Mathematical Analysis of Two Approaches for Optimal Parameter Estimates to Modeling Time Dependent Properties of Viscoelastic Materials

Abstract

Mathematical models for phenomena in the physical sciences are typically parameter-dependent, and the estimation of parameters that optimally model the trends suggested by experimental observation depends on how model-observation discrepancies are quantified. Commonly used parameter estimation techniques based on least-squares minimization of the model-observation discrepancies assume that the discrepancies are quantified with the L 2 -norm applied to a discrepancy function. While techniques based on such an assumption work well for many applications, other applications are better suited for least-squared minimization approaches that are based on other norm or inner-product induced topologies. Motivated by an application in the material sciences, the new alternative least-squares approach is defined and an insightful analytical comparison with a baseline least-squares approach is provided.