  We introduce a minimization formulation for the determination of a
finite-dimensional, time-dependent, orthonormal basis that captures directions
of the phase space associated with transient instabilities. While these
instabilities have finite lifetime they can play a crucial role by either
altering the system dynamics through the activation of other instabilities, or
by creating sudden nonlinear energy transfers that lead to extreme responses.
However, their essentially transient character makes their description a
particularly challenging task. We develop a minimization framework that focuses
on the optimal approximation of the system dynamics in the neighborhood of the
system state. This minimization formulation results in differential equations
that evolve a time-dependent basis so that it optimally approximates the most
unstable directions. We demonstrate the capability of the method for two
families of problems: i) linear systems including the advection-diffusion
operator in a strongly non-normal regime as well as the Orr-Sommerfeld/Squire
operator, and ii) nonlinear problems including a low-dimensional system with
transient instabilities and the vertical jet in crossflow. We demonstrate that
the time-dependent subspace captures the strongly transient non-normal energy
growth (in the short time regime), while for longer times the modes capture the
expected asymptotic behavior.
