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We consider distributed optimization under communication constraints for training deep learning models. We propose a new algorithm, whose parameter updates rely on two forces: a regular gradient step, and a corrective direction dictated by…

We present a parallelized primal-dual algorithm for solving constrained convex optimization problems. The algorithm is "block-based," in that vectors of primal and dual variables are partitioned into blocks, each of which is updated only by…

Adaptive algorithms like AdaGrad and AMSGrad are successful in nonconvex optimization owing to their parameter-agnostic ability -- requiring no a priori knowledge about problem-specific parameters nor tuning of learning rates. However, when…

We consider a generic convex optimization problem associated with regularized empirical risk minimization of linear predictors. The problem structure allows us to reformulate it as a convex-concave saddle point problem. We propose a…

Machine learning assumes a pivotal role in our data-driven world. The increasing scale of models and datasets necessitates quick and reliable algorithms for model training. This dissertation investigates adaptivity in machine learning…

The Linear Assignment Problem (LAP) is a fundamental combinatorial optimization task with applications ranging from computer vision to logistics. Classical exact solvers such as the Hungarian and Jonker-Volgenant (LAPJV) algorithms…

This article addresses the challenge of adapting data-based models over time. We propose a novel two-fold modelling architecture designed to correct plant-model mismatch caused by two types of uncertainty. Out-of-domain uncertainty arises…

We consider strongly-convex-strongly-concave saddle-point problems with general non-bilinear objective and different condition numbers with respect to the primal and the dual variables. First, we consider such problems with smooth composite…

This paper studies constrained Markov decision processes (CMDPs) with constraints against stochastic thresholds, aiming at safety of reinforcement learning in unknown and uncertain environments. We leverage a Growing-Window estimator…

The problem of constrained Markov decision process (CMDP) is investigated, where an agent aims to maximize the expected accumulated discounted reward subject to multiple constraints on its utilities/costs. A new primal-dual approach is…

The concept of learning to optimize involves utilizing a trainable optimization strategy rather than relying on manually defined full gradient estimations such as ADAM. We present a framework that jointly trains the full gradient estimator…

Randomly initialized first-order optimization algorithms are the method of choice for solving many high-dimensional nonconvex problems in machine learning, yet general theoretical guarantees cannot rule out convergence to critical points of…

We study the online estimation of the optimal policy of a Markov decision process (MDP). We propose a class of Stochastic Primal-Dual (SPD) methods which exploit the inherent minimax duality of Bellman equations. The SPD methods update a…

Vanishing gradients and overfitting are central problems in machine learning, yet are typically analyzed in asymptotic regimes that obscure their dynamical origins. Here we provide a dynamical description of learning in multi-layer…

Modeling how a robot interacts with the environment around it is an important prerequisite for designing control and planning algorithms. In fact, the performance of controllers and planners is highly dependent on the quality of the model.…

Learning rate adaptation is a popular topic in machine learning. Gradient Descent trains neural nerwork with a fixed learning rate. Learning rate adaptation is proposed to accelerate the training process through adjusting the step size in…

As an extension of the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM), the semi-proximal ADMM (sPADMM) has been widely used in various fields due to its flexibility and robustness. In this paper, we first show that the two-block sPADMM…

In this work, we study two first-order primal-dual based algorithms, the Gradient Primal-Dual Algorithm (GPDA) and the Gradient Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers (GADMM), for solving a class of linearly constrained non-convex…

In a standard optimization approach, the underlying process model is first identified at a given set of operating conditions and this updated model is, then, used to calculate the optimal conditions for the process. This two-step procedure…

Stochastic saddle point (SSP) problems are, in general, less studied compared to stochastic minimization problems. However, SSP problems emerge from machine learning (adversarial training, e.g., GAN, AUC maximization), statistics (robust…