ solves L0u=h−hˉ\mathscr L_0u=h-\bar hL0​u=h−hˉ, then
∂y∫h(x,y) μy(dx)=∫[∂yh−∂L0∂yu](x,y) μy(dx).\partial_y\int h(x,y)\,\mu^y(dx)=\int\Big[\partial_yh-\frac{\partial\mathscr L_0}{\partial y}u\Big](x,y)\,\mu^y(dx).∂y​∫h(x,y)μy(dx)=∫[∂y​h−∂y∂L0​​u](x,y)μy(dx).
  1. The increment formula (3.10) for η∈(0,1)\eta\in(0,1)η∈(0,1) (Lemma 3.2(ii)), with hˉ∈Cbη\bar h\in C^\eta_bhˉ∈Cbη​.
  2. Theorem 2.1 for η=0\eta=0η=0: existence, uniqueness and the xxx-estimates (2.1)–(2.2).
  3. Step 3: the right-hand side ∂yf−∂yL0 u\partial_yf-\partial_y\mathscr L_0\,u∂y​f−∂y​L0​u of the differentiated equation is centered.
  4. Step 3: for η=1\eta=1η=1 the solution satisfies ∂yu∈Cp2+δ,0\partial_yu\in C^{2+\delta,0}_p∂y​u∈Cp2+δ,0​ and ∣∂yu∣≤C(1+∣x∣m)|\partial_yu|\le C(1+|x|^m)∣∂y​u∣≤C(1+∣x∣m).
  5. Step 4: for η∈(0,1)\eta\in(0,1)η∈(0,1), ∣u(x,y1)−u(x,y2)∣≤C(∣y1−y2∣η∧1)(1+∣x∣m)|u(x,y_1)-u(x,y_2)|\le C(|y_1-y_2|^\eta\wedge1)(1+|x|^m)∣u(x,y1​)−u(x,y2​)∣≤C(∣y1​−y2​∣η∧1)(1+∣x∣m).

Significance

The theorem supplies the corrector used in Theorem 2.3 of the same paper, the weak convergence rate of the slow component of a fully coupled multiscale SDE to its averaged limit. Its form, regularity in yyy matching that of the data and no derivative of μy\mu^yμy in yyy, is what lets the rates depend only on the regularity of the coefficients in the slow variable. The transfer formulas (3.9)–(3.10) also show that averaged coefficients hˉ(y)=∫h dμy\bar h(y)=\int h\,d\mu^yhˉ(y)=∫hdμy inherit the yyy-regularity of hhh, a question that comes up in every averaging or homogenization limit.

The result is proved in the paper. None of it is formalized: Lean and Mathlib have no fundamental solutions of non-divergence elliptic operators, no Schauder theory and no invariant measures of diffusions. The mission poses the statements, so that the proof can be built in layers and the parts that do not depend on the Gaussian kernel bounds (the transfer formulas given a solution, the induction in Steps 3–4) can be proved separately.

Difficulty

Existence and the estimates (2.1)–(2.2) rest on the probabilistic representation u=∫0∞Ttf dtu=\int_0^\infty T_tf\,dtu=∫0∞​Tt​fdt and on Gaussian bounds and ergodic decay for the fundamental solution pt(x,x′;y)p_t(x,x';y)pt​(x,x′;y) of L0(⋅,y)\mathscr L_0(\cdot,y)L0​(⋅,y) (Lemma 3.1, cited from Ladyzhenskaya–Solonnikov–Ural'tseva and Pardoux–Veretennikov II, Proposition 3). The coefficients are only Hölder in xxx, so the Hessian bound needs the cancellation ∫∇x2pt dx′\int\nabla^2_xp_t\,dx'∫∇x2​pt​dx′ (3.3), not just a size estimate on ∇x2pt\nabla^2_xp_t∇x2​pt​. The obvious approach to yyy-regularity, differentiating TtfT_tfTt​f or μy\mu^yμy in yyy, needs derivatives of the invariant density in the parameter, which are hard to control. The paper's route, differentiating the equation and using the transfer formula to recenter, only works if the differentiated right-hand side is again centered. That centering is the content of Lemma 3.2.

Formalization scope

  • Rd\mathbb R^dRd is EuclideanSpace ℝ (Fin d); ∇x\nabla_x∇x​, ∇x2\nabla^2_x∇x2​ are fderiv and iteratedFDeriv ℝ 2 in xxx, ∂yj\partial^j_y∂yj​ is iteratedFDeriv ℝ j in yyy, with operator norms. yyy-derivatives in the milestones are directional.
  • (Aσ) includes symmetric positive semidefiniteness of aaa (the content of a=σσ∗a=\sigma\sigma^*a=σσ∗). (Ab) is the ∀M ∃R\forall M\,\exists R∀M∃R form.
  • μy\mu^yμy is a hypothesis: a family of probability measures, each infinitesimally invariant for L0(⋅,y)\mathscr L_0(\cdot,y)L0​(⋅,y) (∫L0g dμy=0\int\mathscr L_0g\,d\mu^y=0∫L0​gdμy=0 for smooth compactly supported ggg). Under the assumptions this is the unique invariant measure of the frozen SDE (1.7); the SDE itself is not formalized. No moment bounds on μy\mu^yμy are assumed, since they are consequences.
  • Centering includes μy\mu^yμy-integrability, and every integral formula in a conclusion asserts integrability of its integrand, so no statement can hold through a junk zero integral.
  • The classes include the polynomial growth bound and all lower yyy-derivatives; matrix coefficients are in Cbδ,ηC^{\delta,\eta}_bCbδ,η​ entrywise; η≥0\eta\ge0η≥0 is real, split as [η]+[\eta]+[η]+ fractional part; a yyy-derivative is read as continuous (CkC^kCk in yyy). The CbηC^\eta_bCbη​ norm is in max form.
  • Not posed: the clause that C0,mC_0,mC0​,m depend "only on d1,d2d_1,d_2d1​,d2​, ∥a∥Cbδ,0\|a\|_{C^{\delta,0}_b}∥a∥Cbδ,0​​, ∥b∥Cbδ,0\|b\|_{C^{\delta,0}_b}∥b∥Cbδ,0​​, [f]Cpδ,0[f]_{C^{\delta,0}_p}[f]Cpδ,0​​", which is false as printed ([f]Cpδ,0[f]_{C^{\delta,0}_p}[f]Cpδ,0​​ is a supremum over the unit ball, and λ\lambdaλ and the rate in (Ab) are missing), and the recursive constant Kη\mathcal K_\etaKη​ of (2.4)–(2.5). The constants exist for each fixed (a,b,f)(a,b,f)(a,b,f). (2.1)–(2.2), printed under "Case η = 0", are asserted for every η\etaη.
  • Uniqueness is stated for the whole class Cp2+δ,ηC^{2+\delta,\eta}_pCp2+δ,η​, not only among solutions that satisfy the estimates. Without the invariance of μy\mu^yμy for the same a,ba,ba,b, or without centering, the statement would be false; both are part of the hypotheses.
  • Useful contributions beyond this mission: Hölder spaces with polynomial weights, fundamental solutions of non-divergence-form operators, invariant measures of elliptic diffusions, and the identification of infinitesimally invariant measures with invariant measures of the diffusion.

Selected references

  • M. Röckner, L. Xie, Diffusion approximation for fully coupled stochastic differential equations, Ann. Probab. 49(3), 1205–1236, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1214/20-AOP1475
  • E. Pardoux, A. Yu. Veretennikov, On the Poisson equation and diffusion approximation. I, Ann. Probab. 29(3), 1061–1085, 2001. https://doi.org/10.1214/aop/1015345596
  • E. Pardoux, A. Yu. Veretennikov, On Poisson equation and diffusion approximation. II, Ann. Probab. 31(3), 1166–1192, 2003. https://doi.org/10.1214/aop/1055425774
  • E. Pardoux, A. Yu. Veretennikov, On the Poisson equation and diffusion approximation 3, Ann. Probab. 33(3), 1111–1133, 2005. https://doi.org/10.1214/009117905000000062
  • O. A. Ladyzhenskaya, V. A. Solonnikov, N. N. Ural'tseva, Linear and Quasi-linear Equations of Parabolic Type, AMS Translations of Mathematical Monographs 23, 1968. https://mathscinet.ams.org/mathscinet-getitem?mr=0241822
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Calculus of VariationsFunctional AnalysisOptimization·Captain: mikedeng1

Nonlinear Quasi-hemivariational Inequalities: Existence and Optimal Control: Existence of Solutions to the Generalized Quasi-Hemivariational InequalityResearch Paper

Motivation

Hemivariational inequalities were introduced by Panagiotopoulos in the 1980s to model mechanical problems whose energy functional is neither convex nor smooth: nonmonotone friction, adhesion, delamination and unilateral contact with nonmonotone multivalued laws. Where a variational inequality expresses the optimality condition of a convex energy, a hemivariational inequality expresses a stationarity condition of a locally Lipschitz energy through Clarke's generalized directional derivative. When in addition the admissible set depends on the unknown state, as in contact problems with a solution-dependent gap or in Nash-type equilibrium problems with coupled constraints, the problem becomes a quasi-hemivariational inequality.

