Publications

2018

• Principal-Agent Problem with Common Agency without Communication
  
  • Mastrolia Thibaut
  • Ren Zhenjie
  , 2018. In this paper, we consider a problem of contract theory in which several Principals hire a common Agent and we study the model in the continuous time setting. We show that optimal contracts should satisfy some equilibrium conditions and we reduce the optimisation problem of the Principals to a system of coupled Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) equations. We provide conditions ensuring that for risk-neutral Principals, the system of coupled HJB equations admits a solution. Further, we apply our study in a more specific linear-quadratic model where two interacting Principals hire one common Agent. In this continuous time model, we extend the result of Bernheim and Whinston (1986) in which the authors compare the optimal effort of the Agent in a non-cooperative Principals model and that in the aggregate model, by showing that these two optimisations coincide only in the first best case. We also study the sensibility of the optimal effort and the optimal remunerations with respect to appetence parameters and the correlation between the projects. (10.1137/17M1133609)
  DOI : 10.1137/17M1133609
• Development and performance of npde for the evaluation of time-to-event models
  
  • Cerou Marc
  • Lavielle Marc
  • Brendel Karl
  • Chenel Marylore
  • Comets Emmanuelle
  Pharmaceutical Research, American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, 2018, 35 (2), pp.30. Purpose - Normalised prediction distribution errors (npde) are used to graphically and statistically evaluate mixed-effect models for continuous responses. In this study, our aim was to extend npde to time-to-event (TTE) models and evaluate their performance. Methods - Let V denote a dataset with censored TTE observations. The null hypothesis (H) is that observations in V can be described by model M. We extended npde to TTE models using imputations to take into account censoring. We then evaluated their performance in terms of type I error and power to detect model misspecifications for TTE data by means of a simulation study with different sample sizes. Results - Type I error was found to be close to the expected 5% significance level for all sample sizes tested. The npde were able to detect misspecifications in the baseline hazard as well as in the link between the longitudinal variable and the survival function. The ability to detect model misspecifications increased as the difference in the shape of the survival function became more apparent. As expected, the power also increased as the sample size increased. Imputing the censored events tended to decrease the percentage of rejections. Conclusions - We have shown that npde can be readily extended to TTE data and that they perform well with an adequate type I error. (10.1007/s11095-017-2291-3)
  DOI : 10.1007/s11095-017-2291-3
• Quantitative estimates for the flux of TASEP with dilute site disorder
  
  • Bahadoran Christophe
  • Bodineau Thierry
  Electronic Journal of Probability, Institute of Mathematical Statistics (IMS), 2018, 23. We prove that the flux function of the totally asymmetric simple exclusion process (TASEP) with site disorder exhibits a flat segment for sufficiently dilute disorder. For high dilution, we obtain an accurate description of the flux. The result is established under a decay assumption of the maximum current in finite boxes, which is implied in particular by a sufficiently slow power tail assumption on the disorder distribution near its minimum. To circumvent the absence of explicit invariant measures, we use an original renormalization procedure and some ideas inspired by homogenization. (10.1214/18-EJP137)
  DOI : 10.1214/18-EJP137
• The Quasispecies for the Wright–Fisher Model
  
  • Cerf Raphaël
  • Dalmau Joseba
  Evolutionary Biology, Springer, 2018, 45 (3), pp.318-323. We consider the classical Wright-Fisher model of population genetics. We prove the existence of an error threshold for the mutation probability per nucleotide, below which a quasispecies is formed. We show a new phenomenon, specific to a finite population model, namely the existence of a population threshold: to ensure the stability of the quasispecies, the population size has to be at least of the same order as the genome length. We derive an explicit formula describing the quasispecies. (10.1007/s11692-018-9452-0)
  DOI : 10.1007/s11692-018-9452-0
• Impact of subsampling and tree depth on random forests
  
