Accelerated Gaussian Convolution in a Data Assimilation Scenario

Machine Learning algorithms try to provide an adequate forecast for predicting and understanding a multitude of phenomena. However, due to the chaotic nature of real systems, it is very difficult to predict data: a small perturbation from initial state can generate serious errors. Data Assimilation is used to estimate the best initial state of a system in order to predict carefully the future states. Therefore, an accurate and fast Data Assimilation can be considered a fundamental step for the entire Machine Learning process. Here, we deal with the Gaussian convolution operation which is a central step of the Data Assimilation approach and, in general, in several data analysis procedures. In particular, we propose a parallel algorithm, based on the use of Recursive Filters to approximate the Gaussian convolution in a very fast way. Tests and experiments confirm the efficiency of the proposed implementation.