Optimizing condition numbers

Abstract

In this paper we study the problem of minimizing condition numbers over a compact convex subset of the cone of symmetric positive semidefinite $n\times n$ matrices. We show that the condition number is a Clarke regular strongly pseudoconvex function. We prove that a global solution of the problem can be approximated by an exact or an inexact solution of a nonsmooth convex program. This asymptotic analysis provides a valuable tool for designing an implementable algorithm for solving the problem of minimizing condition numbers.