Open-access Auto Regulated Recursive Non-Quadratic Algorithm

Abstract

The problem of non-stationary signals constitutes one of the most serious challenges in the context of adaptive filters, since it simultaneously demands high convergence speed, good tracking capability, and stability. However, several algorithms are developed based mainly on second-order statistics in strongly non-stationary scenarios or those subject to non-Gaussian perturbations. The temporal variability of the signal’s statistical properties imposes the need for statistical detection and monitoring mechanisms for abrupt variations in the input signal, increasing the computational complexity of the algorithms. In this context, unlike basic adaptive filtering methods and approaches such as the Kalman filter algorithm, which presuppose second-order statistics, we present the Self-Regulated Non-Quadratic Recursive (RNQA) algorithm, using as a performance surface a sum of weighted even-power error functions and the dynamic adjustment of the correlation matrix normalized by the square of the error, which acts as a mechanism for continuous adaptation of the matrix, capable of responding effectively in non-stationary environments. In a system identification configuration, RNQA showed superior convergence to classical adaptive algorithms such as RNQ and the recursive Kalman filter.

Key words
adaptive filter; convergence rate; non-stationary signal; regularization

Introduction

Adaptive filters are important in various application areas such as biomedical engineering, control systems, channel equalization, and telecommunications. Several well-known filters, such as Recursive Least Squares (RLS) and Least Mean Squares (LMS), are established as the main algorithms for tracking adaptive linear filtering.

The problem of non-stationary signals constitutes one of the most serious challenges in the context of adaptive filters. RLS-type algorithms designed for low steady-state mismatch and numerical stability typically rely on strong stabilization mechanisms or a slow forgetting factor, which significantly degrades their ability to quickly track sudden changes. On the other hand, aggressive adaptation schemes improve transient response at the cost of noisy estimates, loss of robustness, and potential numerical instability. In Kalman Filter (KF) algorithms, small process covariances limit the convergence rate and degrade tracking performance in the face of rapidly varying non-stationary signals, (Hayking 1991).

To mitigate the effects of non-stationarity, the literature proposes several strategies. Among the desirable requirements in an adaptive filter is that it guarantees stable filter behavior.

The commitment to ensuring fast convergence and good tracking motivated extensions such as Variable Step Least Squares Means (VSS-LMS), Momoh-2021, and the Variable Forgetting Factor (VFF) mechanism, cai2013, in the automatic adjustment of the RLS forgetting factor. Previous works include instantaneous error in the RLS algorithm, but the methods were heuristic. An automatic gain control (AGC) scheme implemented by estimating the cross-correlation between the error and the input signal was included in Shan-6. A technique to improve the convergence rate of the RLS algorithm in (Ali et al. 2010) is presented, where the gain vector takes into account the value of |1/ε|, where ε is a priori estimate of the error.

A variant of the Least Mean Squares (LMS) algorithm is the Normalized Least Mean Squares (NLMS) algorithm, which improves convergence speed and stability by normalizing the step size with the input signal strength (Widrow & Stearns 1985, Sayed 2003).).

The Kalman Filter (KF) is a benchmark, often referred to as the optimal recursive filter due to its ability to optimally estimate the state parameters of a linear dynamic system by minimizing the mean squared error in the presence of noise. Optimal performance is known for its ability to track time-varying parameters with an appropriate asymptotic response, but it has a high computational cost and requires careful tuning of covariance matrices to ensure robust real-world performance, especially in high-dimensional or nonlinear systems (Sayed 2003, Hayking 1991).

A brief overview of the classical Kalman filter and its variants highlights that the traditional Kalman filter faces two main issues: parameter identification of the system model and the noise model (Bai et al. 2023).

A fundamental limitation of the classical Kalman filter approach lies in the assumption that process and measurement noise are Gaussian. However, in real-world applications involving non-stationary signals with abrupt variations, such assumptions are rarely met. Sudden parameter changes, intermittent excitation, impulsive disturbances, and outliers introduce error distributions. Under these conditions, estimators based exclusively on the quadratic criterion become excessively sensitive to large instantaneous errors, resulting in significant performance degradation and transient instability (Huber & Ronchetti 2009, Zoubir et al. 2018).

