Related papers: Random-Facet and Random-Bland require subexponenti…
In this paper, we present new stochastic methods for solving two important classes of nonconvex optimization problems. We first introduce a randomized accelerated proximal gradient (RapGrad) method for solving a class of nonconvex…
The simplex algorithm using the random edge pivot-rule on any realization of a dual cyclic 4-polytope with n facets does not take more than O(n) pivot-steps. This even holds for general abstract objective functions (AOF) / acyclic unique…
Over the past 30 years numerous algorithms have been designed for symmetry breaking problems in the LOCAL model, such as maximal matching, MIS, vertex coloring, and edge-coloring. For most problems the best randomized algorithm is at least…
Random Fourier features is a widely used, simple, and effective technique for scaling up kernel methods. The existing theoretical analysis of the approach, however, remains focused on specific learning tasks and typically gives pessimistic…
Low Diameter Decompositions (LDDs) are invaluable tools in the design of combinatorial graph algorithms. While historically they have been applied mainly to undirected graphs, in the recent breakthrough for the negative-length Single Source…
Randomized smoothing is a widely adopted technique for optimizing nonsmooth objective functions. However, its efficiency analysis typically relies on global Lipschitz continuity, a condition rarely met in practical applications. To address…
We show that the shadow vertex simplex algorithm can be used to solve linear programs in strongly polynomial time with respect to the number $n$ of variables, the number $m$ of constraints, and $1/\delta$, where $\delta$ is a parameter that…
We describe a variant of the Bellman-Ford algorithm for single-source shortest paths in graphs with negative edges but no negative cycles that randomly permutes the vertices and uses this randomized order to process the vertices within each…
The Matou\v{s}ek LP-type problems were used by Matou\v{s}ek to show that the Sharir-Welzl algorithm may require at least subexponential time. Later, G\"artner translated this result into the language of Unique Sink Orientations (USOs) and…
Recent advances have significantly improved our understanding of the sample complexity of learning in average-reward Markov decision processes (AMDPs) under the generative model. However, much less is known about the constrained…
We study robust Markov decision processes (RMDPs) with general policy parameterization under s-rectangular and non-rectangular uncertainty sets. Prior work is largely limited to tabular policies, and hence either lacks sample complexity…
For many applications in signal processing and machine learning, we are tasked with minimizing a large sum of convex functions subject to a large number of convex constraints. In this paper, we devise a new random projection method (RPM) to…
We provide a simple new randomized contraction approach to the global minimum cut problem for simple undirected graphs. The contractions exploit 2-out edge sampling from each vertex rather than the standard uniform edge sampling. We…
An algorithm observes the trajectories of random walks over an unknown graph $G$, starting from the same vertex $x$, as well as the degrees along the trajectories. For all finite connected graphs, one can estimate the number of edges $m$ up…
We consider linear stochastic bandits where the set of actions is an ellipsoid. We provide the first known minimax optimal algorithm for this problem. We first derive a novel information-theoretic lower bound on the regret of any algorithm,…
The best algorithm so far for solving Simple Stochastic Games is Ludwig's randomized algorithm which works in expected $2^{O(\sqrt{n})}$ time. We first give a simpler iterative variant of this algorithm, using Bland's rule from the simplex…
Randomized iterative algorithms have recently been proposed to solve large-scale linear systems. In this paper, we present a simple randomized extended block Kaczmarz algorithm that exponentially converges in the mean square to the unique…
The fundamental model-checking problem, given as input a model and a specification, asks for the algorithmic verification of whether the model satisfies the specification. Two classical models for reactive systems are graphs and Markov…
In this paper we provide faster algorithms for approximately solving discounted Markov Decision Processes in multiple parameter regimes. Given a discounted Markov Decision Process (DMDP) with $|S|$ states, $|A|$ actions, discount factor…
We develop a Frank-Wolfe algorithm with corrective steps, generalizing previous algorithms including blended conditional gradients, blended pairwise conditional gradients, and fully-corrective Frank-Wolfe. For this, we prove tight…