  • Duroux Roxane
  • Scornet Erwan
  ESAIM: Probability and Statistics, EDP Sciences, 2018, 22, pp.96-128. Random forests are ensemble learning methods introduced by Breiman [Mach. Learn. 45 (2001) 5–32] that operate by averaging several decision trees built on a randomly selected subspace of the data set. Despite their widespread use in practice, the respective roles of the different mechanisms at work in Breiman’s forests are not yet fully understood, neither is the tuning of the corresponding parameters. In this paper, we study the influence of two parameters, namely the subsampling rate and the tree depth, on Breiman’s forests performance. More precisely, we prove that quantile forests (a specific type of random forests) based on subsampling and quantile forests whose tree construction is terminated early have similar performances, as long as their respective parameters (subsampling rate and tree depth) are well chosen. Moreover, experiments show that a proper tuning of these parameters leads in most cases to an improvement of Breiman’s original forests in terms of mean squared error. (10.1051/ps/2018008)
  DOI : 10.1051/ps/2018008
• Commentaires sur le projet de document consensus de l’OCDE sur les considérations environnementales relatives à l’évaluation des risques associé. Paris, le 23 mai 2018
  
  • Comité Scientifique Du Haut Conseil Des Biotechnologies .
  • Angevin Frédérique
  • Bagnis Claude
  • Bar-Hen Avner
  • Barny Marie Anne M. A.
  • Bellivier Florence
  • Berny Philippe
  • Boireau Pascal
  • Brévault Thierry
  • Chauvel Bruno B.
  • Coléno François
  • Couvet Denis
  • Dassa Elie
  • Eychenne Nathalie
  • Franche Claudine
  • Guerche Philippe
  • Guillemain Joël
  • Hernandez Raquet Guillermina
  • Jestin André
  • Klonjkowski Bernard
  • Lavielle Marc
  • Le Corre Valérie V.
  • Lemaire Olivier O.
  • Lereclus Didier
  • Maximilien Rémi
  • Meurs Eliane
  • Moreau de Bellaing Cédric
  • Naffakh Nadia
  • Négre Didier
  • Noyer Jean-Louis
  • Ochatt Sergio
  • Pages Jean-Christophe
  • Parzy Daniel
  • Regnault-Roger Catherine
  • Renard Michel
  • Saindrenan Patrick
  • Simonet Pascal
  • Troadec Marie-Bérengère
  • Vaissière Bernard
  • de Verneuil Hubert
  • Vilotte Jean-Luc
  , 2018, pp.25 p.. Le Haut Conseil des biotechnologies (HCB) a été sollicité le 4 avril 2018 par la direction générale de l’alimentation du ministère de l’Agriculture et de l’Alimentation et par la direction générale de la prévention des risques du ministère de la Transition écologique et solidaire pour examiner et commenter le projet de document consensus de l’OCDE (version du 3 avril 2018) sur les considérations environnementales relatives à l’évaluation des risques associés à la dissémination de plantes génétiquement modifiées en vue de la réunion du groupe de travail de l’OCDE sur l’harmonisation de la surveillance réglementaire en biotechnologie les 21 et 22 juin 2018. Le Comité scientifique (CS)1 du HCB a examiné ce document en séance du 26 avril 2018 sous la présidence de Jean-Christophe Pagès. Les commentaires du CS du HCB à destination de l’OCDE, en version française et anglaise2, ont été validés par voie électronique et transmis aux autorités compétentes françaises le 23 mai 2018, et publiés après envoi à l’OCDE le 30 mai 2018.
• From Hammersley's lines to Hammersley's trees
  
  • Basdevant Anne-Laure
  • Gerin Lucas
  • Gouere Jean-Baptiste
  • Singh Arvind
  Probability Theory and Related Fields, Springer Verlag, 2018, 171 (1-2), pp.1-51. We construct a stationary random tree, embedded in the upper half plane, with prescribed offspring distribution and whose vertices are the atoms of a unit Poisson point process. This process which we call Hammersley's tree process extends the usual Hammersley's line process. Just as Hammersley's process is related to the problem of the longest increasing subsequence, this model also has a combinatorial interpretation: it counts the number of heaps (i.e. increasing trees) required to store a random permutation. This problem was initially considered by Byers et. al (2011) and Istrate and Bonchis (2015) in the case of regular trees. We show, in particular, that the number of heaps grows logarithmically with the size of the permutation. (10.1007/s00440-017-0772-2)
  DOI : 10.1007/s00440-017-0772-2
• Vertices with fixed outdegrees in large Galton-Watson trees
  