Nonetheless, there are new computational algorithms that can improve and outperform the KF in terms of proposals to accelerate the convergence of the mean squared error (MSE).

In various works, it is common to evaluate the performance of algorithms based on criteria such as improving parameter estimation accuracy and enhancing the convergence properties of the algorithms.

Recently, in , the Recursive Non-Quadratic (RNQ) algorithm, which incorporates the algorithm’s own error into the calculation of its gain, demonstrated better convergence than the RLS in a system identification framework. The RNQ adjusts the weights of an adaptive filter using cost functions based on the sum of even powers of the error.

Another desired criterion for algorithms in real-time applications is computational complexity, requiring fewer operations per input data. The RNQ algorithm has the same computational cost as the RLS algorithm, O(L2) for a filter of size L, (da Silva et al. 2015). For general state-space models, the Kalman filter involves more matrices depending on the linear model and has a higher computational complexity of O(L3).

Auto-Regulated Recursive Non-Quadratic Algorithm

The proposed Auto-Regulated Recursive Non-Quadratic (ARNQ) algorithm is derived from the RNQ (da Silva et al. 2015), where the update structure of the algorithm is similar to the RLS algorithm but is based on a weighted sum of even powers of the error as the criterion to be minimized. The ARNQ incorporates the instantaneous error into the update of the Kalman gain, effectively controlling the adaptation speed, while both algorithms still yield the same solution (da Silva et al. 2015).

The basic structure of the finite impulse response (FIR) adaptive filter, Fig. 1, consists of the desired signal di, an input vector 𝒖i=[ui,ui1,,uiL+1], and an error vector, which is used to update the filter’s weight vector 𝒘n=[w0,n,w1,n,,wL1,n]T with the goal of approximating di by estimating the output signal yi=𝒘n1T𝒖i. After calculating the error, εi=diyi, where 0in represents the current sample and L is the filter length.

Figure 1
Basic structure of an adaptive filter: 𝒖i is the input vector, 𝒅𝒊 is the desired signal, 𝒆𝒊 is the error signal and 𝒚𝒊 is the filter output.

Let Jn be an even, continuous, and symmetric function based on the sum of the even powers of the errors. The regularizing term as γ (Hayking 1991) in the cost function defined by

Jn=j=1mkmjj=1m{λn1[ei]2j}+γ||wn||2(1)

Let m, j, and k be positive integers and γ regularization a small positive value constant parameter. For a fixed value of m, within the interval [δ,δ], these functions exhibit a steeper slope than the quadratic function within this range (da Silva et al. 2015). The exponential weighting factor λ is the conventional forgetting factor, chosen to be less than zero and close to 1, 0λ <1.

The weighting kmj in Eq.(1) is a multiplicative term that accelerates the convergence of the algorithm. For j>1, it defines the even power of the error, and m adds different powers of the error, determining the cost function as a sum of even powers of the error. The larger the value of j, the steeper the cost function and the greater the gradient, except near the minimum, where the slope becomes almost flat. This can be understood that as the error power increases, causing the eigenvalue spread of the input autocorrelation matrix to increase proportionally. If j=1, k=1, and m=1, expression in Eq.(1) is equivalent to the MSE cost function. For j>1, effectively selects an even power of the error, and m adds different powers of the error.

To obtain the optimal weight vector 𝒘̂n, the instantaneous gradient of Jn is calculated by

Jn=i=1n{λni[ei]2j1ui}(2)

where aj=jkmj and αj=2j2. By setting the equation Jn to zero, we define the optimal value of the weight vector 𝒘̂n through the matrix equation: ww^ n=$Φ ~ $$Φ ~ $n1zzn, where the L×L autocorrelation matrix of the input vector

Φ ~ Φ ~ Φ ~ Φ ~ n=j=1m{aji=1n{λ nieiα iuuiTuui}+γ I(3)
and the L×1 cross-correlation vector 𝒛n, between the inputs and the desired response with dimensions is defined by:
𝒛n=j=1m{aji=1n[λnieiαidi𝒖iT]}(4)

Both the autocorrelation function, Eq.(3), and the cross-correlation vectors, Eq.(4), are now an explicit function of the instantaneous error (da Silva et al. 2015), unlike the conventional quantities in adaptive filtering. This means that the instantaneous error is now influencing the shape of the performance surface, although the optimal solution remains independent of the error and continues to be the Wiener solution (da Silva et al. 2015). This implies that the algorithm gains more control over the learning dynamics without affecting the final solution.