Zeng, Migórski and Khan (SIAM J. Control Optim. 59 (2021)) treat a general form of this problem that contains a multivalued operator TTT, a bifunction φ\varphiφ and a constraint map KKK at once. Their existence theorem for it, Theorem 3.8, is the base of an optimal control result (Section 4) and of an application to a frictional contact problem in elasticity (Section 5). This mission formalizes the existence part, Sections 2 and 3 of the paper.

Setting

Let VVV be a real reflexive Banach space with dual V∗V^*V∗ and pairing ⟨⋅,⋅⟩\langle\cdot,\cdot\rangle⟨⋅,⋅⟩, and let XXX, YYY be real Banach spaces. The data are: a nonempty closed convex set C⊆VC\subseteq VC⊆V; a multivalued constraint map K:C→2CK:C\to2^CK:C→2C; a multivalued operator T:C→2V∗T:C\to2^{V^*}T:C→2V∗; a function φ:V×V→R\varphi:V\times V\to\mathbb Rφ:V×V→R; a locally Lipschitz functional J:X→RJ:X\to\mathbb RJ:X→R; bounded linear operators γ:V→X\gamma:V\to Xγ:V→X and π:V→Y\pi:V\to Yπ:V→Y; a functional f∈Y∗f\in Y^*f∈Y∗; and an auxiliary function h:V→Rh:V\to\mathbb Rh:V→R.

For a locally Lipschitz JJJ, the Clarke generalized directional derivative and the generalized gradient are

J0(u;v)=lim sup⁡λ→0+, w→uJ(w+λv)−J(w)λ,∂J(u)={ξ∈X∗: J0(u;v)≥⟨ξ,v⟩ ∀v∈X}.J^0(u;v)=\limsup_{\lambda\to0^+,\ w\to u}\frac{J(w+\lambda v)-J(w)}{\lambda},\qquad \partial J(u)=\{\xi\in X^*:\ J^0(u;v)\ge\langle\xi,v\rangle\ \forall v\in X\}.J0(u;v)=λ→0+, w→ulimsup​λJ(w+λv)−J(w)​,∂J(u)={ξ∈X∗: J0(u;v)≥⟨ξ,v⟩ ∀v∈X}.

Problem 1.1 asks for u∈Cu\in Cu∈C and u∗∈T(u)u^*\in T(u)u∗∈T(u) such that u∈K(u)u\in K(u)u∈K(u) and

⟨u∗,v−u⟩+φ(v,u)+J0(γu;γ(v−u))≥⟨f,π(v−u)⟩Y∗×Yfor all v∈K(u).\langle u^*,v-u\rangle+\varphi(v,u)+J^0(\gamma u;\gamma(v-u))\ge\langle f,\pi(v-u)\rangle_{Y^*\times Y}\quad\text{for all }v\in K(u).⟨u∗,v−u⟩+φ(v,u)+J0(γu;γ(v−u))≥⟨f,π(v−u)⟩Y∗×Y​for all v∈K(u).

Its solution set is Γ(f)\Gamma(f)Γ(f). Fixing the constraint set gives Problem 3.3: find u∈Cu\in Cu∈C and u∗∈T(u)u^*\in T(u)u∗∈T(u) with the same inequality for all v∈Cv\in Cv∈C; its solution set is SOL(C;T,J,φ,f)\mathrm{SOL}(C;T,J,\varphi,f)SOL(C;T,J,φ,f). The variational selection S:C→2CS:C\to2^CS:C→2C maps w∈Cw\in Cw∈C to the solution set of Problem 3.3 with CCC replaced by K(w)K(w)K(w); its fixed points are exactly the solutions of Problem 1.1.

The hypotheses of the paper (p. 1250) are: TTT has nonempty, compact, convex values and is upper semicontinuous; T(⋅)+γ∗∂J(γ ⋅)T(\cdot)+\gamma^*\partial J(\gamma\,\cdot)T(⋅)+γ∗∂J(γ⋅) is (φ,h)(\varphi,h)(φ,h)-stably pseudomonotone with respect to π∗f\pi^*fπ∗f, where lim sup⁡t→0+h(tu)/t≥0\limsup_{t\to0^+}h(tu)/t\ge0limsupt→0+​h(tu)/t≥0 and hhh is weakly sequentially upper semicontinuous in the limsup sense (3.1); φ\varphiφ is convex and l.s.c. in its first argument, concave and u.s.c. in its second, and vanishes on the diagonal; KKK has nonempty closed convex values and satisfies two Mosco-type conditions (HK); a bounded set C0C_0C0​ meets every K(u)K(u)K(u) and, if CCC is unbounded, a coercivity condition (3.2) holds at each point of C0C_0C0​. Theorem 3.8 adds that γ\gammaγ is compact, hhh is convex, and lim sup⁡nφ(vn,un)≤φ(v,u)\limsup_n\varphi(v_n,u_n)\le\varphi(v,u)limsupn​φ(vn​,un​)≤φ(v,u) whenever vn→vv_n\to vvn​→v strongly and un⇀uu_n\rightharpoonup uun​⇀u weakly (3.19).

Formalization targets

Goal: Theorem 3.8 (ii)

Under all hypotheses of Theorem 3.8,

Γ(f)≠∅,Γ(f) is bounded,Γ(f) is weakly closed in V.\Gamma(f)\neq\emptyset,\qquad \Gamma(f)\ \text{is bounded},\qquad \Gamma(f)\ \text{is weakly closed in }V.Γ(f)=∅,Γ(f) is bounded,Γ(f) is weakly closed in V.

Milestones

  1. Proposition 2.5 (i)–(iii): J0(x;⋅)J^0(x;\cdot)J0(x;⋅) is sublinear, J0(x;v)=max⁡{⟨ξ,v⟩:ξ∈∂J(x)}J^0(x;v)=\max\{\langle\xi,v\rangle:\xi\in\partial J(x)\}J0(x;v)=max{⟨ξ,v⟩:ξ∈∂J(x)}, and (u,v)↦J0(u;v)(u,v)\mapsto J^0(u;v)(u,v)↦J0(u;v) is upper semicontinuous.
  2. Theorem 2.7 (Kluge): a multivalued self-map of a nonempty closed convex subset of a reflexive Banach space, with nonempty closed convex values and a sequentially weakly closed graph, has a fixed point if its domain or its range is bounded.
  3. Theorem 3.4 (i)–(iii): for Problem 3.3, the Minty-type characterization
⟨v∗,v−u⟩+φ(v,u)+⟨ηv,γ(v−u)⟩≥⟨f,π(v−u)⟩+h(v−u)∀v∈C, v∗∈T(v), ηv∈∂J(γv);\langle v^*,v-u\rangle+\varphi(v,u)+\langle\eta_v,\gamma(v-u)\rangle\ge\langle f,\pi(v-u)\rangle+h(v-u)\quad\forall v\in C,\ v^*\in T(v),\ \eta_v\in\partial J(\gamma v);⟨v∗,v−u⟩+φ(v,u)+⟨ηv​,γ(v−u)⟩≥⟨f,π(v−u)⟩+h(v−u)∀v∈C, v∗∈T(v), ηv​∈∂J(γv);

nonemptiness, boundedness and weak closedness of SOL(C;T,J,φ,f)\mathrm{SOL}(C;T,J,\varphi,f)SOL(C;T,J,φ,f); and its convexity when hhh is convex. 4. Theorem 3.8 (i): the same characterization for Problem 1.1, with CCC replaced by K(u)K(u)K(u). 5. Two claims from the proof of Theorem 3.8 (ii): the graph of SSS is sequentially weakly closed, and S(C)=⋃w∈CS(w)S(C)=\bigcup_{w\in C}S(w)S(C)=⋃w∈C​S(w) is bounded.

