Related papers: Highly Smoothness Zero-Order Methods for Solving O…
In this paper, we study zeroth-order algorithms for minimax optimization problems that are nonconvex in one variable and strongly-concave in the other variable. Such minimax optimization problems have attracted significant attention lately…
The challenges of black box optimization arise due to imprecise responses and limited output information. This article describes new results on optimizing multivariable functions using an Order Oracle, which provides access only to the…
Large pre-trained language models (PLMs) have garnered significant attention for their versatility and potential for solving a wide spectrum of natural language processing (NLP) tasks. However, the cost of running these PLMs may be…
Black-box optimization refers to the optimization problem whose objective function and/or constraint sets are either unknown, inaccessible, or non-existent. In many applications, especially with the involvement of humans, the only way to…
We address black-box convex optimization problems, where the objective and constraint functions are not explicitly known but can be sampled within the feasible set. The challenge is thus to generate a sequence of feasible points converging…
The success of deep learning over the past decade mainly relies on gradient-based optimisation and backpropagation. This paper focuses on analysing the performance of first-order gradient-based optimisation algorithms, gradient descent and…
Superlinear convergence has been an elusive goal for black-box nonsmooth optimization. Even in the convex case, the subgradient method is very slow, and while some cutting plane algorithms, including traditional bundle methods, are popular…
We study a class of constrained nonconvex-nonconcave minimax optimization problems in which the inner maximization involves potentially complex constraints. Under the assumption that the inner problem of a novel lifted minimax reformulation…
Nonconvex-nonconcave minimax optimization has gained widespread interest over the last decade. However, most existing works focus on variants of gradient descent-ascent (GDA) algorithms, which are only applicable to smooth nonconvex-concave…
We consider max-min and min-max problems with objective functions that are possibly non-smooth, submodular with respect to the minimiser and concave with respect to the maximiser. We investigate the performance of a zeroth-order method…
In this paper, we study the fundamental open question of finding the optimal high-order algorithm for solving smooth convex minimization problems. Arjevani et al. (2019) established the lower bound $\Omega\left(\epsilon^{-2/(3p+1)}\right)$…
We consider an extension of the Newton-MR algorithm for nonconvex unconstrained optimization to the settings where Hessian information is approximated. Under a particular noise model on the Hessian matrix, we investigate the iteration and…
This paper addresses the generalized descent algorithm (DEAL) for minimizing smooth functions, which is analyzed under the Kurdyka-{\L}ojasiewicz (KL) inequality. In particular, the suggested algorithm guarantees a sufficient decrease by…
In this paper we consider stochastic weakly convex composite problems, however without the existence of a stochastic subgradient oracle. We present a derivative free algorithm that uses a two point approximation for computing a gradient…
Majorization-minimization algorithms consist of successively minimizing a sequence of upper bounds of the objective function so that along the iterations the objective function decreases. Such a simple principle allows to solve a large…
The paper presents a review of the state-of-the-art of subgradient and accelerated methods of convex optimization, including in the presence of disturbances and access to various information about the objective function (function value,…
This work explores generalizations of the Polyak-Lojasiewicz inequality (PLI) and their implications for the convergence behavior of gradient flows in optimization problems. Motivated by the continuous-time linear quadratic regulator…
It is known that when minimizing smooth Polyak-{\L}ojasiewicz (PL) functions, momentum algorithms cannot significantly improve the convergence bound of gradient descent, contrasting with the acceleration phenomenon occurring in the strongly…
Policy gradients methods apply to complex, poorly understood, control problems by performing stochastic gradient descent over a parameterized class of polices. Unfortunately, even for simple control problems solvable by standard dynamic…
In this paper we analyze a zeroth-order proximal stochastic gradient method suitable for the minimization of weakly convex stochastic optimization problems. We consider nonsmooth and nonlinear stochastic composite problems, for which…