Finite normalized tight frames (Q1869349)

Given a Hilbert space \(H\), a sequence \(\{x_n\}\subset H\) is a frame if there exist constants \(0 < A \leq B < \infty\) such that for all \(y\in H\): \(A\|y\|^2 \leq \sum_n |\langle y, x_n \rangle|^2 \leq B \|y\|^2\). A frame is tight if \(A=B\), and a tight frame is normalized if for all \(n\): \(\|x_n\|=1\). The theory of frames plays a significant role in signal processing, e.g., frames give stable signal representations, and they are used in denoising. In this paper the authors develop and motivate the theory of finite normalized tight frames (FNTFs) for Euclidean spaces \({\mathbb R}^d\) and \({\mathbb C}^d\). The main tool in this theory is the notion of a frame potential: given a finite sequence \(\{x_n\}_{n=1}^N \subset {\mathbb R}^d\) (or \({\mathbb C}^d\)), its frame potential is \(FP(\{x_n\}_{n=1}^N) = \sum_{m,n=1}^N |\langle x_m, x_n \rangle|^2\). The authors prove, in particular, that if \(N\leq d\) then the minimizers of the frame potential \(FP\) are all the orthonormal sequences in \({\mathbb R}^d\) (or \({\mathbb C}^d\)), and if \(N \geq d\) then the minimizers of \(FP\) are precisely the FNTFs. Various examples of FNTFs are given, including the vertices of platonic solids and of a soccer ball.