We study approximating multivariate functions from a reproducing kernel Hilbert space with the error between the function and its approximation measured in a weighted
L2-norm. We consider functions with an arbitrarily large number of variables,
d, and we focus on the randomized setting with algorithms using standard information consisting of function values at randomly chosen points. We prove that standard information in the randomized setting is as powerful as linear information in the worst case setting. Linear information means that algorithms may use arbitrary continuous linear functionals, and by the power of information we mean the speed of convergence of the
nth minimal errors, i.e., of the minimal errors among all algorithms using
n function evaluations. Previously, it was only known that standard information in the randomized setting is no more powerful than the linear information in the worst case setting. We also study (strong) tractability of multivariate approximation in the randomized setting. That is, we study when the minimal number of function evaluations needed to reduce the initial error by a factor
ε is polynomial in
ε−1 (strong tractability), and polynomial in
d and
ε−1 (tractability). We prove that these notions in the randomized setting for standard information are equivalent to the same notions in the worst case setting for linear information. This result is useful since for a number of important applications only standard information can be used and verifying (strong) tractability for standard information is in general difficult, whereas (strong) tractability in the worst case setting for linear information is known for many spaces and is relatively easy to check. We illustrate the tractability results for weighted Korobov spaces. In particular, we present necessary and sufficient conditions for strong tractability and tractability. For product weights independent of
d, we prove that strong tractability is equivalent to tractability. We stress that all proofs are constructive. That is, we provide randomized algorithms that enjoy the maximal speed of convergence. We also exhibit randomized algorithms which achieve strong tractability and tractability error bounds.
High-dimensional integrals arise in a variety of areas, including quantum physics, the physics and chemistry of molecules, statistical mechanics and more recently, in financial applications. In order to approximate multidimensional integrals, one may use Monte Carlo methods in which the quadrature points are generated randomly or quasi-Monte Carlo methods, in which points are generated deterministically. One particular class of quasi-Monte Carlo methods for multivariate integration is represented by lattice rules. Lattice rules constructed throughout this thesis allow good approximations to integrals of functions belonging to certain weighted function spaces. These function spaces were proposed as an explanation as to why integrals in many variables appear to be successfully approximated although the standard theory indicates that the number of quadrature points required for reasonable accuracy would be astronomical because of the large number of variables. The purpose of this thesis is to contribute to theoretical results regarding the construction of lattice rules for multiple integration. We consider both lattice rules for integrals over the unit cube and lattice rules suitable for integrals over Euclidean space. The research reported throughout the thesis is devoted to finding the generating vector required to produce lattice rules that have what is termed a low weighted discrepancy . In simple terms, the discrepancy is a measure of the uniformity of the distribution of the quadrature points or in other settings, a worst-case error. One of the assumptions used in these weighted function spaces is that variables are arranged in the decreasing order of their importance and the assignment of weights in this situation results in so-called product weights . In other applications it is rather the importance of group of variables that matters. This situation is modelled by using function spaces in which the weights are general . In the weighted settings mentioned above, the quality of the lattice rules is assessed by the weighted discrepancy mentioned earlier. Under appropriate conditions on the weights, the lattice rules constructed here produce a convergence rate of the error that ranges from O(n−1/2) to the (believed) optimal O(n−1+δ) for any δ gt 0, with the involved constant independent of the dimension.