Significance

Theorem 3.8 is the existence result on which the rest of the paper rests: the optimal control problem of Section 4 minimizes F(f)=inf⁡u∈Γ(f)g(u,f)F(f)=\inf_{u\in\Gamma(f)}g(u,f)F(f)=infu∈Γ(f)​g(u,f) over f∈Y∗f\in Y^*f∈Y∗, and Section 5 casts an approximate static elastic contact model, with a multivalued normal compliance condition and a frictional law with slip-dependent friction coefficient, in the form of Problem 1.1 on a space of displacements. The theorem unifies several existence results for variational, hemivariational and quasi-variational inequalities: for single-valued TTT, J=0J=0J=0, π=id\pi=\mathrm{id}π=id, h=0h=0h=0 and φ(v,u)=ϕ(v)−ϕ(u)\varphi(v,u)=\phi(v)-\phi(u)φ(v,u)=ϕ(v)−ϕ(u), its Corollary 3.9 reduces to an earlier existence result for quasi-variational inequalities (Remark 3.10), and Theorem 3.4 removes the compactness of γ\gammaγ required in earlier work (Remark 3.6).

The results are proved in the paper. None of them, nor Clarke's calculus on a Banach space, nor Kluge's fixed point theorem, has a machine-checked proof to our knowledge. A formalization adds a checked version of a proof that combines a KKM-type fixed point theorem, Minty's trick for pseudomonotone multivalued operators, and a fixed point argument for the variational selection.

Difficulty

The obvious route to Problem 1.1 is to fix www, solve the inequality on K(w)K(w)K(w), and take a fixed point of the solution map. Two steps resist. First, the solution map is multivalued and its values are only weakly closed, so a Schauder- or Kakutani-type theorem in the norm topology does not apply; the fixed point theorem must work with sequentially weakly closed graphs, and the graph closedness of SSS has to be proved by passing to the limit in inequalities in which unu_nun​ converges only weakly while the test points vn∈K(wn)v_n\in K(w_n)vn​∈K(wn​) must converge strongly. That passage uses the compactness of γ\gammaγ, the upper semicontinuity of J0J^0J0, condition (3.19) and the Mosco-type conditions together. Second, in the "there exists u∗∈T(u)u^*\in T(u)u∗∈T(u)" form of the problem the inequality is not stable under weak limits in uuu, which is why the Minty reformulation and the stable pseudomonotonicity with the auxiliary function hhh are needed.

Formalization scope

All spaces are real normed spaces with CompleteSpace; V∗V^*V∗ is V →L[ℝ] ℝ with the operator-norm topology; reflexivity is surjectivity of NormedSpace.inclusionInDoubleDual ℝ V. No inner product and no finite dimension is assumed. Multivalued maps are total functions V → Set _, constrained on CCC only. Weak convergence xn⇀xx_n\rightharpoonup xxn​⇀x means ℓ(xn)→ℓ(x)\ell(x_n)\to\ell(x)ℓ(xn​)→ℓ(x) for every ℓ∈V∗\ell\in V^*ℓ∈V∗; "weakly closed" is sequential weak closedness, which for the bounded sets Γ(f)\Gamma(f)Γ(f) and SOL\mathrm{SOL}SOL in a reflexive space agrees with weak closedness. Adjoints are composition: ⟨γ∗η,w⟩=η(γw)\langle\gamma^*\eta,w\rangle=\eta(\gamma w)⟨γ∗η,w⟩=η(γw), ⟨π∗f,w⟩=f(πw)\langle\pi^*f,w\rangle=f(\pi w)⟨π∗f,w⟩=f(πw). J0J^0J0 is a real Filter.limsup and is used only under LocallyLipschitz J. Every lim sup⁡\limsuplimsup, infimum and limit in the hypotheses (lim sup⁡t→0+h(tu)/t≥0\limsup_{t\to0^+}h(tu)/t\ge0limsupt→0+​h(tu)/t≥0, (3.1), (3.2), (3.19)) is written with explicit ε\varepsilonε–NNN quantifiers, so no default value of a real lim sup⁡\limsuplimsup or inf⁡\infinf can make a hypothesis vacuous.

Four corrections to the printed hypotheses are built in and stated in each item's note: the pairing in (3.2) is ⟨ηu,γ(u−v0)⟩\langle\eta_u,\gamma(u-v_0)\rangle⟨ηu​,γ(u−v0​)⟩ (the page's ⟨ηu,u−v0⟩\langle\eta_u,u-v_0\rangle⟨ηu​,u−v0​⟩ does not typecheck); T(u)T(u)T(u) is nonempty for u∈Cu\in Cu∈C; the condition (3.2) assumed in Theorem 3.4 refers to a bounded set C0C_0C0​ that meets CCC; and for Theorem 3.8 (ii) and the boundedness of S(C)S(C)S(C), (3.2) in (HC0) holds uniformly in v0∈C0v_0\in C_0v0​∈C0​ (one RRR for each MMM), which is what the proof on pp. 1260–1261 uses. With (3.2) only at each fixed v0∈C0v_0\in C_0v0​∈C0​, as printed, Γ(f)\Gamma(f)Γ(f) can be unbounded; the counterexample is in the note of Theorem 3.8 (ii). Theorem 3.8 (i) and the graph-closedness of SSS keep (HC0) as printed. A formalization in which TTT may have empty values, C0C_0C0​ may be empty or disjoint from CCC, VVV is a Hilbert or finite-dimensional space, a real lim sup⁡\limsuplimsup default value makes the conditions on hhh or (3.19) vacuous, or "bounded" or "weakly closed" is dropped from the conclusion, would be a different and weaker theorem.

The development needs Clarke's calculus on a Banach space (Proposition 2.5, which relies on the Hahn–Banach theorem), Eberlein–Šmulian or Kakutani's theorem on weak compactness of bounded closed convex sets in reflexive spaces, Mazur's lemma, a KKM-type fixed point theorem in Hausdorff topological vector spaces, and Kluge's fixed point theorem. These pieces are reusable beyond this mission: Clarke's calculus for every nonsmooth optimization statement on Banach spaces, and the fixed point theorems for variational and quasi-variational inequalities in general. Contributions of any of them, of alternative proofs, and of proofs of the milestones in any order are welcome.

Selected references

  • S. Zeng, S. Migórski, A. A. Khan, Nonlinear quasi-hemivariational inequalities: existence and optimal control, SIAM J. Control Optim. 59(2) (2021) 1246–1274. https://doi.org/10.1137/19M1282210
  • F. H. Clarke, Optimization and Nonsmooth Analysis, Wiley, 1983; reprinted SIAM Classics in Applied Mathematics 5, 1990. https://doi.org/10.1137/1.9781611971309
  • R. Kluge, Nichtlineare Variationsungleichungen und Extremalaufgaben, VEB Deutscher Verlag der Wissenschaften, Berlin, 1979.
  • S. Migórski, A. Ochal, M. Sofonea, Nonlinear Inclusions and Hemivariational Inequalities, Springer, 2013. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4232-5
  • P. D. Panagiotopoulos, Hemivariational Inequalities: Applications in Mechanics and Engineering, Springer, 1993. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-51677-1
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Control TheoryDynamic ProgrammingPartial Differential Equations+1·Captain: mikedeng1

Viscosity Solutions to Parabolic Master Equations and McKean–Vlasov SDEs with Closed-Loop Controls 3: The Closed-Loop McKean–Vlasov Value Function Is a Viscosity Solution of the HJB Master EquationResearch Paper

Motivation

Mean field control asks a central planner to steer a large population of interacting agents. Each agent's state follows a stochastic differential equation whose coefficients depend on the agent's own state and on the empirical distribution of the population; as the population grows, the system is described by a single McKean–Vlasov equation whose coefficients depend on the law of the solution itself. The planner's value is then a function V(t,μ)V(t,\mu)V(t,μ) of time and of a probability measure, and its dynamic programming equation, the HJB master equation, is a partial differential equation on the Wasserstein space of measures.

C. Wu and J. Zhang (Ann. Appl. Probab. 30(2), 2020) develop a viscosity theory for such master equations in a path-dependent setting and apply it to McKean–Vlasov control with closed-loop controls, i.e. controls that depend on the observed state path rather than on the driving Brownian motion. Closed-loop information is the natural one when the noise is not observable, and it is the information structure relevant for games; but the value function is then not known to be smooth, so classical solutions are out of reach. This mission formalizes the paper's §5: the value function of the closed-loop problem with piecewise constant controls is a viscosity solution of the HJB master equation.

