arXiv Machine Learning

Quantum Speedups for Stochastic Optimization with Heavy-Tailed Noise

arXiv:2607. 25492v2 Announce Type: replace Abstract: We study stochastic optimization with heavy-tailed gradient noise.

arXiv Machine Learning
Jun 26

Finding Stationary Points by Comparisons

arXiv:2606. 27082v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: We study the problem of finding stationary points of non-convex functions when access to the objective is provided only through a comparison oracle that, given two points, outputs which has the larger function value.

By Helin Wang, Chenyi Zhang, Xiwen Tao, Yexin Zhang, Tongyang Li
arXiv Machine Learning
Jun 18

How fast can you find a good hypothesis?

arXiv:2509. 03734v3 Announce Type: replace-cross Abstract: In the hypothesis selection problem, we are given sample and query access to finite set of candidate distributions (hypotheses), $\mathcal{H} = \{H_1, \ldots, H_n\}$, and samples from an unknown distribution $P$, both over a domain $\mathcal{X}$.

By Anders Aamand, Maryam Aliakbarpour, Justin Y. Chen, Sandeep Silwal
arXiv Machine Learning
Jun 26

Gradient Testing and Estimation by Comparisons

arXiv:2405. 11454v3 Announce Type: replace Abstract: We study gradient testing and gradient estimation of smooth functions using only a comparison oracle that, given two points, indicates which one has the larger function value.

By Xiwen Tao, Chenyi Zhang, Helin Wang, Yexin Zhang, Tongyang Li
arXiv Machine Learning
Jul 13

Solving Stochastic Fixed-Point Equations with High Probability

arXiv:2607. 09097v1 Announce Type: cross Abstract: We study stochastic fixed-point equations $\mathbf{T}(\mathbf{x}) = \mathbf{x}$ over normed spaces $(\mathcal{E}, \|\cdot\|)$, where the operator $\mathbf{T}$ is nonexpansive or contractive and is accessed only through unbiased stochastic evaluations with bounded second central moment.

By Jelena Diakonikolas
arXiv AI
Jun 2

Information-Theoretic Lower Bounds for Bit-Constrained Stochastic Optimization via a Reduction to Compressed Gaussian Mean Estimation

arXiv:2606. 00703v1 Announce Type: cross Abstract: Low-precision pretraining (FP8, MXFP4, NVFP4) is now standard for frontier language models, yet the literature is almost entirely achievability -- algorithms and empirical scaling laws -- with no matching characterization of what is information-theoretically possible.

By Munsik Kim