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Posterior contraction in Gaussian sequence inversion

1 · Prerequisites

2 · Logical flowchart

3 · Definitions, theorems and proofs

DefinitionDefinition: Literature-sourcedProof: Not applicableverified 2026-10-22 (gpt-6.1-sol)Open item page →

Posterior contraction rate in a Gaussian sequence inverse experiment

Definition

Let N>0={1,2,3,…}. For each positive noise level ϵ, let Π0,ϵ be a proper Borel prior on ℓ2(N>0,R) in the Gaussian sequence inverse experiment, and let PΠ0,ϵ be the resulting prior-predictive joint law of parameter and data. A posterior kernel is a data-measurable assignment y↦Πϵ(⋅∣y) of Borel probability measures on ℓ2 satisfying PΠ0,ϵ(θ∈A, Y∈B)=∫BΠϵ(A∣y) PΠ0,ϵY(dy) for every Borel A⊆ℓ2 and every product-Borel B⊆RN>0, where PΠ0,ϵY is the prior-predictive data marginal. Fix a truth θ†∈ℓ2 and write Pθ†ϵ for its data law. Since a conditional-law version is specified only up to a prior-predictive null set, any contraction claim under Pθ†ϵ refers to the stated version. A positive function rϵ→0 is a posterior contraction rate in the ℓ2 norm at θ† if, for every positive function Mϵ→∞, Eθ†ϵ ⁣[Πϵ ⁣({θ∈ℓ2:∥θ−θ†∥2>Mϵrϵ}∣Y)]⟶0as ϵ↓0.

TheoremStatement: Literature-sourcedProof: AI-adaptedprecheck passverified 2026-10-22 (gpt-6.1-sol)Open item page →

Exact posterior second moment and contraction bound for a Gaussian sequence inverse problem

Statement

Assume the Axiom of Choice and the Axiom of Countable Choice. Let 0<ϵ, let (sj)j≥1 be the positive singular values in the Gaussian sequence inverse model, and let a fixed truth θ†=(θj†)j≥1 belong to ℓ2(N>0,R). Let τj>0 satisfy ∑j≥1τj2<∞, and let the prior be a Borel probability on ℓ2 whose coordinates are independent N(0,τj2) variables, independent of the observation noise. Under the prior-predictive law the observations are Yj=sjθj+ϵξj; under the fixed truth they are Yj=sjθj†+ϵξj, where the ξj are independent N(0,1) variables. Define vj=(τj−2+sj2/ϵ2)−1 and λj=τj2sj2/(ϵ2+τj2sj2). For fixed-truth-almost every data sequence, a posterior version on ℓ2 is the restriction of ⨂j≥1N(λjYj/sj,vj). Its expected posterior squared distance from the truth is Sϵ(θ†):=Eθ† ⁣[∫ℓ2∥θ−θ†∥22 Πϵ(dθ∣Y)]=∑j≥1[(1−λj)2(θj†)2+vj2sj2ϵ2+vj]. The identity holds in [0,+∞]; under the stated trace condition its right side is finite. For every R>0, the expected posterior mass outside the radius-R ball is at most Sϵ(θ†)/R2. In particular, if Sϵ(θ†)≤Crϵ2 for a constant C and a positive rϵ→0, then rϵ is a posterior contraction rate in the sense of the preceding definition.

Facts & Assumptions

Given: AC and Countable Choice; the positive-noise Gaussian sequence inverse experiment; a fixed truth θ†∈ℓ2; an independent-coordinate Gaussian prior with τj>0 and ∑jτj2<∞; and prior/noise independence.

[A1]

The Axiom of Choice states that every family of nonempty sets has a choice function. The Axiom of Choice

[A2]

Countable Choice supplies a choice function for every countable family of nonempty sets; this is the branch assumed by the compact-SVD coordinate model. The Axiom of Countable Choice (ACω)

[F1]

The Gaussian sequence inverse model has parameter θ∈ℓ2, product-Borel data Z∈RN>0, and coordinates Zj=θj+ϵsj−1ξj with independent standard normal ξj. Multiplying by sj>0 gives Yj=sjθj+ϵξj. Gaussian sequence inverse model

[F2]

In a finite linear Gaussian model with Gaussian prior Nn(m0,C0) and positive-definite observation-noise covariance Γ, the posterior law is multivariate normal with mean m0+C0AT(AC0AT+Γ)−1(y−Am0) and covariance C0−C0AT(AC0AT+Γ)−1AC0. Finite linear Gaussian inverse posterior with singular prior covariance

[F3]

Under AC, a consistent family of finite Gaussian laws on countably many real coordinates has a unique probability law on the product cylinder sigma-algebra. A mean and positive-semidefinite kernel define a Gaussian process

[F4]

Independence of random elements is independence of their generated sigma-algebras; the assumed independent prior and noise coordinates give independent coordinate pairs. Independent random elements

[F5]

Finite measures that agree on a generating π-system and on the whole space agree on its generated sigma-algebra. Finite measures agreeing on a generating pi-system and on the whole space are equal

[F6]

A π-system contained in a Dynkin system has its generated sigma-algebra contained in that Dynkin system. Dynkin's pi-lambda theorem

[F7]

Increasing nonnegative measurable functions satisfy convergence of their integrals to the integral of their pointwise limit. Monotone convergence for the integral

[F8]

For a nonnegative measurable function f and t>0, μ{f≥t}≤t−1∫f dμ. Chebyshev-Markov inequality for the integral

[F9]

A posterior contraction rate is defined by the expected fixed-truth posterior tail condition in the Statement. Posterior contraction rate in a Gaussian sequence inverse experiment

[F10]

In a jointly multivariate-normal vector, blocks with zero cross-covariance are independent, including when the covariance is singular. Uncorrelated jointly Gaussian blocks are independent

Given: The hypotheses of the Statement.

