Frames vs.

Bases

A set vectors form a basis for Ê M if

they span Ê M and are linearly inde-
pendent.
A set of N  M vectors form a frame
for Ê M if they span Ê M .
 A B

C D

Figure 1: (A) A basis. (B) A frame with overcompleteness 3. (C) A basis. (D) A
frame with overcompletness 3/2.
Frame Operator
Let F consist of the N frame vectors,
f1 fN  Ê M , where N  M. Let x 
Ê N be a representation of y  Ê M in F .
It follows that
y x1 f 1  x 2 f 2      x N f N
This is just the matrix vector product
y Fx
where the frame operator, F, is the M 
N matrix,

F f1  f2   fN
Inverse Frame Operator (contd.)
We might guess that
x F 1y
where FF 1 I. Unfortunately, because
F is not square, it has no simple inverse.
However, it has an infinite number of
right-inverses. Each of the x produced
when y is multiplied by a distinct right-
inverse is a distinct representation of the
vector y in the frame, F .
Pseudoinverse
If there are an infinite number of right-
inverses, then we should be able to find
at least one of them. We observe that
the pseudoinverse
  1
F F T
FF T

is a right-inverse of F. We call the N 

M matrix, F, an inverse frame oper-
ator because it maps vectors, y  Ê M ,
into representations, x  Ê N .
Frame Bounds
Let F consist of the N frame vectors,
f1 fN  Ê M , where N  M, and let F
be the inverse frame operator. F is a
frame iff for all y  Ê M there exist A
and B where 0  A  B  ∞ and where
1  1
y  F y  y2
2 2
B A
A and B are called the frame bounds.
Dual Frame
If F consists of the N frame vectors,
f1 fN  Ê M , with inverse frame oper-
ator F, then the dual frame, F , con-
sists of the N frame vectors, f1 fN 
Ê M:
  
F T 
f1  f2   fN
x  Ê N be a representation of y 
Let 
Ê M in F . It follows that
  T
y F 
x
Consequently, FT is the frame oper-
ator for the dual frame, F .
Dual Frame (contd.)

Because FT is a right inverse of FT:

  T T
F F I
It follows that FT is the inverse frame
operator for the dual frame, F , and
Ay2  FTy2  By2
for all y  Ê M .
Tight-Frames
If A B then
FTy2 Ay2
and F is said to be a tight-frame. When
F is a tight-frame,
F  1 T
F
A
If fi 1 for all frame vectors, fi, then
A equals the overcompleteness of the
representation. When A B 1, then
F is an orthonormal basis and F F .
Summary of Notation
y  Ê M – a vector.
x  Ê N – a representation of y in F .
f1 fN  Ê M where N  M – frame
vectors for F .

F f1  f2   fN – frame op-
erator for F .
F : Ê N  Ê M.
  1
F T
F F F T
– inverse frame op-
erator for F .
F : Ê M  Ê N .
0  A  B  ∞ – bounds for F .
Summary of Notation (contd.)
xÊM
 – a representation of y in F .

f1 fN  Ê M – frame vectors for F .

 
F T 
f1  f2   fN – frame
operator for F .
FT : Ê N  Ê M .
FT – inverse frame operator for F .
FT : Ê M  Ê N .
0  B1  A1  ∞ – bounds for F .