Title
Partition Functions of Normal Factor Graphs
Abstract
One of the most common types of functions in mathematics, physics, and engineering is a sum of products, sometimes called a partition function. After "normalization," a sum of products has a natural graphical representation, called a normal factor graph (NFG), in which vertices represent factors, edges represent internal variables, and half-edges represent the external variables of the partition function. In physics, so-called trace diagrams share similar features. We believe that the conceptual framework of representing sums of products as partition functions of NFGs is an important and intuitive paradigm that, surprisingly, does not seem to have been introduced explicitly in the previous factor graph literature. Of particular interest are NFG modifications that leave the partition function invariant. A simple subclass of such NFG modifications offers a unifying view of the Fourier transform, tree-based reparameterization, loop calculus, and the Legendre transform.
Year
Venue
Keywords
2011
Computing Research Repository
information theory,partition function,fourier transform,sum of products,legendre transform,conceptual framework,factor graph
Field
DocType
Volume
Factor graph,Discrete mathematics,Combinatorics,Partition function (mathematics),Partition function (statistical mechanics),Rank of a partition,Frequency partition of a graph,Invariant (mathematics),Graph partition,Mathematics,Legendre transformation
Journal
abs/1102.0
Citations 
PageRank 
References 
21
1.36
15
Authors
3
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
G. David Forney Jr.17914.53
P. O. Vontobel2102775.69
P. O. Vontobel3102775.69