General and nested Wiberg minimization

Wiberg minimization operates on a system with two sets of variables described by a linear function and in which some data or observations are missing. The disclosure generalizes Wiberg minimization, solving for a function that is nonlinear in both sets of variables, U and V, iteratively. In one embodiment, defining a first function ƒ(U, V) that may be defined that may be nonlinear in both a first set of variables U and a second set of variables V. A first function ƒ(U, V) may be transformed into ƒ(U, V(U)). First assumed values of the first set of variables U may be assigned. The second set of variables V may be iteratively estimated based upon the transformed first function ƒ(U, V(U)) and the assumed values of the first set of variables U such that ƒ(U, V(U)) may be minimized with respect to V. New estimates of the first set of variables U may be iteratively computed.