Related papers: A constant step Forward-Backward algorithm involvi…

The Nonlinear Forward-Backward (NFB) algorithm, also known as warped resolvent iterations, is a splitting method for finding zeros of sums of monotone operators. In particular cases, NFB reduces to well-known algorithms such as…

Previous studies on two-timescale stochastic approximation (SA) mainly focused on bounding mean-squared errors under diminishing stepsize schemes. In this work, we investigate {\it constant} stpesize schemes through the lens of Markov…

We develop a new bidirectional algorithm for estimating Markov chain multi-step transition probabilities: given a Markov chain, we want to estimate the probability of hitting a given target state in $\ell$ steps after starting from a given…

Consider a probability measure supported by a regular geodesic ball in a manifold. For any p larger than or equal to 1 we define a stochastic algorithm which converges almost surely to the p-mean of the measure. Assuming furthermore that…

A minimal requirement for simulating multi-scale systems is to reproduce the statistical behavior of the slow variables. In particular, a good numerical method should accurately aproximate the probability density function of the…

Stochastic approximation (SA) and stochastic gradient descent (SGD) algorithms are work-horses for modern machine learning algorithms. Their constant stepsize variants are preferred in practice due to fast convergence behavior. However,…

Temporal difference (TD) learning is a foundational algorithm in reinforcement learning (RL). For nearly forty years, TD learning has served as a workhorse for applied RL as well as a building block for more complex and specialized…

Stochastic approximation is a framework unifying many random iterative algorithms occurring in a diverse range of applications. The stability of the process is often difficult to verify in practical applications and the process may even be…

In many branches of engineering, Banach contraction mapping theorem is employed to establish the convergence of certain deterministic algorithms. Randomized versions of these algorithms have been developed that have proved useful in…

Motivated by the widespread use of temporal-difference (TD-) and Q-learning algorithms in reinforcement learning, this paper studies a class of biased stochastic approximation (SA) procedures under a mild "ergodic-like" assumption on the…

Structured non-convex learning problems, for which critical points have favorable statistical properties, arise frequently in statistical machine learning. Algorithmic convergence and statistical estimation rates are well-understood for…

We develop a forward-reverse EM (FREM) algorithm for estimating parameters that determine the dynamics of a discrete time Markov chain evolving through a certain measurable state space. As a key tool for the construction of the FREM method…

In this paper, we study the effectiveness of using a constant stepsize in statistical inference via linear stochastic approximation (LSA) algorithms with Markovian data. After establishing a Central Limit Theorem (CLT), we outline an…

This paper provides a general and abstract approach to approximate ergodic regimes of Markov and Feller processes. More precisely, we show that the recursive algorithm presented in Lamberton & Pages (2002) and based on simulation algorithms…

This paper introduces the generalized forward-backward splitting algorithm for minimizing convex functions of the form $F + \sum_{i=1}^n G_i$, where $F$ has a Lipschitz-continuous gradient and the $G_i$'s are simple in the sense that their…

A new stochastic primal--dual algorithm for solving a composite optimization problem is proposed. It is assumed that all the functions/operators that enter the optimization problem are given as statistical expectations. These expectations…

In this article we consider Bayesian parameter inference associated to partially-observed stochastic processes that start from a set B0 and are stopped or killed at the first hitting time of a known set A. Such processes occur naturally…

Stochastic Approximation (SA) is a widely used algorithmic approach in various fields, including optimization and reinforcement learning (RL). Among RL algorithms, Q-learning is particularly popular due to its empirical success. In this…

This paper introduces a new method to tackle the issue of the almost sure convergence of stochastic approximation algorithms defined from a differential inclusion. Under the assumption of slowly decaying step-sizes, we establish that the…

For a linear equality constrained convex optimization problem involving two objective functions with a ``nonsmooth" + ``nonsmooth" composite structure, we study two algorithms derived from a mixed-order dynamical system which incorporates…