High-probability zeroth-order online convex optimisation beyond Euclidean geometry
Abstract
We study online convex optimisation with -Lipschitz losses, -regularised FTRL, and randomised two-point finite-difference gradient estimators based on cone-measure sampling from -spheres. For random Lipschitz losses whose mean is convex, we prove unified high-probability regret bounds for all . The analysis is driven by all-moment bounds for the gradient estimator in the dual FTRL norm, yielding time-uniform control of the quadratic variation. The algorithm is anytime and data-driven; in the special cases previously studied, its rates recover the known in-expectation guarantees while strengthening them to time-uniform high probability. Together with constant-probability lower bounds, these results establish optimality for under appropriate sampling geometry, and expose a gap for that appears intrinsic to the estimators themselves.
Cite
@article{arxiv.2509.21484,
title = {High-probability zeroth-order online convex optimisation beyond Euclidean geometry},
author = {David Janz and El-Mahdi El-Mhamdi and Arya Akhavan},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2509.21484},
year = {2026}
}