Setting

Fix d≥1d\ge1d≥1 and a horizon TTT. The path space is Ω=C([0,T],Rd)\Omega=C([0,T],\mathbb R^d)Ω=C([0,T],Rd) with the uniform norm, the canonical process is Xs(ω)=ωsX_s(\omega)=\omega_sXs​(ω)=ωs​, and F=(Ft)\mathbb F=(\mathcal F_t)F=(Ft​) is its natural filtration. P2\mathcal P_2P2​ is the set of probability measures μ\muμ on Ω\OmegaΩ with Eμ[∥X∥2]<∞\mathbb E^\mu[\|X\|^2]<\inftyEμ[∥X∥2]<∞; μ[0,t]\mu_{[0,t]}μ[0,t]​ is the law of the stopped path Xt∧⋅X_{t\wedge\cdot}Xt∧⋅​. On Θ=[0,T]×P2\Theta=[0,T]\times\mathcal P_2Θ=[0,T]×P2​ the pseudometric is

W2((t,μ),(t′,μ′))=(∣t−t′∣+W22(μ[0,t],μ[0,t′]′))1/2,\mathcal W_2\big((t,\mu),(t',\mu')\big)=\big(|t-t'|+\mathcal W_2^2(\mu_{[0,t]},\mu'_{[0,t']})\big)^{1/2},W2​((t,μ),(t′,μ′))=(∣t−t′∣+W22​(μ[0,t]​,μ[0,t′]′​))1/2,

with W2\mathcal W_2W2​ the 2-Wasserstein distance on laws of paths.

The data are a control set AAA and coefficients b(t,ω,μ,a)∈Rdb(t,\omega,\mu,a)\in\mathbb R^db(t,ω,μ,a)∈Rd, σ(t,ω,μ,a)∈Rd×d\sigma(t,\omega,\mu,a)\in\mathbb R^{d\times d}σ(t,ω,μ,a)∈Rd×d, f(t,ω,μ,a)∈Rf(t,\omega,\mu,a)\in\mathbb Rf(t,ω,μ,a)∈R, g(ω,μ)∈Rg(\omega,\mu)\in\mathbb Rg(ω,μ)∈R satisfying Assumption 5.1: measurability and adaptedness, boundedness of b,σb,\sigmab,σ by C0C_0C0​, Lipschitz continuity of b,σb,\sigmab,σ and uniform continuity of f,gf,gf,g in (ω,μ)(\omega,\mu)(ω,μ), local uniform continuity in ttt, and positive definiteness of σσ⊤\sigma\sigma^\topσσ⊤.

An admissible control α∈At\alpha\in\mathcal A_tα∈At​ (5.3) is piecewise constant: αs=∑i<nhi1[ti,ti+1)(s)\alpha_s=\sum_{i<n}h_i\mathbf 1_{[t_i,t_{i+1})}(s)αs​=∑i<n​hi​1[ti​,ti+1​)​(s) for a partition t=t0<⋯<tn=Tt=t_0<\dots<t_n=Tt=t0​<⋯<tn​=T, with hi:Ω→Ah_i:\Omega\to Ahi​:Ω→A Fti\mathcal F_{t_i}Fti​​-measurable. The controlled law Pt,μ,α∈P2\mathbb P^{t,\mu,\alpha}\in\mathcal P_2Pt,μ,α∈P2​ agrees with μ\muμ on [0,t][0,t][0,t] and solves, for a Brownian motion BαB^\alphaBα,

Xs=Xt+∫tsb(r,Xr∧⋅,P[0,r]t,μ,α,αr)dr+∫tsσ(r,Xr∧⋅,P[0,r]t,μ,α,αr)dBrα,s∈[t,T].X_s=X_t+\int_t^s b\big(r,X_{r\wedge\cdot},\mathbb P^{t,\mu,\alpha}_{[0,r]},\alpha_r\big)dr+\int_t^s\sigma\big(r,X_{r\wedge\cdot},\mathbb P^{t,\mu,\alpha}_{[0,r]},\alpha_r\big)dB^\alpha_r,\quad s\in[t,T].Xs​=Xt​+∫ts​b(r,Xr∧⋅​,P[0,r]t,μ,α​,αr​)dr+∫ts​σ(r,Xr∧⋅​,P[0,r]t,μ,α​,αr​)dBrα​,s∈[t,T].

The value function (3.20) is

V(t,μ)=sup⁡α∈AtEPt,μ,α[g(X,Pt,μ,α)+∫tTf(s,X,Pt,μ,α,αs) ds],V(t,\mu)=\sup_{\alpha\in\mathcal A_t}\mathbb E^{\mathbb P^{t,\mu,\alpha}}\Big[g(X,\mathbb P^{t,\mu,\alpha})+\int_t^Tf(s,X,\mathbb P^{t,\mu,\alpha},\alpha_s)\,ds\Big],V(t,μ)=α∈At​sup​EPt,μ,α[g(X,Pt,μ,α)+∫tT​f(s,X,Pt,μ,α,αs​)ds],

and V0V_0V0​ is the same supremum over the controls At0\mathcal A^0_tAt0​ (5.12) whose pieces depend on the path before ttt only through finitely many values Xs1,…,XsmX_{s_1},\dots,X_{s_m}Xs1​​,…,Xsm​​.

The HJB master equation (3.22) is LV=0\mathbb LV=0LV=0 with LV(t,μ)=∂tV(t,μ)+G(t,μ,∂μV(t,μ,⋅),∂ω∂μV(t,μ,⋅))\mathbb LV(t,\mu)=\partial_tV(t,\mu)+G(t,\mu,\partial_\mu V(t,\mu,\cdot),\partial_\omega\partial_\mu V(t,\mu,\cdot))LV(t,μ)=∂t​V(t,μ)+G(t,μ,∂μ​V(t,μ,⋅),∂ω​∂μ​V(t,μ,⋅)), where

G(t,μ,Z,Γ)=Eμ[sup⁡a∈A(12Γ(X):σσ⊤(t,X,μ,a)+Z(X)⋅b(t,X,μ,a)+f(t,X,μ,a))].G(t,\mu,Z,\Gamma)=\mathbb E^\mu\Big[\sup_{a\in A}\Big(\tfrac12\Gamma(X):\sigma\sigma^\top(t,X,\mu,a)+Z(X)\cdot b(t,X,\mu,a)+f(t,X,\mu,a)\Big)\Big].G(t,μ,Z,Γ)=Eμ[a∈Asup​(21​Γ(X):σσ⊤(t,X,μ,a)+Z(X)⋅b(t,X,μ,a)+f(t,X,μ,a))].

Viscosity solutions (Definition 4.4) are defined by test functions φ\varphiφ that satisfy a functional Itô formula on [t,t+δ]×PL(t,μ)[t,t+\delta]\times\mathcal P_L(t,\mu)[t,t+δ]×PL​(t,μ), where PL(t,μ)\mathcal P_L(t,\mu)PL​(t,μ) is the set of laws agreeing with μ\muμ on [0,t][0,t][0,t] under which XXX is a semimartingale on [t,T][t,T][t,T] with drift and diffusion bounded by LLL, and touch VVV from above or below at (t,μ)(t,\mu)(t,μ) on that set.

Formalization targets

Goal: Theorem 5.8

Under Assumption 5.1, VVV is finite on Θ\ThetaΘ and is a viscosity solution of (3.22).