  • Thévenin Paul
  Electronic Journal of Probability, Institute of Mathematical Statistics (IMS), 2018, 25 (none). We are interested in nodes with fixed outdegrees in large conditioned Galton--Watson trees. We first study the scaling limits of processes coding the evolution of the number of such nodes in different explorations of the tree (lexicographical order and contour order) starting from the root. We give necessary and sufficient conditions for the limiting processes to be centered, thus measuring the linearity defect of the evolution of the number of nodes with fixed outdegrees. This extends results by Labarbe & Marckert in the case of the contour-ordered counting process of leaves in uniform plane trees. Then, we extend results obtained by Janson concerning the asymptotic normality of the number of nodes with fixed outdegrees. (10.1214/20-EJP465)
  DOI : 10.1214/20-EJP465
• Sensing Von Economo Neurons in the Insula with Multi-shell Diffusion MRI
  
  • Wassermann Demian
  • Nguyen Dang Van
  • Gallardo Guillermo
  • Li Jing-Rebecca
  • Cai Weidong
  • Menon Vinod
  , 2018.
• Markov chains
  
  • Douc Randal
  • Moulines Eric
  • Priouret Pierre
  • Soulier Philippe
  , 2018, pp.757. This book covers the classical theory of Markov chains on general state-spaces as well as many recent developments. The theoretical results are illustrated by simple examples, many of which are taken from Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods. The book is self-contained, while all the results are carefully and concisely proven. Bibliographical notes are added at the end of each chapter to provide an overview of the literature (10.1007/978-3-319-97704-1)
  DOI : 10.1007/978-3-319-97704-1
• Peristaltic Waves as Optimal Gaits in Metameric Bio-Inspired Robots
  
  • Agostinelli Daniele
  • Alouges François
  • Desimone Antonio
  Frontiers in Robotics and AI, Frontiers Media S.A., 2018, 5, pp.99. Peristalsis, i.e., a motion pattern arising from the propagation of muscle contraction and expansion waves along the body, is a common locomotion strategy for limbless animals. Mimicking peristalsis in bio-inspired robots has attracted considerable attention in the literature. It has recently been observed that maximal velocity in a metameric earthworm-like robot is achieved by actuating the segments using a “phase coordination” principle. This paper shows that, in fact, peristalsis (which requires not only phase coordination, but also that all segments oscillate at same frequency and amplitude) emerges from optimization principles. More precisely, basing our analysis on the assumption of small deformations, we show that peristaltic waves provide the optimal actuation solution in the ideal case of a periodic infinite system, and that this is approximately true, modulo edge effects, for the real, finite length system. Therefore, this paper confirms the effectiveness of mimicking peristalsis in bio-inspired robots, at least in the small-deformation regime. Further research will be required to test the effectiveness of this strategy if large deformations are allowed. (10.3389/frobt.2018.00099)
  DOI : 10.3389/frobt.2018.00099
• Variational methods for tomographic reconstruction with few views
  
  • Bergounioux Maïtine
  • Abraham Isabelle
  • Abraham Romain
  • Carlier Guillaume
  • Le Pennec Erwan
  • Trélat Emmanuel
  Milan Journal of Mathematics, Springer Verlag, 2018, 86 (2), pp.157--200. We deal with a severe ill posed problem, namely the reconstruction process of an image during tomography acquisition with (very) few views. We present different methods that we have been investigated during the past decade. They are based on variational analysis. This is a survey paper and we refer to the quoted papers for more details. Mathematics Subject Classification (2010). 49K40, 45Q05,65M32.
• Generic uniqueness of the bias vector of finite stochastic games with perfect information
  