The recursive equations for Φ ~ Φ ~ n and 𝒛n are obtained by isolating the term i=n:

Φ ~ Φ ~ n=λ Φ ~ Φ ~ n1+j=1m[ajenα i]uunuunT(5)
zzn=λ zzn1+j=1m[ajenα i]dnuun(6)
where Φ ~ Φ ~ n is the a priori value of the autocorrelation matrix and 𝒛n is the a priori value of the cross-correlation vector.

To calculate the optimal estimate 𝒘̂n, the inverse of the correlation matrix Φ ~ Φ ~ n must be determined, where a fundamental result in matrix algebra known as the matrix inversion lemma is also employed. Applying this lemma, as shown in (Hayking 1991), yields Eq.(3):

Φ ~ Φ ~ n1=λ 1Φ ~ Φ ~ n11λ 1Φ ~ Φ ~ n11uunuunTΦ ~ Φ ~ n11λ j=1majenα i]+uunTΦ ~ Φ ~ n11uun(7)

By convention, setting PPn=Φ ~ Φ ~ n1 and the vector

𝒈n=𝑷n1𝒖nλ[j=1majenαi]+𝒖nT𝑷n1𝒖n(8)
where 𝒈n is the gain vector with dimensions L×1. In comparison to the conventional gain vector of the RLS algorithm, the error appears in the summation term, directly affecting the forgetting factor λ, thereby modulating this factor with instantaneous error information.

Thus,

𝑷n=λ𝑷n1+𝒈n𝒖nT𝑷n1(9)

Rearranging the gain equation, Eq.(8), and substituting it into the autocorrelation matrix, Eq.(9), follows

𝒈n=𝑷n1𝒖n[j=1majenαi](10)

After simple manipulations in ww^ n=Φ ~ Φ ~ n1zzn using the expanded 𝒛n and Equation (10), the final update structure is given by:

𝒘̂n=𝒘̂n1+𝒈nen,(11)
where en is a priori estimate of the error, given by
en=dnww^ n1Tuun(12)

Among the desirable characteristics of a filtering algorithm, in addition to lower computational complexity and good convergence rate, an important concern is to ensure numerical stability. In adaptive filtering, a common approach to this problem is to add a small positive constant term to the covariance matrix, known as regularization or adjustment, in order to prevent its singularity. The regularization in the standard RNQ algorithm uses a small positive value constant parameter β added to Eq.(9), resulting in the matrix 𝑷n=λ𝑷n1+𝒈nunT𝑷n1+βI, where I is an identity matrix (da Silva et al. 2015).

Normalized correlation matrix

Unlike the RNQ method, RNQA acts dynamically using its instantaneous error as an adjustment parameter, adaptively updating the autocorrelation matrix without statistical monitoring and without any mechanism for detecting abrupt changes in the input signal.

The update equation is defined in 𝑷n=λ𝑷n1+𝒈n𝒖nT𝑷n1+β𝑰 , (da Silva et al. 2012). By multiplying both sides by en2/β, we introduce the a priori error en in the update phase of the matrix Pn, normalizing the matrix resulting in Eq.(13), where we define 𝑷̂n=(en2/β)𝑷n. Since en2>0 it follows that en2𝑰0 𝑷̂n0.

𝑷̂n=λ𝑷̂n1+𝒈n𝒖n𝑷̂n1+en2𝑰(13)

Rearranging the gain equation, Eq.(8) can be written as follows:

𝒈n=𝑷̂n1𝒖n[j=1majenαi](14)
The final update structure is given by:
𝒘̂n=𝒘̂n1+𝒈nen,(15)

The adaptive adjustment dynamics of the matrix in eq.(13), allows stationary signals from the system input, ensuring a compromise between alertness and tracking capability.

