MATLAB: Lsqnonlin and Jacobian misunderstanding: what is the Jacobian definition

Question

Hello !

I use the lsqnonlin Matlab function to fit a curve, called f, to my experimental points (coordinates x_i and y_i). Thus, we have to make simple :

[optimum_result,resnorm,residual,exitflag,output,lambda,jacobian] = lsqnonlin( y_i – f(a,x_i) ) where a is my fit parameter.

I'm wondering what is the definition of the jacobian returned by Matlab :

– the square of the Jacobian returned by lsqnonlin = the second derivative of the residual squared (calculated at the optimum, means the best fit parameter found). Here my residual is : y_i – f(a,x_i). it is the definition found here http://www.ligo-wa.caltech.edu/~ehirose/work/andri_matlab_tools/fitting/MatlabJacobianDef.pdf

OR

– the Jacobian returned by lsqnonlin = the derivative of the residual (calculated at the optimum). It is why I have understand reading Matlab help.

If the answer is the derivative of the residual (calculated at the optimum), I have a misunderstanding. In fact, at the optimum, the sum of my residual vector squared have to be minimum. So the sum of my jacobian, a derivative, has to be equal to (or close to) zero. yes or not ? In Matlab it is not equal to zero, it is why I have a misunderstanding.

Thanks.

Answer 1

You have a slight misunderstanding of what a Jacobian is for a sum-of-squares problem. The definition is here in the documentation.

In detail, the objective function is

 sum((F(x,xdata) - ydata).^2)

The Jacobian is

 J(i,j) = partial(F(x,xdata)(i))/partial(x)(j)

There is no reason to think that J is near zero at a solution. The gradient of the objective function is something like

 2J'*F

and if F is near zero then the gradient of the objective is near zero, but J is not necessarily small.

Alan Weiss

MATLAB mathematical toolbox documentation