Optimal Parseval frames: Total coherence and total volume

Abstract

We introduce three quantities called total coherence, total volume, and nuclear energy, and we show that equiangular Parseval frames maximize all three of these quantities over the set of all Parseval frames. We then show that equiangular Parseval frames also maximize the total volume and nuclear energy over the set of equal norm frames. Along the way we derive a bound on the smallest k-dimensional volume in an equal norm frame which is a generalization of the Welch bound. We conclude with an extensive list of open questions.