Related papers: Heavy-ball Algorithms Always Escape Saddle Points

Without randomization, escaping the saddle points of $f \colon \mathbb{R}^d \to \mathbb{R}$ requires at least $\Omega(d)$ pieces of information about $f$ (values, gradients, Hessian-vector products). With randomization, this can be reduced…

The optimization of deep neural networks can be more challenging than traditional convex optimization problems due to the highly non-convex nature of the loss function, e.g. it can involve pathological landscapes such as saddle-surfaces…

While first-order optimization methods such as stochastic gradient descent (SGD) are popular in machine learning (ML), they come with well-known deficiencies, including relatively-slow convergence, sensitivity to the settings of…

In this paper, we introduce a multilevel algorithm for approximating variational formulations of symmetric saddle point systems. The algorithm is based on availability of families of stable finite element pairs and on the availability of…

We present new algorithms for optimizing non-smooth, non-convex stochastic objectives based on a novel analysis technique. This improves the current best-known complexity for finding a $(\delta,\epsilon)$-stationary point from…

A stochastic-gradient-based interior-point algorithm for minimizing a continuously differentiable objective function (that may be nonconvex) subject to bound constraints is presented, analyzed, and demonstrated through experimental results.…

When considering the minimization of a quadratic or strongly convex function, it is well known that first-order methods involving an inertial term weighted by a constant-in-time parameter are particularly efficient (see Polyak [32],…

In this work, to efficiently help escape the stationary and saddle points, we propose, analyze, and generalize a stochastic strategy performed as an operator for a first-order gradient descent algorithm in order to increase the target…

We consider minimizing a nonconvex, smooth function $f$ on a Riemannian manifold $\mathcal{M}$. We show that a perturbed version of Riemannian gradient descent algorithm converges to a second-order stationary point (and hence is able to…

This paper deals with a natural stochastic optimization procedure derived from the so-called Heavy-ball method differential equation, which was introduced by Polyak in the 1960s with his seminal contribution [Pol64]. The Heavy-ball method…

Large sectors of the recent optimization literature focused in the last decade on the development of optimal stochastic first order schemes for constrained convex models under progressively relaxed assumptions. Stochastic proximal point is…

In this paper, we investigate a class of constrained saddle point (SP) problems where the objective function is nonconvex-concave and smooth. This class of problems has wide applicability in machine learning, including robust multi-class…

Momentum methods for convex optimization often rely on precise choices of algorithmic parameters, based on knowledge of problem parameters, in order to achieve fast convergence, as well as to prevent oscillations that could severely…

For a real valued function, a point is critical if its derivatives are zero, and a critical point is a saddle point if it is not a local extrema. In this paper, we study algorithms to find saddle points of general Morse index. Our approach…

Recent years have seen a growing interest in understanding deep neural networks from an optimization perspective. It is understood now that converging to low-cost local minima is sufficient for such models to become effective in practice.…

We prove lower bounds for higher-order methods in smooth non-convex finite-sum optimization. Our contribution is threefold: We first show that a deterministic algorithm cannot profit from the finite-sum structure of the objective, and that…

We study infeasible-start primal-dual interior-point methods for convex optimization problems given in a typically natural form we denote as Domain-Driven formulation. Our algorithms extend many advantages of primal-dual interior-point…

We study the optimization landscape of deep linear neural networks with the square loss. It is known that, under weak assumptions, there are no spurious local minima and no local maxima. However, the existence and diversity of non-strict…

Stochastic nonconvex-concave min-max saddle point problems appear in many machine learning and control problems including distributionally robust optimization, generative adversarial networks, and adversarial learning. In this paper, we…

While first-order stationary points (FOSPs) are the traditional targets of non-convex optimization, they often correspond to undesirable strict saddle points. To circumvent this, attention has shifted towards second-order stationary points…