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This paper deals with the update step of Gaussian MAP filtering. In this framework, we seek a Gaussian approximation to the posterior probability density function (PDF) whose mean is given by the maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimator. We propose two novel optimization algorithms which are quite suitable for finding the MAP estimate although they can also be used to solve general optimization problems. These are based on the design of a sequence of PDFs that become increasingly concentrated around the MAP estimate. The resulting algorithms are referred to as Kalman optimization (KO) methods. We also provide the important relations between these KO methods and their conventional optimization algorithms (COAs) counterparts, i.e., Newton's and Levenberg-Marquardt algorithms. Our simulations indicate that KO methods are more robust than their COA equivalents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A consensus problem consists of a group of dynamic agents who seek to agree upon certain quantities of interest. This problem can be generalized in the context of convex metric spaces that extend the standard notion of convexity. In this paper we introduce and analyze a randomized gossip algorithm for solving the generalized consensus problem on convex metric spaces, where the communication between agents is controlled by a set of Poisson counters. We study the convergence properties of the algorithm using stochastic calculus. In particular, we show that the distances between the states of the agents converge to zero with probability one and in the r^th mean sense. In the special case of complete connectivity and uniform Poisson counters, we give upper bounds on the dynamics of the first and second moments of the distances between the states of the agents. In addition, we introduce instances of the generalized consensus algorithm for several examples of convex metric spaces together with numerical simulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]