  • Akian Marianne
  • Gaubert Stéphane
  • Hochart Antoine
  Journal of Mathematical Analysis and Applications, Elsevier, 2018, 457, pp.1038-1064. Mean-payoff zero-sum stochastic games can be studied by means of a nonlinear spectral problem. When the state space is finite, the latter consists in finding an eigenpair (u,λ) solution of T(u)=λe+u, where T:Rn→Rn is the Shapley (or dynamic programming) operator, λ is a scalar, e is the unit vector, and u∈Rn. The scalar λ yields the mean payoff per time unit, and the vector u, called the bias, allows one to determine optimal stationary strategies. The existence of the eigenpair (u,λ) is generally related to ergodicity conditions. A basic issue is to understand for which classes of games the bias vector is unique (up to an additive constant). In this paper, we consider perfect-information zero-sum stochastic games with finite state and action spaces, thinking of the transition payments as variable parameters, transition probabilities being fixed. We show that the bias vector, thought of as a function of the transition payments, is generically unique (up to an additive constant). The proof uses techniques of max-plus (or tropical) algebra and nonlinear Perron-Frobenius theory. As an application of our results, we obtain a perturbation scheme allowing one to solve degenerate instances of stochastic games by policy iteration. (10.1016/j.jmaa.2017.07.017)
  DOI : 10.1016/j.jmaa.2017.07.017
• Modal basis approaches in shape and topology optimization of frequency response problems
  
  • Allaire Grégoire
  • Michailidis Georgios
  International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering, Wiley, 2018, 113 (8), pp.1258-1299. The optimal design of mechanical structures subject to periodic excitations within a large frequency interval is quite challenging. In order to avoid bad performances for non-discretized frequencies, it is necessary to finely discretize the frequency interval, leading to a very large number of state equations. Then, if a standard adjoint-based approach is used for optimization, the computational cost (both in terms of CPU and memory storage) may be prohibitive for large problems, especially in three space dimensions. The goal of the present work is to introduce two new non-adjoint approaches for dealing with frequency response problems in shape and topology optimization. In both cases, we rely on a classical modal basis approach to compute the states, solutions of the direct problems. In the first method, we do not use any adjoint but rather directly compute the shape derivatives of the eigenmodes in the modal basis. In the second method, we compute the adjoints of the standard approach by using again the modal basis. The numerical cost of these two new strategies are much smaller than the usual ones if the number of modes in the modal basis is much smaller than the number of discretized excitation frequencies. We present numerical examples for the minimization of the dynamic compliance in two and three space dimensions. (10.1002/nme.5504)
  DOI : 10.1002/nme.5504
• Uncovering Causality from Multivariate Hawkes Integrated Cumulants
  
  • Achab Massil
  • Bacry Emmanuel
  • Gaïffas Stéphane
  • Mastromatteo Iacopo
  • Muzy Jean-François
  Journal of Machine Learning Research, Microtome Publishing, 2018, 18, pp.192. We design a new nonparametric method that allows one to estimate the matrix of integrated kernels of a multivariate Hawkes process. This matrix not only encodes the mutual influences of each node of the process, but also disentangles the causality relationships between them. Our approach is the first that leads to an estimation of this matrix without any parametric modeling and estimation of the kernels themselves. As a consequence, it can give an estimation of causality relationships between nodes (or users), based on their activity timestamps (on a social network for instance), without knowing or estimating the shape of the activities lifetime. For that purpose, we introduce a moment matching method that fits the second-order and the third-order integrated cumulants of the process. A theoretical analysis allows us to prove that this new estimation technique is consistent. Moreover, we show, on numerical experiments, that our approach is indeed very robust with respect to the shape of the kernels and gives appealing results on the MemeTracker database and on financial order book data.
• Dynamic programming approach to principal-agent problems
  
