From ESPRIT to ESPIRA: estimation of signal parameters by iterative rational approximation

We introduce a new method for Estimation of Signal Parameters based on Iterative Rational Approximation (ESPIRA) for sparse exponential sums. Our algorithm uses the AAA algorithm for rational approximation of the discrete Fourier transform of the given equidistant signal values. We show that ESPIRA can be interpreted as a matrix pencil method (MPM) applied to Loewner matrices. These Loewner matrices are closely connected with the Hankel matrices that are usually employed for signal recovery. Due to the construction of the Loewner matrices via an adaptive selection of index sets, the MPM is stabilized. ESPIRA achieves similar recovery results for exact data as ESPRIT and the MPM, but with less computational effort. Moreover, ESPIRA strongly outperforms ESPRIT and the MPM for noisy data and for signal approximation by short exponential sums.