Solution (source code)

= Solution

The simpler shifted inverse is <Lavrentiev regularization>. Its expansion in the <orthonormal eigenbasis> is
$$
S_\alpha y_\delta=\sum_i\frac{(y_\delta,u_i)}{\lambda_i+\alpha}u_i.
$$
Using $y=Ax$, the exact component error is
$$
\boxed{x_\alpha^\delta-x=\sum_i\frac{e_i-\alpha x_i}{\lambda_i+\alpha}u_i,\qquad
\|x_\alpha^\delta-x\|^2=\sum_i\frac{|e_i-\alpha x_i|^2}{(\lambda_i+\alpha)^2}.}
$$
Consequently the <noise-bias decomposition for linear regularization> gives
$$
\boxed{\|x_\alpha^\delta-x\|\leq\frac{\delta+\alpha\|x\|}{\lambda_1+\alpha}
\leq\frac\delta\alpha+\frac{\alpha}{\lambda_1}\|x\|.}
$$
For a prior or data-based bound $X\geq\|x\|$, <balancing noise and approximation bias> in the last expression gives
$$
\boxed{\alpha(\delta)=\sqrt{\frac{\delta\lambda_1}{X}},\qquad
\|x_{\alpha(\delta)}^\delta-x\|\leq2\sqrt{\frac{\delta X}{\lambda_1}}.}
$$
For example $X=(\|y_\delta\|+\delta)/\lambda_1$ is computable from the data and the stated noise bound. With fixed positive $\lambda_1$, $\alpha\to0$ and $\delta/\alpha\to0$ are sufficient for the robust bound to converge.

The first bound is stronger in the finite-dimensional setting. If $X>0$, choosing $\alpha=\delta/X$ gives $\|x_\alpha^\delta-x\|\leq2\delta/(\lambda_1+\delta/X)$. The unregularized inverse already has error at most $\delta/\lambda_1$; the balancing rule is a useful stabilized choice rather than a necessary cure for an unbounded inverse. A universal noise-only optimal $\alpha$ cannot be inferred without information about the size or spectral content of $x$.