  • Cvitanić Jakša
  • Possamaï Dylan
  • Touzi Nizar
  Finance and Stochastics, Springer Verlag (Germany), 2018, 22, pp.1-37. We consider a general formulation of the Principal-Agent problem with a lump-sum payment on a finite horizon, providing a systematic method for solving such problems. Our approach is the following: we first find the contract that is optimal among those for which the agent's value process allows a dynamic programming representation, for which the agent's optimal effort is straightforward to find. We then show that the optimization over the restricted family of contracts represents no loss of generality. As a consequence, we have reduced this non-zero sum stochastic differential game to a stochastic control problem which may be addressed by the standard tools of control theory. Our proofs rely on the backward stochastic differential equations approach to non-Markovian stochastic control, and more specifically, on the recent extensions to the second order case. (10.1007/s00780-017-0344-4)
  DOI : 10.1007/s00780-017-0344-4
• Principal-Agent Problem with Common Agency Without Communication
  
  • Mastrolia Thibaut
  • Ren Zhenjie
  SIAM Journal on Financial Mathematics, Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, 2018, 9 (2), pp.775-799. In this paper, we consider a problem of contract theory in which several Principals hire a common Agent and we study the model in the continuous time setting. We show that optimal contracts should satisfy some equilibrium conditions and we reduce the optimization problem of the Principals to a system of coupled Hamilton--Jacobi--Bellman (HJB) equations. We provide conditions ensuring that for risk-neutral Principals, the system of coupled HJB equations admits a solution. Further, we apply our study in a more specific linear-quadratic model where two interacting Principals hire one common Agent. In this continuous time model, we extend the result of [B. D. Bernheim and M. D. Whinston, Econometrica, 54 (1986), pp. 923--942] in which the authors compare the optimal effort of the Agent in a noncooperative Principals model and that in the aggregate model, by showing that these two optimizations coincide only in the first best case. We also study the sensibility of the optimal effort and the optimal remunerations with respect to appetence parameters and the correlation between the projects. (10.1137/17M1133609)
  DOI : 10.1137/17M1133609
• Relaxation Limit and Initial-Layers for a Class of Hyperbolic-Parabolic Systems
  
  • Giovangigli Vincent
  • Yang Zai-Bao
  • Yong Wen-An
  SIAM Journal on Mathematical Analysis, Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics, 2018. We consider a class of hyperbolic-parabolic systems with small diffusion terms and stiff sources. Existence of solutions to the Cauchy problem with ill prepared initial data is established by using composite expansions including initial-layer correctors and a convergence-stability lemma. New multitime expansions are introduced and lead to second-order error estimates between the composite expansions and the solution. Reduced equilibrium systems of second-order accuracy are also investigated as well as initial-layers of Chapman-Enskog expansions. (10.1137/18M1170091)
  DOI : 10.1137/18M1170091
• Quadratic BSDEs with mean reflection
  
  • Hibon Hélène
  • Hu Ying
  • Lin Yiqing
  • Luo Peng
  • Wang Falei
  Mathematical Control and Related Fields, AIMS, 2018, 8 (3 & 4), pp.721-738. The present paper is devoted to the study of the well-posedness of BSDEs with mean reflection whenever the generator has quadratic growth in the $z$ argument. This work is the sequel of Briand et al. [BSDEs with mean reflection, arXiv:1605.06301] in which a notion of BSDEs with mean reflection is developed to tackle the super-hedging problem under running risk management constraints. By the contraction mapping argument, we first prove that the quadratic BSDE with mean reflection admits a unique deterministic flat local solution on a small time interval whenever the terminal value is bounded. Moreover, we build the global solution on the whole time interval by stitching local solutions when the generator is uniformly bounded with respect to the $y$ argument. (10.3934/mcrf.2018031)
  DOI : 10.3934/mcrf.2018031
• Solving generic nonarchimedean semidefinite programs using stochastic game algorithms
  
