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This paper studies the performative prediction problem where a learner aims to minimize the expected loss with a decision-dependent data distribution. Such setting is motivated when outcomes can be affected by the prediction model, e.g., in…
In this paper, we propose the StepDIRECT algorithm for derivative-free optimization (DFO), in which the black-box objective function has a stepwise landscape. Our framework is based on the well-known DIRECT algorithm. By incorporating the…
This thesis studies derivative-free optimization (DFO), particularly model-based methods and software. These methods are motivated by optimization problems for which it is impossible or prohibitively expensive to access the first-order…
Reinforcement learning is about learning agent models that make the best sequential decisions in unknown environments. In an unknown environment, the agent needs to explore the environment while exploiting the collected information, which…
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…
We consider $\min\{f(x):g(x) \le 0, ~x\in X\},$ where $X$ is a compact convex subset of $\RR^m$, and $f$ and $g$ are continuous convex functions defined on an open neighbourhood of $X$. We work in the setting of derivative-free…
In this paper, we illustrate a novel method for solving optimization problems when derivatives are not explicitly available. We show that combining implicit filtering (IF), an existing derivative free optimization (DFO) method, with a deep…
We study derivative-free methods for policy optimization over the class of linear policies. We focus on characterizing the convergence rate of these methods when applied to linear-quadratic systems, and study various settings of driving…
Mathematical optimization is a fundamental tool for decision-making in a wide range of applications. However, in many real-world scenarios, the parameters of the optimization problem are not known a priori and must be predicted from…
In this paper, we analyze the accuracy of gradient estimates obtained by linear interpolation when the underlying function is subject to bounded measurement noise. The total gradient error is decomposed into a deterministic component…
Parameter-efficient tuning methods such as LoRA could achieve comparable performance to model tuning by tuning a small portion of the parameters. However, substantial computational resources are still required, as this process involves…
Derivative-free optimization problems are optimization problems where derivative information is unavailable. The least Frobenius norm updating quadratic interpolation model function is one of the essential under-determined model functions…
We consider the problem of optimizing the sum of a smooth, nonconvex function for which derivatives are unavailable, and a convex, nonsmooth function with easy-to-evaluate proximal operator. Of particular focus is the case where the smooth…
We study the problem of optimizing a function under a \emph{budgeted number of evaluations}. We only assume that the function is \emph{locally} smooth around one of its global optima. The difficulty of optimization is measured in terms of…
We introduce a global, gradient-free surrogate optimization strategy for expensive black-box functions inspired by the Fokker-Planck and Langevin equations. These can be written as an optimization problem where the objective is the target…
This paper proposes the method 2D-MoSub (2-dimensional model-based subspace method), which is a novel derivative-free optimization (DFO) method based on the subspace method for general unconstrained optimization and especially aims to solve…
In this paper, we present a novel derivative-free optimization framework for solving unconstrained stochastic optimization problems. Many problems in fields ranging from simulation optimization to reinforcement learning involve settings…
We develop an algorithm for minimizing a function using $n$ batched function value measurements at each of $T$ rounds by using classifiers to identify a function's sublevel set. We show that sufficiently accurate classifiers can achieve…
This paper considers the efficient minimization of the infinite time average of a stationary ergodic process in the space of a handful of design parameters which affect it. Problems of this class, derived from physical or numerical…
Derivative-free optimization (DFO) problems are optimization problems where derivative information is unavailable or extremely difficult to obtain. Model-based DFO solvers have been applied extensively in scientific computing. Powell's…