Generic uniqueness of best rank-one approximations for real tensors

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Let d≥3d\ge 3 and let nj≥2n_j\ge 2 for j∈[d]j\in[d]. A rank-one approximation of a tensor T∈Rn1×⋯×nd\mathcal{T}\in\mathbb{R}^{n_1\times\cdots\times n_d} is a rank-one tensor minimizing its distance from T\mathcal{T} in the Frobenius norm. Write Sym⁡(n,d)\operatorname{Sym}(n,d) for the space of symmetric order-dd tensors in (Rn)⊗d(\mathbb{R}^n)^{\otimes d}.

Generic uniqueness conjecture. Every T∈Rn1×⋯×nd\mathcal{T}\in\mathbb{R}^{n_1\times\cdots\times n_d} has a unique rank-one approximation, unless T\mathcal{T} lies on a subvariety; moreover, every T∈Sym⁡(n,d)\mathcal{T}\in\operatorname{Sym}(n,d) has a unique rank-one approximation, and this approximation is symmetric, unless T\mathcal{T} lies on a subvariety.

The conjecture predicts uniqueness outside an exceptional algebraic subset, together with symmetry of the unique approximation for symmetric tensors. The statement is presented as an expectation in the source, and no resolution is supplied here.

References

Primary source

Shmuel Friedland, “Best rank one approximation of real symmetric tensors can be chosen symmetric”, arXiv:1110.5689 (2012).

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