  • Allamigeon Xavier
  • Gaubert Stephane
  • Skomra Mateusz
  Journal of Symbolic Computation, Elsevier, 2018, 85, pp.25-54. A general issue in computational optimization is to develop combinatorial algorithms for semidefinite programming. We address this issue when the base field is nonarchimedean. We provide a solution for a class of semidefinite feasibility problems given by generic matrices. Our approach is based on tropical geometry. It relies on tropical spectrahedra, which are defined as the images by the valuation of nonarchimedean spectrahedra. We establish a correspondence between generic tropical spectrahedra and zero-sum stochastic games with perfect information. The latter have been well studied in algorithmic game theory. This allows us to solve nonarchimedean semidefinite feasibility problems using algorithms for stochastic games. These algorithms are of a combinatorial nature and work for large instances. (10.1016/j.jsc.2017.07.002)
  DOI : 10.1016/j.jsc.2017.07.002
• Darboux–Moutard transformations and Poincare–Steklov operators
  
  • Novikov Roman
  • Taimanov Iskander
  Proceedings of the Steklov Institute of Mathematics, MAIK Nauka/Interperiodica, 2018, 302, pp.315–324. Formulas relating Poincare–Steklov operators for Schrödinger equations related by Darboux–Moutard transformations are derived. They can be used for testing algorithms of reconstruction of the potential from measurements at the boundary. (10.1134/S0081543818060160)
  DOI : 10.1134/S0081543818060160
• FEM and BEM simulations with the Gypsilab framework
  
  • Alouges François
  • Aussal Matthieu
  SMAI Journal of Computational Mathematics, Société de Mathématiques Appliquées et Industrielles (SMAI), 2018, 4, pp.297-318. (10.5802/smai-jcm.36)
  DOI : 10.5802/smai-jcm.36
• Fluctuations and Temperature Effects in Bose-Einstein Condensation
  
  • de Bouard Anne
  • Debussche Arnaud
  • Fukuizumi Reika
  • Poncet Romain
  ESAIM: Proceedings and Surveys, EDP Sciences, 2018, 61, pp.55-67. The modeling of cold atoms systems has known an increasing interest in the theoretical physics community, after the first experimental realizations of Bose Einstein condensates, some twenty years ago. We here review some analytical and numerical results concerning the influence of fluctuations , either arising from fluctuations of the confining parameters, or due to temperature effects, in the models describing the dynamics of such condensates. (10.1051/proc/201861055)
  DOI : 10.1051/proc/201861055
• Random planar maps and growth-fragmentations
  
  • Bertoin Jean
  • Curien Nicolas
  • Kortchemski Igor
  The Annals of Probability, Institute of Mathematical Statistics, 2018, 46 (1), pp.207-260. (10.1214/17-AOP1183)
  DOI : 10.1214/17-AOP1183
• Optimizing supports for additive manufacturing
  
  • Allaire Grégoire
  • Bogosel Beniamin
  Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, Springer Verlag, 2018, 58 (6), pp.2493-2515. In additive manufacturing process support structures are often required to ensure the quality of the final built part. In this article we present mathematical models and their numerical implementations in an optimization loop, which allow us to design optimal support structures. Our models are derived with the requirement that they should be as simple as possible, computationally cheap and yet based on a realistic physical modeling. Supports are optimized with respect to two different physical properties. First, they must support overhanging regions of the structure for improving the stiffness of the supported structure during the building process. Second, supports can help in channeling the heat flux produced by the source term (typically a laser beam) and thus improving the cooling down of the structure during the fabrication process. Of course, more involved constraints or manufacturability conditions could be taken into account, most notably removal of supports. Our work is just a first step, proposing a general framework for support optimization. Our optimization algorithm is based on the level set method and on the computation of shape derivatives by the Hadamard method. In a first approach, only the shape and topology of the supports are optimized, for a given and fixed structure. In second and more elaborated strategy, both the supports and the structure are optimized, which amounts to a specific multiphase optimization problem. Numerical examples are given in 2-d and 3-d.