The proposed ARNQ algorithm involves combining the parameter m, which defines the number of even powers in the cost function (1), with the square of the instantaneous error en2 as a regularization factor for its autocorrelation matrix 𝑷, Eq.(9). This has a significant impact on the filter gain, given by 𝒈n=𝑷n1𝒖n[j=1majenαi], Eq. (10).

The continuous auto-regularization of the ARNQ in relation to the square of the error en2 makes the update of the autocorrelation matrix adaptive:

𝑷n=λ1(𝑷n1𝒈n𝒖nT𝑷n1)+en2𝑰(16)

The equations (12),(8),(15),(16), in this order, constitute the ARNQ algorithm summarized in Algorithm 1.

Inicialization:P0=σ1I, w0=0For:n=1,2,3...doen=dnŵn1Tungn=Pn1unλ[j=1majenαi]+unTPn1unŵn=ŵn1+gnenPn=λ1(Pn1gnunTPn1)+en2I

When compared to the KF, Appendix I, the performance of the ARNQ algorithm in parameters tracking is evaluated in terms of convergence speeds by the respective learning curves, based on mean squared errors (MSE).

Results

In the simulations, as shown in Fig. 2, we used a low-pass FIR filter with an impulse response given by 𝒉, length L=30, and cutoff frequencies fc=0.5π and fc=0.2π. The input signal 𝒖i follows a Gaussian distribution and is to be filtered by 𝒉. The desired signal di is obtained by filtering the input signal 𝒖i through 𝒉. The output of the adaptive filter is denoted by yi. We executed 100 Monte Carlo simulations.

Figure 2
Representation of system identification structure using adaptive filter, where ui is the input vector, 𝒉 is the FIR filter, 𝒅𝒊 is the desired signal, 𝜼𝒊 is the noise signal, 𝒆𝒊 is the error signal, and 𝒚𝒊 is the filter output.

The proposed algorithm, based on function (1), includes three free parameters: m, which represents the highest order of the cost function and controls the number of terms in the sum; k, which serves as an additional gain term and a scaling factor for the error; and the forgetting factor λ. It also features continuous regularization of its covariance matrix 𝑷, updated using the instantaneous error en2. The goal is to analyze the learning dynamics (adaptation time and steady-state MSE) as a function of the parameter m and the regularization term en2, to systematically study the behavior of the ARNQ.

Initial parameters and regularization terms:

  • ARNQ: 𝑷0=105I,λ=0.96, (m=5, m=10 and m=15).

  • KF: 𝑷0=105I, 𝑹1=104

In order to show the effect of the self-regularization of the ARNQ on the regularization with a constant term, we include the standard RNQ that uses a regularization term β=104 with equal initialization 𝑷0=105𝑰, and parameter λ=0.96, m=15. The learning curves of the algorithms involved in the simulation process for system identification are illustrated in Fig. 3.

Figure 3
Comparison of the learning curves of the ARNQ with 𝒎=𝟓 based on 𝒆𝒏𝟐, the Kalman Filter for system identification, and the RNQ with (𝒎=𝟏𝟓), using a fixed regularization factor of 𝜷=𝟏𝟎𝟒. a) The simulations were conducted with a noise-free system. b) The simulations were conducted with additive Gaussian noise with SNR = 60 dB.

Discussion

In this system identification structure, the results are illustrated in Fig. 3, where the learning curves are analyzed in terms of convergence rates, defined as the moment of convergence when the number of interactions reaches 5% of the steady-state error.

The ARNQ, with different quantities of even powers m=5,m=10 and m=15, self-adjusting by en2, results in varying convergence rates. In Fig. 3a, the learning curves of the algorithms are shown for a noise-free system, ηi=0, where at interaction n=1000, the parameters were altered. While the Kalman algorithm (KF) (Söderström & Stoica 1989, Appendix I), took 700 iterations to reach its steady state, the ARNQ achieved convergence between 100 and 500 iterations, demonstrating that the ARNQ was significantly faster, exhibiting a higher convergence rate than the Kalman filter algorithm, particularly for m=15.