Milestones

  • (4.1)(4.1)(4.1): sup⁡P∈PL(t,μ)EP[sup⁡t≤s≤t+δ∣Xt,s∣p]≤Cp,Lδp/2\sup_{\mathbb P\in\mathcal P_L(t,\mu)}\mathbb E^{\mathbb P}[\sup_{t\le s\le t+\delta}|X_{t,s}|^p]\le C_{p,L}\delta^{p/2}supP∈PL​(t,μ)​EP[supt≤s≤t+δ​∣Xt,s​∣p]≤Cp,L​δp/2.
  • Remark 5.4(i): (3.18) has a unique solution, and it lies in PL(t,μ)\mathcal P_L(t,\mu)PL​(t,μ) for L≥C0∨12C02L\ge C_0\vee\frac12C_0^2L≥C0​∨21​C02​.
  • Remark 5.4(ii): the dynamic programming principle (3.21),
V(t1,μ)=sup⁡α∈At1[V(t2,Pt1,μ,α)+∫t1t2EPt1,μ,α[f(s,X,Pt1,μ,α,αs)]ds].V(t_1,\mu)=\sup_{\alpha\in\mathcal A_{t_1}}\Big[V(t_2,\mathbb P^{t_1,\mu,\alpha})+\int_{t_1}^{t_2}\mathbb E^{\mathbb P^{t_1,\mu,\alpha}}[f(s,X,\mathbb P^{t_1,\mu,\alpha},\alpha_s)]ds\Big].V(t1​,μ)=α∈At1​​sup​[V(t2​,Pt1​,μ,α)+∫t1​t2​​EPt1​,μ,α[f(s,X,Pt1​,μ,α,αs​)]ds].
  • Lemma 5.11: a coupling construction with an independent Brownian motion.
  • Lemma 5.13: ∣V0(t,μ)−V0(t,ν)∣≤ρ(W2(μ[0,t],ν[0,t]))|V_0(t,\mu)-V_0(t,\nu)|\le\rho(\mathcal W_2(\mu_{[0,t]},\nu_{[0,t]}))∣V0​(t,μ)−V0​(t,ν)∣≤ρ(W2​(μ[0,t]​,ν[0,t]​)) for a modulus ρ\rhoρ.
  • Lemma 5.14: V=V0V=V_0V=V0​.
  • Theorem 5.7: ∣V(t1,μ)−V(t2,ν)∣≤Cρ(W2((t1,μ),(t2,ν)))+C[1+W2(μ[0,t1],δ{0})][t2−t1]|V(t_1,\mu)-V(t_2,\nu)|\le C\rho(\mathcal W_2((t_1,\mu),(t_2,\nu)))+C[1+\mathcal W_2(\mu_{[0,t_1]},\delta_{\{0\}})][t_2-t_1]∣V(t1​,μ)−V(t2​,ν)∣≤Cρ(W2​((t1​,μ),(t2​,ν)))+C[1+W2​(μ[0,t1​]​,δ{0}​)][t2​−t1​], and uniform continuity when fff is bounded.

Significance

The result characterizes the closed-loop value function through a PDE on the space of path laws without assuming any smoothness of VVV. Combined with a comparison principle for (3.22), which the paper leaves open, it would identify the closed-loop and open-loop values (Remark 5.9). The regularity result (Theorem 5.7) is itself delicate: Example 5.6 shows that a natural restricted class of closed-loop controls produces a value function that is discontinuous in μ\muμ, and the piecewise constant class (5.3) is chosen to avoid this.

The theorems are proved in the paper; none of them is formalized. A formalization would supply a machine-checked path from a path-dependent McKean–Vlasov control problem to its HJB master equation, together with reusable statements on weak solutions of path-dependent McKean–Vlasov equations, their uniform moment bounds, and the dynamic programming principle in the Wasserstein space.

Difficulty

Definition 4.4 requires V∈C0(Θ)V\in C^0(\Theta)V∈C0(Θ), and the central difficulty is continuity in μ\muμ. Closed-loop controls are functions of the observed path; changing the initial law from μ\muμ to ν\nuν changes the information available to the control, and when ν[0,t]\nu_{[0,t]}ν[0,t]​ is degenerate a control adapted to μ\muμ cannot be written as a function of the ν\nuν-path. The obvious argument, transporting an ε\varepsilonε-optimal control for μ\muμ along an optimal coupling of μ\muμ and ν\nuν, fails for exactly this reason (Example 5.6).

Formalization scope

Time is R≥0\mathbb R_{\ge0}R≥0​ and every statement quantifies over t≤Tt\le Tt≤T and μ∈P2\mu\in\mathcal P_2μ∈P2​. Paths are continuous maps [0,T]→Rd[0,T]\to\mathbb R^d[0,T]→Rd with the sup norm and Borel σ\sigmaσ-algebra; W2\mathcal W_2W2​ is the published WassersteinDRO.Duality.wassersteinDistance with p=2p=2p=2. Brownian motion and Itô integrals are the published EthierKurtz.IsStandardBrownian and EthierKurtz.HasBrownianItoIntegral.

Committed conventions:

  • The control set AAA is a nonempty Polish space with its Borel σ\sigmaσ-algebra (the paper says "some appropriate set AAA"); this provides continuity in aaa, measurability of hih_ihi​ and of ω↦sup⁡aG2\omega\mapsto\sup_aG_2ω↦supa​G2​.
  • "Progressively measurable in all variables" is joint measurability (Giry σ\sigmaσ-algebra on laws) plus adaptedness in ω\omegaω and μ\muμ. The bound ∣σ∣≤C0|\sigma|\le C_0∣σ∣≤C0​ uses the Frobenius norm; the joint Lipschitz bound on (b,σ)(b,\sigma)(b,σ) is two bounds with the same L0L_0L0​. δ{0}\delta_{\{0\}}δ{0}​ is the Dirac mass at the zero path.
  • (3.18) is solved in the weak sense: a law with a semimartingale representation, carrying its own Brownian motion, whose characteristics are the controlled coefficients on [t,T)[t,T)[t,T). PL(t,μ)\mathcal P_L(t,\mu)PL​(t,μ) is defined through the same representations.
  • VVV and V0V_0V0​ are suprema in the extended reals over admissible pairs; statements that subtract values or use VVV as a real function assert finiteness explicitly.
  • Test functions carry their derivatives as witnesses; the Itô formula of Definition 4.2 is stated in drift form for every representation; "inf⁡(φ−V)=0\inf(\varphi-V)=0inf(φ−V)=0" is read as φ−V≥0\varphi-V\ge0φ−V≥0 on the test set with equality at (t,μ)(t,\mu)(t,μ), and the test function's data at (t,μ)(t,\mu)(t,μ) are those at (t,P)(t,\mathbb P)(t,P) for P∈PL(t,μ)\mathbb P\in\mathcal P_L(t,\mu)P∈PL​(t,μ).
  • Statements are for general ddd; §5.3 of the paper argues for d=1d=1d=1 only.

The test classes are not vacuous: constant functions satisfy every clause of the test-function class, and Assumption 5.1 holds for b≡0b\equiv0b≡0, σ≡I\sigma\equiv Iσ≡I, f≡g≡0f\equiv g\equiv0f≡g≡0. A formalization that makes PL(t,μ)\mathcal P_L(t,\mu)PL​(t,μ) or the admissible set empty, or that lets VVV be −∞-\infty−∞, does not prove the theorem.

Needed infrastructure: weak existence and uniqueness for path-dependent McKean–Vlasov SDEs with Lipschitz coefficients; Burkholder–Davis–Gundy-type moment bounds; measurable selection on Polish spaces; couplings and gluing on P2\mathcal P_2P2​ of a path space. The moment bound and the McKean–Vlasov well-posedness are reusable beyond this mission. Contributions to any milestone are welcome.

Selected references

  • C. Wu, J. Zhang, Viscosity solutions to parabolic master equations and McKean–Vlasov SDEs with closed-loop controls, Ann. Appl. Probab. 30(2), 936–986, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1214/19-AAP1521
  • R. Carmona, F. Delarue, Probabilistic Theory of Mean Field Games with Applications I, Springer, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-58920-6
  • D. Lacker, Limit theory for controlled McKean–Vlasov dynamics, SIAM J. Control Optim. 55(3), 2017. https://doi.org/10.1137/16M1095895
  • I. Ekren, N. Touzi, J. Zhang, Viscosity solutions of fully nonlinear parabolic path dependent PDEs: Part I, Ann. Probab. 44(2), 2016. https://doi.org/10.1214/14-AOP999
18 thms1 active userReviewed
Optimal TransportPartial Differential EquationsProbability·Captain: mikedeng1

Viscosity Solutions to Parabolic Master Equations and McKean–Vlasov SDEs with Closed-Loop Controls 1: A Functional Itô Formula for Path-Dependent Functionals of Semimartingale LawsResearch Paper

Motivation

Master equations are partial differential equations whose state variable is a probability measure. They arise as the Hamilton–Jacobi–Bellman equations of mean field control problems, where a planner steers a large population through its distribution, and as the limit description of large games. Their basic computational tool is an Itô formula for functions of measures: if XXX is a semimartingale with law PXt\mathbb P_{X_t}PXt​​ at time ttt, how does f(PXt)f(\mathbb P_{X_t})f(PXt​​) evolve? For functions on the Wasserstein space P2(Rd)\mathcal P_2(\mathbb R^d)P2​(Rd) this formula is due to Buckdahn, Li, Peng and Rainer (Ann. Probab. 2017) and Chassagneux, Crisan and Delarue (arXiv:1411.3009), with the derivative in the measure introduced by Lions through the lifting to random variables.

