Alternating Least-Squares constraints

P.J. Gemperline and E. Cash, Advantages of soft versus hard constraints in self-modeling curve resolution problems. Alternating Least squares with penalty functions. Anal. Chem., 75, 4236 (2003). 

The next subsection deals first with aspects common to all resolution methods. These include (1) issues related to the initial estimates, i.e., how to obtain the profiles used as the starting point in the iterative optimization, and (2) issues related to the use of mathematical and chemical information available about the data set in the form of so-called constraints. The last part of this section describes two of the most widely used iterative methods iterative target transformation factor analysis (ITTFA) and multivariate curve resolution-alternating least squares (MCR-ALS). 

The results presented below were obtained by multivariate curve resolution-alternating least squares (MCR-ALS). MCR-ALS was selected because of its flexibility in the application of constraints and its ability to handle either one data matrix (two-way data sets) or several data matrices together (three-way data sets). MCR-ALS has been applied to the folding process monitored using only one spectroscopic technique and to a row-wise augmented matrix, obtained by appending spectroscopic measurements from several different techniques. 

Van Benthem, M.H., Keenan, M.R., and Haaland, D.M., Application of equality constraints on variables during alternating least squares procedures, J. Chemom., 16, 613-622, 2002. 

Llamas et al. developed other spectrophotometric methods for the determination of Amaranth, Sunset Yellow, and Tartrazine in beverages [32]. The spectra of the samples (simply filtered) were recorded between 359 and 600 nm, and mixtures of pure dyes, in concentrations between 0.01 and 1.8 mg/L for Amaranth, 0.08 and 4.4 mg/L for Sunset Yellow, and 0.04 and 1.8 mg/L for Tartrazine, were disposed in a column-wise augmented data matrix. This kind of data structure, analyzed by multivariate curve resolution-alternating least squares (MCR-ALS), makes it possible to exploit the so-called second-order advantage. The MCR-ALS algorithm was applied to the experimental data under the nonnegativity and equality constraints. As a result, the concentration of each dye in the sample and their corresponding pure spectra were obtained. 

The constrained least-square method is developed in Section 5.3 and a numerical example treated in detail. Efficient specific algorithms taking errors into account have been developed by Provost and Allegre (1979). Literature abounds in alternative methods. Wright and Doherty (1970) use linear programming methods that are fast and offer an easy implementation of linear constraints but the structure of the data is not easily perceived and error assessment inefficiently handled. Principal component analysis (Section 4.4) is more efficient when the end-members are unknown. 

ALS should more correctly be called Alternating Linear Least-Squares as every step in the iterative cycle is a linear least-squares calculation followed by some correction of the results. The main advantage and strength of ALS is the ease with which any conceivable constraint can be implemented its main weakness is the inherent poor convergence. This is a property ALS shares with the very similar methods of Iterative Target Transform Factor Analysis, TTTFA and Iterative Refinement of the Concentration Profiles, discussed in Chapters 5.2.2 and 5.3.3. 

Konnert s technique for refining the structure of proteins subject to known geometrical constraints has been developed by incorporating restraints on the variances of the interatomic distributions, in order to express the retention of local geometry that accompanies certain modes of motion." As as alternative to the sparse matrix approach, Hoad and Norman have utilized the fast Gauss-Seidel least-squares routine for the refinement of atomic co-ordinates." A comparison has been made of the structures obtained for bovine trypsin (EC 3.4.24.4) by the difference Fourier and real space refinement methods." ... 

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