Function which returns the least-squares solution to a linear matrix equation

Question

I have been trying to rewrite the code from Python to Swift but I’m stuck on the function which should return the least-squares solution to a linear matrix equation. Does anyone know a library written in Swift which has an equivalent method to the numpy.linalg.lstsq? I’d be grateful for your help.

Python code:

a = numpy.array([[p2.x-p1.x,p2.y-p1.y],[p4.x-p3.x,p4.y-p3.y],[p4.x-p2.x,p4.y-p2.y],[p3.x-p1.x,p3.y-p1.y]])
b = numpy.array([number1,number2,number3,number4])
res = numpy.linalg.lstsq(a,b) 
result = [float(res[0][0]),float(res[0][1])]
return result

Swift code so far:

var matrix1 = [[p2.x-p1.x, p2.y-p1.y],[p4.x-p3.x, p4.y-p3.y], [p4.x-p2.x, p4.y-p2.y], [p3.x-p1.x, p3.y-p1.y]]
var matrix2 = [number1, number2, number3, number4]

Asked By: wtznc

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Source

Answer 1

The Accelerate framework included the LAPACK linear algebra package,
which has a DGELS function to solve under- or overdetermined linear systems. From the documentation:

DGELS solves overdetermined or underdetermined real linear systems
involving an M-by-N matrix A, or its transpose, using a QR or LQ
factorization of A. It is assumed that A has full rank.

Here is an example how that function can be used from Swift.
It is essentially a translation of this C sample code.

func solveLeastSquare(A A: [[Double]], B: [Double]) -> [Double]? {
    precondition(A.count == B.count, "Non-matching dimensions")
    
    var mode = Int8(bitPattern: UInt8(ascii: "N")) // "Normal" mode
    var nrows = CInt(A.count)
    var ncols = CInt(A[0].count)
    var nrhs = CInt(1)
    var ldb = max(nrows, ncols)
    
    // Flattened columns of matrix A
    var localA = (0 ..< nrows * ncols).map {
        A[Int($0 % nrows)][Int($0 / nrows)]
    }

    // Vector B, expanded by zeros if ncols > nrows
    var localB = B
    if ldb > nrows {
        localB.appendContentsOf([Double](count: ldb - nrows, repeatedValue: 0.0))
    }
    
    var wkopt = 0.0
    var lwork: CInt = -1
    var info: CInt = 0
    
    // First call to determine optimal workspace size
    dgels_(&mode, &nrows, &ncols, &nrhs, &localA, &nrows, &localB, &ldb, &wkopt, &lwork, &info)
    lwork = Int32(wkopt)

    // Allocate workspace and do actual calculation
    var work = [Double](count: Int(lwork), repeatedValue: 0.0)
    dgels_(&mode, &nrows, &ncols, &nrhs, &localA, &nrows, &localB, &ldb, &work, &lwork, &info)

    if info != 0 {
        print("A does not have full rank; the least squares solution could not be computed.")
        return nil
    }
    return Array(localB.prefix(Int(ncols)))
}

Some notes:

dgels_() modifies the passed matrix and vector data, and expects
the matrix as "flat" array containing the columns of A.
Also the right-hand side is expected as an array with length max(M, N).
For this reason, the input data is copied to local variables first.
All arguments must be passed by reference to dgels_(), that’s why
they are all stored in vars.
A C integer is a 32-bit integer, which makes some conversions between
Int and CInt necessary.

Example 1: Overdetermined system, from http://www.seas.ucla.edu/~vandenbe/103/lectures/ls.pdf.

let A = [[ 2.0, 0.0 ],
         [ -1.0, 1.0 ],
         [ 0.0, 2.0 ]]
let B = [ 1.0, 0.0, -1.0 ]
if let x = solveLeastSquare(A: A, B: B) {
    print(x) // [0.33333333333333326, -0.33333333333333343]
}

Example 2: Underdetermined system, minimum norm
solution to x_1 + x_2 + x_3 = 1.0.

let A = [[ 1.0, 1.0, 1.0 ]]
let B = [ 1.0 ]
if let x = solveLeastSquare(A: A, B: B) {
    print(x) // [0.33333333333333337, 0.33333333333333337, 0.33333333333333337]
}

Update for Swift 3 and Swift 4:

func solveLeastSquare(A: [[Double]], B: [Double]) -> [Double]? {
    precondition(A.count == B.count, "Non-matching dimensions")
    
    var mode = Int8(bitPattern: UInt8(ascii: "N")) // "Normal" mode
    var nrows = CInt(A.count)
    var ncols = CInt(A[0].count)
    var nrhs = CInt(1)
    var ldb = max(nrows, ncols)
    
    // Flattened columns of matrix A
    var localA = (0 ..< nrows * ncols).map { (i) -> Double in
        A[Int(i % nrows)][Int(i / nrows)]
    }
    
    // Vector B, expanded by zeros if ncols > nrows
    var localB = B
    if ldb > nrows {
        localB.append(contentsOf: [Double](repeating: 0.0, count: Int(ldb - nrows)))
    }
    
    var wkopt = 0.0
    var lwork: CInt = -1
    var info: CInt = 0
    
    // First call to determine optimal workspace size
    var nrows_copy = nrows // Workaround for SE-0176
    dgels_(&mode, &nrows, &ncols, &nrhs, &localA, &nrows_copy, &localB, &ldb, &wkopt, &lwork, &info)
    lwork = Int32(wkopt)
    
    // Allocate workspace and do actual calculation
    var work = [Double](repeating: 0.0, count: Int(lwork))
    dgels_(&mode, &nrows, &ncols, &nrhs, &localA, &nrows_copy, &localB, &ldb, &work, &lwork, &info)
    
    if info != 0 {
        print("A does not have full rank; the least squares solution could not be computed.")
        return nil
    }
    return Array(localB.prefix(Int(ncols)))
}

Answered By: Martin R

Function which returns the least-squares solution to a linear matrix equation

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