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Related papers: Query-Efficient Zeroth-Order Algorithms for Noncon…

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First Order Bayesian Optimization (FOBO) is a sample efficient sequential approach to find the global maxima of an expensive-to-evaluate black-box objective function by suitably querying for the function and its gradient evaluations. Such…

Machine Learning · Computer Science 2023-06-21 Utkarsh Prakash , Aryan Chollera , Kushagra Khatwani , Prabuchandran K. J. , Tejas Bodas

Differentially private zeroth-order optimization methods have recently gained popularity in private fine tuning of machine learning models due to their reduced memory requirements. Current approaches for privatizing zeroth-order methods…

Optimization and Control · Mathematics 2025-07-10 Devansh Gupta , Meisam Razaviyayn , Vatsal Sharan

We propose new sequential simulation-optimization algorithms for general convex optimization via simulation problems with high-dimensional discrete decision space. The performance of each choice of discrete decision variables is evaluated…

Optimization and Control · Mathematics 2022-02-15 Haixiang Zhang , Zeyu Zheng , Javad Lavaei

We consider escaping saddle points of nonconvex problems where only the function evaluations can be accessed. Although a variety of works have been proposed, the majority of them require either second or first-order information, and only a…

Optimization and Control · Mathematics 2022-10-05 Hualin Zhang , Huan Xiong , Bin Gu

This paper considers zeroth-order optimization for stochastic convex minimization problem. We propose a parameter-free stochastic zeroth-order method (POEM) by introducing a step-size scheme based on the distance over finite difference and…

Optimization and Control · Mathematics 2025-05-06 Kunjie Ren , Luo Luo

We propose stochastic optimization algorithms that can find local minima faster than existing algorithms for nonconvex optimization problems, by exploiting the third-order smoothness to escape non-degenerate saddle points more efficiently.…

Optimization and Control · Mathematics 2017-12-19 Yaodong Yu , Pan Xu , Quanquan Gu

In the learning to learn (L2L) framework, we cast the design of optimization algorithms as a machine learning problem and use deep neural networks to learn the update rules. In this paper, we extend the L2L framework to zeroth-order (ZO)…

Machine Learning · Computer Science 2020-02-10 Yangjun Ruan , Yuanhao Xiong , Sashank Reddi , Sanjiv Kumar , Cho-Jui Hsieh

This paper provides a zeroth-order optimisation framework for non-smooth and possibly non-convex cost functions with matrix parameters that are real and symmetric. We provide complexity bounds on the number of iterations required to ensure…

Optimization and Control · Mathematics 2021-06-29 Alejandro I. Maass , Chris Manzie , Iman Shames , Hayato Nakada

Zeroth-order optimization is an important research topic in machine learning. In recent years, it has become a key tool in black-box adversarial attack to neural network based image classifiers. However, existing zeroth-order optimization…

Machine Learning · Computer Science 2019-03-21 Haishan Ye , Zhichao Huang , Cong Fang , Chris Junchi Li , Tong Zhang

We study mathematical programs with equilibrium constraints, in which a leader knows their own cost function, but lacks a model of the followers' response. Instead, the leader can only query this response at specific points. While this…

Optimization and Control · Mathematics 2026-05-19 Miriam Fischer , Dario Paccagnan

We investigate a class of nonconvex optimization problems characterized by a feasible set consisting of level-bounded nonconvex regularizers, with a continuously differentiable objective. We propose a novel hybrid approach to tackle such…

Optimization and Control · Mathematics 2024-10-28 Xiangyu Yang , Hao Wang , Yichen Zhu , Xiao Wang

Zeroth-order (ZO) optimization has become increasingly popular and important in fine-tuning large language models (LLMs), especially on edge devices due to its ability to adjust the model to local data without the need for memory-intensive…

Machine Learning · Computer Science 2026-05-18 Jiahe Chen , Ziye Ma

We present new algorithms for optimizing non-smooth, non-convex stochastic objectives based on a novel analysis technique. This improves the current best-known complexity for finding a $(\delta,\epsilon)$-stationary point from…

Machine Learning · Computer Science 2025-08-08 Ashok Cutkosky , Harsh Mehta , Francesco Orabona

In this paper, we consider the composite optimization problem, where the objective function integrates a continuously differentiable loss function with a nonsmooth regularization term. Moreover, only the function values for the…

Optimization and Control · Mathematics 2024-01-09 Shanglin Liu , Lei Wang , Nachuan Xiao , Xin Liu

Deep learning models, despite their impressive achievements, suffer from high computational costs and memory requirements, limiting their usability in resource-constrained environments. Sparse neural networks significantly alleviate these…

Machine Learning · Computer Science 2026-03-16 Jie Ji , Gen Li , Kaiyuan Deng , Fatemeh Afghah , Xiaolong Ma

We derive several numerical methods for designing optimized first-order algorithms in unconstrained convex optimization settings. Our methods are based on the Performance Estimation Problem (PEP) framework, which casts the worst-case…

Optimization and Control · Mathematics 2025-07-29 Yassine Kamri , Julien M. Hendrickx , François Glineur

The complexity in large-scale optimization can lie in both handling the objective function and handling the constraint set. In this respect, stochastic Frank-Wolfe algorithms occupy a unique position as they alleviate both computational…

Optimization and Control · Mathematics 2021-02-16 Cyrille W. Combettes , Christoph Spiegel , Sebastian Pokutta

The proximal gradient algorithm has been popularly used for convex optimization. Recently, it has also been extended for nonconvex problems, and the current state-of-the-art is the nonmonotone accelerated proximal gradient algorithm.…

Optimization and Control · Mathematics 2017-05-24 Quanming Yao , James T. Kwok , Fei Gao , Wei Chen , Tie-Yan Liu

This paper considers stochastic convex optimization problems with two sets of constraints: (a) deterministic constraints on the domain of the optimization variable, which are difficult to project onto; and (b) deterministic or stochastic…

Optimization and Control · Mathematics 2022-05-25 Zeeshan Akhtar , Ketan Rajawat

Necessary conditions for high-order optimality in smooth nonlinear constrained optimization are explored and their inherent intricacy discussed. A two-phase minimization algorithm is proposed which can achieve approximate first-, second-…

Optimization and Control · Mathematics 2021-05-31 C. Cartis , N. I. M. Gould , Ph. L. Toint