In Fig. 3b, the simulations were conducted with additive Gaussian noise with SNR = 60 dB. The same behavior was observed in the simulations with noise. It is notable that the Kalman filter exhibits linear convergence, while the others demonstrate nonlinear characteristics.

In the simulation with noise, shown in Fig. 3b, it is interesting to note a certain oscillation in the behavior of the ARNQ during the initial interactions, where it lags in convergence compared to the standard RNQ with m=15 and a constant regularization factor of β=104. This can be attributed to the fact that, at the beginning, the instantaneous error en2, which serves as a regularization factor for the covariance matrix 𝑷n=λ1(𝑷n1𝒈nunT𝑷n1)+en2𝑰, is quite large, as expected.

Consequently, the initial parameter characteristics of the RNQ, with its maximum parameter m, yield better initial conditions for performance. The advantage of the ARNQ emerges when there are abrupt changes in the parameters. The variations introduced by the adapted error continuously reinitialize the regularization factor in matrix 𝑷, and, combined with the higher power of m=15, allow the ARNQ to be more responsive, converging faster than the others. This is evidenced in Fig. 3b, which highlights the superior performance of the ARNQ during the parameter change cycles at iterations 500, 1000, and 1500.

Conclusions

In this work, we present the performance of the ARNQ algorithm, which results from the inclusion of the square of the instantaneous error of the algorithm as a regularization factor for the covariance matrix 𝑷. This modification has led to a significant increase in adaptation speed compared to the KF algorithm, which employs Kalman filter methodology, and has also outperformed the standard RNQ.

In real-time applications within non-stationary environments, the ARNQ, with its higher convergence rate, lower computational complexity, and characteristic adaptive self-adjustment of the covariance matrix, demonstrates promise compared to the Kalman filter, which entails greater computational complexity due to the involvement of a larger number of matrices and consideration of the hypothesis of Gaussian process and measurement noise.

  • Data availability
    All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article.

References

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Appendix I Kalman filter

A Kalman filter as a parameter estimator is presented in (Söderström & Stoica 1989).

Considering the constant parameter model

yn=φ nTθ +en(17)
it can be described in state space

x n + 1 = x n (18)

yn=φ Txn+en(19)
where xn is the state vector xn=[a1ana,b1bnb]T=θ and en is the perturbation with variance σe2. The optimal state estimate x̂n+1 can be calculated based on the measurements y1yn using the Kalman filter.

Applying the Kalman filter to the state model, Eq. (A.2), results precisely in the basic least squares (LS) algorithm. A modification in Eq. (A.2) allows for better tracking of time-varying parameters:

xn+1=xn+vn(20)
where E{vnvnT}=R1δ. This means that the parameter vector is modeled as a random walk variable. Applying the Kalman filter to the model (A.4),(19)

x n + 1 = x n + v n

y n + 1 = φ T x n + e n

the following recursive equations are obtained:

θ ̂ n = θ ̂ n 1 + K n ε n ε n = y n φ n T θ ̂ n 1 K n = P n 1 φ n / [ 1 + φ n T P n 1 φ n ] P n = P n 1 P n 1 φ n φ n T P n 1 / [ 1 + φ n T P n 1 φ n T ] + R 1

In the algorithm, the matrix R1 is added to its matrix Pn=Pn1Pn1ϕnϕnTPn1/[1+ϕnTPn1ϕnTθ]+R1, where the matrix R1 plays a role similar to the forgetting factor λ in the RLS algorithm (Söderström & Stoica 1989) and is used to describe how quickly the different state components vary.

Edited by

  • Handling editor
    Andrea Balbo

Data availability

All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article.

Publication Dates

  • Publication in this collection
    14 Sept 2026
  • Date of issue
    2026

History

  • Received
    29 Apr 2025
  • Accepted
    07 Apr 2026
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