Many models are path dependent: exotic options, rough volatility, and control problems with constant controls all lead to functions of the law of a whole path rather than of its time marginal. Wu and Zhang (Ann. Appl. Probab. 2020) extend the measure derivative and the Itô formula to this setting, following Dupire's functional Itô calculus (Dupire 2009). This mission formalizes §2 of their paper: the derivative of a function of a path law and the functional Itô formula of Theorem 2.7. It is the first of three missions on the paper; the other two treat viscosity solutions of master equations and McKean–Vlasov control.

Setting

Fix d≥1d\ge1d≥1 and T>0T>0T>0. Continuous paths form Ω=C([0,T],Rd)\Omega=C([0,T],\mathbb R^d)Ω=C([0,T],Rd) with ∥ω∥=sup⁡t∣ωt∣\|\omega\|=\sup_t|\omega_t|∥ω∥=supt​∣ωt​∣. Càdlàg paths form Ω^=D([0,T],Rd)\widehat\Omega=\mathbb D([0,T],\mathbb R^d)Ω=D([0,T],Rd) with the Skorokhod distance

dSK(ω^,ω^′)=inf⁡λsup⁡0≤t≤T[∣t−λ(t)∣+∣ω^t−ω^λ(t)′∣],d_{SK}(\hat\omega,\hat\omega')=\inf_\lambda\sup_{0\le t\le T}\big[|t-\lambda(t)|+|\hat\omega_t-\hat\omega'_{\lambda(t)}|\big],dSK​(ω^,ω^′)=λinf​0≤t≤Tsup​[∣t−λ(t)∣+∣ω^t​−ω^λ(t)′​∣],

the infimum over continuous strictly increasing bijections λ\lambdaλ of [0,T][0,T][0,T]. The canonical process is X^t(ω^)=ω^t\widehat X_t(\hat\omega)=\hat\omega_tXt​(ω^)=ω^t​, with natural filtration F^\widehat{\mathbb F}F; ω^t∧⋅\hat\omega_{t\wedge\cdot}ω^t∧⋅​ is the path stopped at ttt.

P^2\widehat{\mathcal P}_2P2​ is the set of probability measures μ\muμ on Ω^\widehat\OmegaΩ with Eμ∥X^∥2<∞\mathbb E^\mu\|\widehat X\|^2<\inftyEμ∥X∥2<∞, with the Wasserstein distance W2\mathcal W_2W2​ whose cost is dSK2d_{SK}^2dSK2​. The state space is Θ^=[0,T]×P^2\widehat\Theta=[0,T]\times\widehat{\mathcal P}_2Θ=[0,T]×P2​ with the pseudometric

W2((t,μ),(t′,μ′))=(∣t−t′∣+W22(μ[0,t],μ[0,t′]′))1/2,\mathcal W_2\big((t,\mu),(t',\mu')\big)=\big(|t-t'|+\mathcal W_2^2(\mu_{[0,t]},\mu'_{[0,t']})\big)^{1/2},W2​((t,μ),(t′,μ′))=(∣t−t′∣+W22​(μ[0,t]​,μ[0,t′]′​))1/2,

where μ[0,t]\mu_{[0,t]}μ[0,t]​ is the law of X^t∧⋅\widehat X_{t\wedge\cdot}Xt∧⋅​.

For f:Θ^→Rf:\widehat\Theta\to\mathbb Rf:Θ→R the time derivative is the right derivative ∂tf(t,μ)=lim⁡δ↓0[f(t+δ,μ[0,t])−f(t,μ)]/δ\partial_tf(t,\mu)=\lim_{\delta\downarrow0}[f(t+\delta,\mu_{[0,t]})-f(t,\mu)]/\delta∂t​f(t,μ)=limδ↓0​[f(t+δ,μ[0,t]​)−f(t,μ)]/δ. The spatial derivative ∂μf(t,μ,ω^)∈Rd\partial_\mu f(t,\mu,\hat\omega)\in\mathbb R^d∂μ​f(t,μ,ω^)∈Rd comes from lifting fff to F(t,X~)=f(t,P~X~)F(t,\tilde X)=f(t,\tilde{\mathbb P}_{\tilde X})F(t,X~)=f(t,P~X~​) on square-integrable path-valued random variables of an atomless Polish probability space: the Fréchet derivative of FFF under the perturbation X~+ξ1[t,T]\tilde X+\xi\mathbf 1_{[t,T]}X~+ξ1[t,T]​ has the form DF(t,X~)=∂μf(t,P~X~t∧⋅,X~t∧⋅)DF(t,\tilde X)=\partial_\mu f(t,\tilde{\mathbb P}_{\tilde X_{t\wedge\cdot}},\tilde X_{t\wedge\cdot})DF(t,X~)=∂μ​f(t,P~X~t∧⋅​​,X~t∧⋅​). The second derivative ∂ω∂μf∈Rd×d\partial_\omega\partial_\mu f\in\mathbb R^{d\times d}∂ω​∂μ​f∈Rd×d is the pathwise (Dupire vertical) derivative of ∂μf\partial_\mu f∂μ​f. Cb1,1,1(Θ^)C^{1,1,1}_b(\widehat\Theta)Cb1,1,1​(Θ) consists of the continuous fff with continuous derivatives, bounded ∂tf\partial_tf∂t​f, and ∣∂μf∣+∣∂ω∂μf∣≤C[1+∥ω^∥]|\partial_\mu f|+|\partial_\omega\partial_\mu f|\le C[1+\|\hat\omega\|]∣∂μ​f∣+∣∂ω​∂μ​f∣≤C[1+∥ω^∥].

P^L\widehat{\mathcal P}_LPL​ is the set of laws μ=P~∘X~−1\mu=\tilde{\mathbb P}\circ\tilde X^{-1}μ=P~∘X~−1 of Itô processes X~t=X~0+∫0tb~s ds+∫0tσ~s dB~s\tilde X_t=\tilde X_0+\int_0^t\tilde b_s\,ds+\int_0^t\tilde\sigma_s\,d\tilde B_sX~t​=X~0​+∫0t​b~s​ds+∫0t​σ~s​dB~s​ with ∣b~∣≤L|\tilde b|\le L∣b~∣≤L, 12∣σ~∣2≤L\tfrac12|\tilde\sigma|^2\le L21​∣σ~∣2≤L and X~0\tilde X_0X~0​ square integrable.

Formalization targets

Goal: the functional Itô formula (Theorem 2.7)

For f∈Cb1,1,1(Θ^)f\in C^{1,1,1}_b(\widehat\Theta)f∈Cb1,1,1​(Θ), μ∈P^L\mu\in\widehat{\mathcal P}_Lμ∈PL​ and t∈[0,T]t\in[0,T]t∈[0,T],

f(t,μ)=f(0,μ)+∫0t∂tf(s,μ) ds+Eμ[∫0t∂μf(s,μ,X^)⋅dX^s+12∫0t∂ω∂μf(s,μ,X^):d⟨X^⟩s].f(t,\mu)=f(0,\mu)+\int_0^t\partial_tf(s,\mu)\,ds+\mathbb E^\mu\Big[\int_0^t\partial_\mu f(s,\mu,\widehat X)\cdot d\widehat X_s+\tfrac12\int_0^t\partial_\omega\partial_\mu f(s,\mu,\widehat X):d\langle\widehat X\rangle_s\Big].f(t,μ)=f(0,μ)+∫0t​∂t​f(s,μ)ds+Eμ[∫0t​∂μ​f(s,μ,X)⋅dXs​+21​∫0t​∂ω​∂μ​f(s,μ,X):d⟨X⟩s​].

Milestones

  1. Theorem 2.2: the Fréchet derivative of the lift is ψ(X~t∧⋅)\psi(\tilde X_{t\wedge\cdot})ψ(X~t∧⋅​) for an F^t\widehat{\mathcal F}_tFt​-measurable ψ\psiψ determined by fff and the law of X~\tilde XX~.
  2. Corollary 2.3: under uniform continuity of DFDFDF, a single jointly measurable ∂μf\partial_\mu f∂μ​f represents DFDFDF, unique if continuous.
  3. (2.21): the discrete expansion f(T,μn)−f(0,μn)=I1n+I2n+I3nf(T,\mu^n)-f(0,\mu^n)=I_1^n+I_2^n+I_3^nf(T,μn)−f(0,μn)=I1n​+I2n​+I3n​ along a uniform partition.
  4. (2.22) and the W2\mathcal W_2W2​ limit after it: the discretized paths and laws converge.
  5. The four limits on p. 946, which turn (2.21) into (2.20) as n→∞n\to\inftyn→∞.