Proof

Given: The hypotheses of the Statement.

1.1A1F2givenalgebra

For each fixed coordinate j, apply [F2] with one-dimensional prior variance C0=τj2, observation map A=sj, and noise variance Γ=ϵ2. Then AC0AT+Γ=sj2τj2+ϵ2>0, and [F2] gives posterior mean τj2sjYj/(ϵ2+τj2sj2)=λjYj/sj and variance τj2−τj4sj2/(ϵ2+τj2sj2)=vj.

2.1A1A2F2F3F4F5F6F10givenstep 1.1constructalgebra

For every finite coordinate set J, the prior/noise pairs indexed by J are independent of the pairs outside J: independence of the prior element from the noise element and independence within each coordinate family factor the probabilities of finite coordinate rectangles into the product of the pair marginals, and [F5] extends this factorization from the generating rectangles to the corresponding product-Borel events. Each Yj is a measurable function of its pair (θj,ξj), so (θJ,YJ) is independent of YJc. For the finite block, put Dτ=diag⁡(τj2)j∈J and Ds=diag⁡(sj)j∈J. [F2] gives posterior covariance Dτ−DτDsT(DsDτDsT+ϵ2I)−1DsDτ=diag⁡(vj)j∈J, and posterior mean with coordinates λjYj/sj. Since each vj>0, the Gaussian coordinates have zero cross-covariance, and repeated application of [F10] shows they are independent. Thus the finite-block conditional law is the product of the scalar laws from step 1.1. Independence of the complement makes this also the conditional law given the full data: the conditional identity first holds on data rectangles by finite-block conditioning and independence, and [F5] extends it to all product-Borel data events. The product Gaussian law Qy=⨂j≥1N(λjyj/sj,vj) exists on RN>0 by [F3]. On finite-coordinate cylinders its evaluations are Borel functions of y; the class of Borel sets B for which y↦Qy(B) is measurable is a Dynkin system containing the generating cylinder π-system, so [F6] makes Q a probability kernel. The same finite-block conditional identity holds on data cylinders, and [F5] applied successively in the data and parameter coordinates extends it to all product-Borel events. Thus Qy is the prior-predictive conditional law on the product coordinate space.

3.1A1A2F3F6F7givenstep 2.1constructalgebra

Put mj(y)=λjyj/sj and Y0={y:∑jmj(y)2<∞}. This is Borel because each mj is coordinate-measurable and ℓ2=⋃k≥1⋂N≥1{x:∑j=1Nxj2≤k}. The norm-Borel sigma-algebra of ℓ2 equals the trace of the product Borel sigma-algebra: finite-support rational sequences are countable and dense (truncate a square-summable sequence and approximate the retained coordinates), and for a∈ℓ2 and r>0, Bℓ2(a,r)=ℓ2∩⋃q∈Q0<q<r2⋂N≥1{x∈RN>0:∑j=1N(xj−aj)2≤q}. Thus every norm ball, and hence every norm-open set, is trace product-Borel; conversely the coordinate maps on normed ℓ2 are continuous. Therefore the restriction of Qy to ℓ2 is measurable on its norm-Borel sets. Since vj≤τj2, [F7] gives ∫∑jxj2 Qy(dx)=∑j(mj(y)2+vj)<∞ on Y0, so Qy(ℓ2)=1 there. Under the prior-predictive law, Emj(Y)2=λj2τj2+λj2ϵ2/sj2=λjτj2≤τj2; under the fixed truth, mj(Y)=λjθj†+λjϵξj/sj and Eθ†mj(Y)2=λj2(θj†)2+λj2ϵ2/sj2≤(θj†)2+τj2. Applying [F7] to the partial sums shows Y0 has full measure under both laws. Restrict Qy to ℓ2 on Y0 and set it equal to δ0 outside Y0; this is a posterior version on ℓ2 and is defined for fixed-truth-almost every observation.

4.1F7givenstep 3.1algebra

For y∈Y0, the product posterior has coordinate mean mj(y) and variance vj, so its expected squared coordinate error is (mj(y)−θj†)2+vj. The partial sums of these nonnegative errors increase to ∥θ−θ†∥22; [F7] therefore gives ∫∥θ−θ†∥22 Πϵ(dθ∣y)=∑j((mj(y)−θj†)2+vj), with the value +∞ allowed.

5.1F1F7givenstep 4.1algebra

Under the fixed truth, mj(Y)−θj†=−(1−λj)θj†+λjϵξj/sj. The noise has mean zero and variance one, so its cross term has expectation zero and Eθ†(mj(Y)−θj†)2=(1−λj)2(θj†)2+λj2ϵ2/sj2. The identity vjsj2/ϵ2=λj gives λj2ϵ2/sj2=vj2sj2/ϵ2. Taking expectations in step 4.1 and applying [F7] to the nonnegative partial sums proves the displayed exact series identity.

6.1F8F9step 5.1givenalgebra∎

For each fixed data sequence, apply [F8] to the posterior probability measure with f(θ)=∥θ−θ†∥22 and threshold R2>0. This gives posterior tail mass at most R−2 times the posterior second moment. Taking fixed-truth expectation and using step 5.1 yields the stated bound. If Sϵ(θ†)≤Crϵ2, substitute R=Mϵrϵ to obtain expected tail mass at most C/Mϵ2→0 for every Mϵ→∞; [F9] identifies rϵ as a posterior contraction rate.

Remarks

At sj=τj=ϵ=1, the coordinate posterior is N(Yj/2,1/2) and the prior-predictive law of Yj is N(0,2). The finite check of this one-coordinate case does not test the infinite product or the ℓ2 support argument.

4 · Examples, counterexamples and false statements

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Sources