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Two-time-scale stochastic approximation (SA) is an algorithm with coupled iterations which has found broad applications in reinforcement learning, optimization and game control. In this work, we derive mean squared error bounds for…
The idea of unfolding iterative algorithms as deep neural networks has been widely applied in solving sparse coding problems, providing both solid theoretical analysis in convergence rate and superior empirical performance. However, for…
Stochastic Approximation (SA) is a popular approach for solving fixed-point equations where the information is corrupted by noise. In this paper, we consider an SA involving a contraction mapping with respect to an arbitrary norm, and show…
Many machine learning and optimization algorithms can be cast as instances of stochastic approximation (SA). The convergence rate of these algorithms is known to be slow, with the optimal mean squared error (MSE) of order $O(n^{-1})$. In…
This paper poses a theoretical characterization of the stochastic reachability problem in terms of probability measures, capturing the probability measure of the state of the system that satisfies the reachability specification for all…
The trapping redundancy of a linear code is the number of rows of a smallest parity-check matrix such that no submatrix forms an $(a,b)$-trapping set. This concept was first introduced in the context of low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes…
Gradient clipping is a commonly used technique to stabilize the training process of neural networks. A growing body of studies has shown that gradient clipping is a promising technique for dealing with the heavy-tailed behavior that emerged…
We provide a general framework to study stochastic sequences related to individual learning in economics, learning automata in computer sciences, social learning in marketing, and other applications. More precisely, we study the asymptotic…
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 propose the approximate Laplace approximation (ALA) to evaluate integrated likelihoods, a bottleneck in Bayesian model selection. The Laplace approximation (LA) is a popular tool that speeds up such computation and equips strong model…
Policy evaluation in reinforcement learning is often conducted using two-timescale stochastic approximation, which results in various gradient temporal difference methods such as GTD(0), GTD2, and TDC. Here, we provide convergence rate…
In this work we establish the first linear convergence result for the stochastic heavy ball method. The method performs SGD steps with a fixed stepsize, amended by a heavy ball momentum term. In the analysis, we focus on minimizing the…
We analyze the tail behavior of solutions to sample average approximations (SAAs) of stochastic programs posed in Hilbert spaces. We require that the integrand be strongly convex with the same convexity parameter for each realization.…
In the last decade remarkable progress has been made in development of suitable proof techniques for analysing randomised search heuristics. The theoretical investigation of these algorithms on classes of functions is essential to the…
In modern deep learning, highly subsampled stochastic approximation (SA) methods are preferred to sample average approximation (SAA) methods because of large data sets as well as generalization properties. Additionally, due to perceived…
Stochastic smooth nonconvex minimax problems are prevalent in machine learning, e.g., GAN training, fair classification, and distributionally robust learning. Stochastic gradient descent ascent (GDA)-type methods are popular in practice due…
We address the reachability problem for continuous-time stochastic dynamic systems. Our objective is to present a unified framework that characterizes the reachable set of a dynamic system in the presence of both stochastic disturbances and…
Efficient analysis and simulation of multiscale stochastic systems of chemical kinetics is an ongoing area for research, and is the source of many theoretical and computational challenges. In this paper, we present a significant improvement…
We consider large linear and nonlinear fixed point problems, and solution with proximal algorithms. We show that there is a close connection between two seemingly different types of methods from distinct fields: 1) Proximal iterations for…
We propose a new stochastic first-order algorithmic framework to solve stochastic composite nonconvex optimization problems that covers both finite-sum and expectation settings. Our algorithms rely on the SARAH estimator introduced in…