Significance

The formula is the chain rule of calculus on path laws. It is what makes Cb1,1,1C^{1,1,1}_bCb1,1,1​ functions admissible test functions for viscosity solutions of path-dependent master equations, and what identifies the value function of a McKean–Vlasov control problem with a solution of its HJB master equation (§§4–5 of the paper, the other two missions of this series). Without it, the notion of viscosity solution in that paper has no link to the underlying dynamics.

The result is proved in the paper. It has no machine-checked proof: Lean's Mathlib has neither the Skorokhod space, nor Wasserstein spaces of path laws, nor a derivative with respect to a measure. Formalizing it would also produce a reusable Lean account of càdlàg path spaces and of the Lions derivative, both of which are absent today.

Difficulty

The obvious argument would expand fff along the time marginals of X~\tilde XX~. That fails for path-dependent fff: the stopped laws μ[0,t]\mu_{[0,t]}μ[0,t]​ do not change continuously when a path is perturbed after ttt, and the perturbation X~+ξ1[t,T]\tilde X+\xi\mathbf 1_{[t,T]}X~+ξ1[t,T]​ of the derivative's definition leaves the space of continuous paths. This is why the paper passes to càdlàg paths and the Skorokhod distance. Any argument then has to control fff and its derivatives along laws of discontinuous paths, which is where the joint continuity of all derivatives in (t,μ,ω^)(t,\mu,\hat\omega)(t,μ,ω^) under W2+dSK\mathcal W_2+d_{SK}W2​+dSK​ and convergence of laws in W2\mathcal W_2W2​ become unavoidable. Separately, Theorem 2.2 must show that a derivative defined through one probability space is a deterministic function of the stopped path, and atomlessness of that space is essential to it.

Formalization scope

Paths are functions on [0,∞)[0,\infty)[0,∞), constant after TTT; Ω\OmegaΩ is C(Set.Icc 0 T, ℝ^d) with the sup norm, embedded in Ω^\widehat\OmegaΩ. Ω^\widehat\OmegaΩ carries the σ\sigmaσ-algebra of the evaluations. Distances, sup norms and W2\mathcal W_2W2​ are [0,∞][0,\infty][0,∞]-valued. A law in P^L\widehat{\mathcal P}_LPL​ is given with an explicit representation: a filtered probability space, a standard Brownian motion with independent increments, progressively measurable bounded coefficients, and the Itô integral of the published EthierKurtz.HasBrownianItoIntegral. The goal holds for every representation of μ\muμ, and (2.20) is stated in drift form: E∫0t(∂μf⋅b~s+12∂ω∂μf:σ~sσ~s⊤) ds\mathbb E\int_0^t(\partial_\mu f\cdot\tilde b_s+\tfrac12\partial_\omega\partial_\mu f:\tilde\sigma_s\tilde\sigma_s^\top)\,dsE∫0t​(∂μ​f⋅b~s​+21​∂ω​∂μ​f:σ~s​σ~s⊤​)ds, the stochastic integral having mean zero.

The class C1,1,1(Θ^)C^{1,1,1}(\widehat\Theta)C1,1,1(Θ) fixes fff together with its derivatives and states that they are the derivatives (2.7), (2.16), (2.18). It also requires ∂μf(t,μ,⋅)\partial_\mu f(t,\mu,\cdot)∂μ​f(t,μ,⋅) and ∂ω∂μf(t,μ,⋅)\partial_\omega\partial_\mu f(t,\mu,\cdot)∂ω​∂μ​f(t,μ,⋅) to be F^t\widehat{\mathcal F}_tFt​-adapted, a property the paper's ∂μf\partial_\mu f∂μ​f has by Theorem 2.2. Without these clauses every continuous function would qualify, and (2.20) would be false. The printed D([0,T),Rd)\mathbb D([0,T),\mathbb R^d)D([0,T),Rd) is read as D([0,T],Rd)\mathbb D([0,T],\mathbb R^d)D([0,T],Rd). The proof's d=1d=1d=1 computations are stated in dimension ddd. Limits indexed by ti≤t<ti+1t_i\le t<t_{i+1}ti​≤t<ti+1​ are stated for t<Tt<Tt<T.

A complete development needs: the Skorokhod space and the fact that its Borel σ\sigmaσ-algebra is the evaluation σ\sigmaσ-algebra; Wasserstein distances on it; dominated convergence for path laws; and Itô's formula for the drift–diffusion representation. These are reusable well beyond this mission. Contributions to any milestone, or to these foundations as separate lemmas, are welcome.

Selected references

  • C. Wu, J. Zhang, Viscosity solutions to parabolic master equations and McKean–Vlasov SDEs with closed-loop controls, Ann. Appl. Probab. 30(2) (2020), 936–986. https://doi.org/10.1214/19-AAP1521
  • R. Buckdahn, J. Li, S. Peng, C. Rainer, Mean-field stochastic differential equations and associated PDEs, Ann. Probab. 45(2) (2017), 824–878. https://doi.org/10.1214/15-AOP1076
  • J.-F. Chassagneux, D. Crisan, F. Delarue, A probabilistic approach to classical solutions of the master equation for large population equilibria, Mem. Amer. Math. Soc. (2022). https://arxiv.org/abs/1411.3009
  • B. Dupire, Functional Itô calculus, Bloomberg Portfolio Research Paper 2009-04 (2009); Quant. Finance 19(5) (2019). https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1435551
  • R. Carmona, F. Delarue, Probabilistic Theory of Mean Field Games with Applications I, Springer (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-58920-6
14 thms1 active userReviewed
CombinatoricsLinear OptimizationOptimization·Captain: mikedeng1

The Running Intersection Relaxation of the Multilinear Polytope 3: Running Intersection Inequalities Meeting Three Support Conditions Define Facets of the Multilinear PolytopeResearch Paper

Motivation

Binary polynomial optimization asks for the maximum of a polynomial over {0,1}n\{0,1\}^n{0,1}n. Linearizing each monomial ∏v∈ezv\prod_{v\in e}z_v∏v∈e​zv​ by a new variable zez_eze​ turns the problem into a linear program over the convex hull of a set of 0/1 points, the multilinear polytope of the hypergraph whose edges are the monomials. Global solvers such as BARON build polyhedral relaxations of this polytope at every node of their branch-and-bound trees, so valid inequalities that are as strong as possible, that is, facet-defining, translate directly into smaller root gaps.

Del Pia and Khajavirad introduced running intersection inequalities in The running intersection relaxation of the multilinear polytope (Math. Oper. Res. 46 (2021) 1008–1037, doi:10.1287/moor.2021.1121). They generalize the flower inequalities of the same authors (SIAM J. Optim. 2018), which are facet-defining when the support hypergraph is γ\gammaγ-acyclic, to support hypergraphs that are not. This mission formalizes the paper's sufficient condition for a running intersection inequality to define a facet (§2.4, Proposition 4) together with the structural results it rests on.

Timeline. Crama (1993) studied the standard linearization; Del Pia and Khajavirad (2017, Math. Oper. Res.) proved that the multilinear polytope is full dimensional and gave lifting theorems for facets; flower inequalities followed in 2018; running intersection inequalities and the facet conditions formalized here appeared in 2021.

Setting

A hypergraph G=(V,E)G=(V,E)G=(V,E) has a finite node set VVV and a set EEE of subsets of VVV of cardinality at least two. Its multilinear set is

SG={z∈{0,1}V+E: ze=∏v∈ezv  ∀e∈E},\mathcal S_G=\Big\{z\in\{0,1\}^{V+E}:\ z_e=\prod_{v\in e}z_v\ \ \forall e\in E\Big\},SG​={z∈{0,1}V+E: ze​=v∈e∏​zv​  ∀e∈E},

and its multilinear polytope is MPG=conv⁡SG\mathrm{MP}_G=\operatorname{conv}\mathcal S_GMPG​=convSG​.

A multiset FFF of sets has the running intersection property if its elements can be ordered p1,…,pmp_1,\dots,p_mp1​,…,pm​ so that each pk∩(p1∪⋯∪pk−1)p_k\cap(p_1\cup\dots\cup p_{k-1})pk​∩(p1​∪⋯∪pk−1​), k≥2k\ge 2k≥2, is contained in a single earlier pjp_jpj​. Such an ordering defines N(p1)=∅N(p_1)=\emptysetN(p1​)=∅ and N(pk)=pk∩⋃i<kpiN(p_k)=p_k\cap\bigcup_{i<k}p_iN(pk​)=pk​∩⋃i<k​pi​. A leaf of FFF is an element that comes last in some such ordering.

