Related papers: Non-Expansive Mappings in Two-Time-Scale Stochasti…
Two time scale stochastic approximation algorithms emulate singularly perturbed deterministic differential equations in a certain limiting sense, i.e., the interpolated iterates on each time scale approach certain differential equations in…
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…
We consider linear two-time-scale stochastic approximation algorithms driven by martingale noise. Recent applications in machine learning motivate the need to understand finite-time error rates, but conventional stochastic approximation…
We propose new continuous-time formulations for first-order stochastic optimization algorithms such as mini-batch gradient descent and variance-reduced methods. We exploit these continuous-time models, together with simple Lyapunov analysis…
This paper considers a stochastic optimization problem over the fixed point sets of quasinonexpansive mappings on Riemannian manifolds. The problem enables us to consider Riemannian hierarchical optimization problems over complicated sets,…
Two-timescale Stochastic Approximation (SA) algorithms are widely used in Reinforcement Learning (RL). Their iterates have two parts that are updated using distinct stepsizes. In this work, we develop a novel recipe for their finite sample…
Successive quadratic approximations, or second-order proximal methods, are useful for minimizing functions that are a sum of a smooth part and a convex, possibly nonsmooth part that promotes regularization. Most analyses of iteration…
Stochastic gradient descent type methods are ubiquitous in machine learning, but they are only applicable to the optimization of differentiable functions. Proximal algorithms are more general and applicable to nonsmooth functions. We…
In this paper, we present a convergence rate analysis for the inexact Krasnosel'skii-Mann iteration built from nonexpansive operators. Our results include two main parts: we first establish global pointwise and ergodic iteration-complexity…
The Expectation-Maximization (EM) algorithm is a popular choice for learning latent variable models. Variants of the EM have been initially introduced, using incremental updates to scale to large datasets, and using Monte Carlo (MC)…
Two time scale stochastic approximation is analyzed when the iterates on either or both time scales do not necessarily converge.
We study a new two-time-scale stochastic gradient method for solving optimization problems, where the gradients are computed with the aid of an auxiliary variable under samples generated by time-varying MDPs controlled by the underlying…
This work develops new results for stochastic approximation algorithms. The emphases are on treating algorithms and limits with discontinuities. The main ingredients include the use of differential inclusions, set-valued analysis, and…
In this paper, we establish non-asymptotic bounds for accuracy of normal approximation for linear two-timescale stochastic approximation (TTSA) algorithms driven by martingale difference or Markov noise. Focusing on both the last iterate…
Stochastic approximation (SA) is an iterative algorithm for finding the fixed point of an operator using noisy samples and widely used in optimization and Reinforcement Learning (RL). The noise in RL exhibits a Markovian structure, and in…
In this paper, we study distributed optimization with smooth non-convex local objectives. We propose a novel variant of the well-known EXact firsT-ordeR Algorithm (EXTRA), called Two-timescale EXTRA, by introducing two distinct step-sizes.…
We present for the first time an asymptotic convergence analysis of two time-scale stochastic approximation driven by "controlled" Markov noise. In particular, the faster and slower recursions have non-additive controlled Markov noise…
Two optimization algorithms are proposed for solving a stochastic programming problem for which the objective function is given in the form of the expectation of convex functions and the constraint set is defined by the intersection of…
The Halpern algorithm is a powerful fixed point approximation method for finding the closest point in the fixed point set of a nonexpansive mapping to the initial point. However, in practice, it is not necessarily true that this algorithm…
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…