Fix an edge e0e_0e0​ (the center) and edges eke_kek​, k∈Kk\in Kk∈K, adjacent to e0e_0e0​ (the neighbors), such that the multiset E~={e0∩ek:k∈K}\tilde E=\{e_0\cap e_k:k\in K\}E~={e0​∩ek​:k∈K} has the running intersection property. Choose an ordering of E~\tilde EE~, and for each kkk with N(e0∩ek)≠∅N(e_0\cap e_k)\neq\emptysetN(e0​∩ek​)=∅ a node uk∈N(e0∩ek)u_k\in N(e_0\cap e_k)uk​∈N(e0​∩ek​). The running intersection inequality is

−∑k∈K: N(e0∩ek)≠∅zuk+∑v∈e0∖⋃kekzv+∑k∈Kzek−ze0 ≤ ω−1,-\sum_{k\in K:\,N(e_0\cap e_k)\neq\emptyset} z_{u_k}+\sum_{v\in e_0\setminus\bigcup_{k}e_k} z_v+\sum_{k\in K}z_{e_k}-z_{e_0}\ \le\ \omega-1,−k∈K:N(e0​∩ek​)=∅∑​zuk​​+v∈e0​∖⋃k​ek​∑​zv​+k∈K∑​zek​​−ze0​​ ≤ ω−1,

where ω\omegaω is the number of connected components of the hypergraph G~=(e0,E~)\tilde G=(e_0,\tilde E)G~=(e0​,E~). Its support hypergraph GGG has node set e0∪⋃keke_0\cup\bigcup_k e_ke0​∪⋃k​ek​ and edge set {e0}∪{ek:k∈K}\{e_0\}\cup\{e_k:k\in K\}{e0​}∪{ek​:k∈K}. An inequality defines a facet of MPG\mathrm{MP}_GMPG​ if it is valid and the face it cuts out is nonempty of dimension dim⁡MPG−1\dim\mathrm{MP}_G-1dimMPG​−1.

Formalization targets

Goal: Proposition 4 (p. 1016)

Assume

  1. ∣e0∩ek∣≥2|e_0\cap e_k|\ge 2∣e0​∩ek​∣≥2 for every k∈Kk\in Kk∈K;
  2. for every K′⊆KK'\subseteq KK′⊆K with e0∩⋂k∈K′ek≠∅e_0\cap\bigcap_{k\in K'}e_k\neq\emptysete0​∩⋂k∈K′​ek​=∅:  e0∩(ei∖⋃k∈K′∖{i}ek)≠∅\ e_0\cap\big(e_i\setminus\bigcup_{k\in K'\setminus\{i\}}e_k\big)\neq\emptyset e0​∩(ei​∖⋃k∈K′∖{i}​ek​)=∅ for all i∈K′i\in K'i∈K′;
  3. each nonempty N(e0∩ek)N(e_0\cap e_k)N(e0​∩ek​) meets U={uk:N(e0∩ek)≠∅}U=\{u_k: N(e_0\cap e_k)\neq\emptyset\}U={uk​:N(e0​∩ek​)=∅} in exactly one node.

Then the running intersection inequality defines a facet of MPG\mathrm{MP}_GMPG​ for its support hypergraph GGG.

Milestones

Lemma 1 (p. 1011, leaves and reorderings), Lemma 2 (p. 1011, components =n0+∣{e:N(e)=∅}∣=n_0+|\{e:N(e)=\emptyset\}|=n0​+∣{e:N(e)=∅}∣), Proposition 1 (p. 1012, validity), and the full dimensionality of MPG\mathrm{MP}_GMPG​ (cited on p. 1016 from [12]):

dim⁡MPG=∣V∣+∣E∣.\dim\mathrm{MP}_G=|V|+|E|.dimMPG​=∣V∣+∣E∣.

Companions

Corollary 2 (p. 1017): ∣e0∩ek∣≥2|e_0\cap e_k|\ge 2∣e0​∩ek​∣≥2 and ∣e0∩ek∩ek′∣≤1|e_0\cap e_k\cap e_{k'}|\le 1∣e0​∩ek​∩ek′​∣≤1 for k≠k′k\neq k'k=k′ suffice. Proposition 2 and Corollary 1 (pp. 1013–1014): the multiset {N(e)}\{N(e)\}{N(e)}, hence the system of inequalities, does not depend on the ordering. Proposition 3 (p. 1014): necessary conditions for a facet of the running intersection relaxation MPGRI\mathrm{MP}^{\mathrm{RI}}_GMPGRI​.

Significance

Proposition 4 certifies a large family of facets of multilinear polytopes whose support hypergraphs contain cycles that flower inequalities cannot handle. Together with the lifting theorems of Del Pia and Khajavirad (2017), it yields sufficient conditions under which these inequalities define facets of the multilinear polytope of general hypergraphs (p. 1015); §2.5 of the paper reports that running intersection cuts reduce BARON's root-node relaxation gap on image-restoration instances. Proposition 3 and Example 1 show that condition 1 is necessary while conditions 2–3 are not, so the result is a sufficient condition and not a characterization.

The results are proved in the paper; none is formalized. A Lean development would provide the first machine-checked library for the running intersection property (orderings, leaves, the multiset of NNN-sets), the connected-component count of Lemma 2, and the multilinear polytope as a convex hull with an exact dimension count, all reusable for the companion missions on the tightness of MPGRI\mathrm{MP}^{\mathrm{RI}}_GMPGRI​ for kite-free β\betaβ-acyclic hypergraphs and its strictness otherwise.

Difficulty

Validity (Proposition 1) decomposes over the connected components of G~\tilde GG~; the facet claim does not, because a face of codimension one is a global object and the neighbors of different components, and the nodes uku_kuk​ shared between neighbors, interact in it. Conditions 2 and 3 are exactly where this interaction is controlled, and Example 1 of the paper shows that dropping condition 3 does not destroy facetness, so no simple equivalence is available to fall back on. Formally, three nontrivial ingredients have no Mathlib counterpart: the combinatorics of running intersection orderings (Lemma 1, Proposition 2), the count of connected components of a hypergraph with loops and parallel edges (Lemma 2), and the affine dimension of a convex hull of 0/1 points in a space indexed by nodes and edges.

Formalization scope

Nodes form a finite type α; every hypergraph's space RV+E\mathbb R^{V+E}RV+E lives inside α ⊕ Finset α → ℝ, with the coordinates outside V+EV+EV+E pinned to 000 in the definition of SG\mathcal S_GSG​, so dim⁡MPG=∣V∣+∣E∣\dim\mathrm{MP}_G=|V|+|E|dimMPG​=∣V∣+∣E∣ is meaningful. Orderings are lists indexed from 000. The number of components is that of the 2-section graph on the node set. An inequality is given by its data: center, a set KKK of distinct neighbors other than e0e_0e0​, an ordering of KKK whose traces form a running intersection ordering of E~\tilde EE~, and the choice k↦ukk\mapsto u_kk↦uk​; the first sum runs over neighbors, so a node chosen for two neighbors has coefficient −2-2−2. "Defines a facet" requires a nonempty face and compares dimensions as dim⁡F+1=dim⁡P\dim F+1=\dim PdimF+1=dimP, so the empty face can never qualify and no truncated subtraction occurs. The facet statement is about MPG\mathrm{MP}_GMPG​ for the support hypergraph only, not for a larger host hypergraph, which would require the lifting theorems. The reading k≠k′k\neq k'k=k′ is used where the page's "for all k,k′k,k'k,k′" would otherwise be contradictory (Corollary 2, Proposition 3(i)); Lemma 2 is stated for lists of nonempty sets, which covers its use on G~\tilde GG~.

Contributions welcome: proofs of the milestones, a reusable library for the running intersection property and α\alphaα-acyclic hypergraphs, and the full-dimensionality proof.

Selected references

  • A. Del Pia, A. Khajavirad, The running intersection relaxation of the multilinear polytope, Math. Oper. Res. 46(3):1008–1037, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1287/moor.2021.1121
  • A. Del Pia, A. Khajavirad, A polyhedral study of binary polynomial programs, Math. Oper. Res. 42(2):389–410, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1287/moor.2016.0804
  • A. Del Pia, A. Khajavirad, The multilinear polytope for acyclic hypergraphs, SIAM J. Optim. 28(2):1049–1076, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1137/16M1095998
  • C. Beeri, R. Fagin, D. Maier, M. Yannakakis, On the desirability of acyclic database schemes, J. ACM 30(3):479–513, 1983. https://doi.org/10.1145/2402.322389
  • Y. Crama, Concave extensions for nonlinear 0–1 maximization problems, Math. Programming 61:53–60, 1993. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01582138
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