arXiv Machine Learning

Constant-Stepsize Stochastic Approximation: Finite-Time Convergence, Gaussian Approximation, and Tail Bounds

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 Machine Learning
Jul 21

Concentration and Mean-Square Bounds for Contractive Stochastic Approximation: A Unified Elementary Approach

arXiv:2607. 17595v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: We establish mean-square and concentration bounds for stochastic approximation (SA) with arbitrary norm contractive mappings, under a multiplicative noise model where the noise may scale affinely with the norm of the iterates, and the iterates are potentially unbounded.

By Siddharth Chandak
arXiv Machine Learning
Jul 21

Scaling Limits of Constant-Stepsize SGD at Flat Minima

arXiv:2607. 16384v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: For stochastic gradient descent (SGD) with a constant stepsize $\alpha$, the invariant law of the iterates, centered at a minimizer, describes the behavior of the algorithm over long time horizons.

By Jingyi Zhang, Cheng Mao, Debankur Mukherjee
arXiv Machine Learning
3d ago

Adapt or Forget: Provable Tradeoffs Between Adam and SGD in Nonstationary Optimization

The paper presents a theoretical study of Adam in non‑stationary stochastic optimization, distinguishing two regimes: Euclidean tracking under adaptive strong monotonicity and high‑probability projected stationarity for general smooth objectives. It derives finite‑time bounds that decompose into initialization, objective drift, first‑moment tracking error (β₁), and preconditioner perturbation (β₂), and characterizes burn‑in times for constant and step‑decay schedules. The analysis reveals a noise–drift tradeoff, showing that in noise‑dominated settings Adam’s adaptive mechanisms can improve guarantees, while in drift‑dominated settings they may worsen tracking, potentially making vanilla SGD preferable.

By Sharan Sahu, Abir Sarkar, Cameron J. Hogan, Martin T. Wells
arXiv Machine Learning
Jun 15

Nonlinear Two-Time-Scale Stochastic Approximation: A Sharp Phase Transition and How to Beat It

arXiv:2606. 14488v1 Announce Type: cross Abstract: Recent finite-time analyses of nonlinear two-time-scale stochastic approximation show that under contractive assumptions the slow iterate $Y_k$ with stepsizes $\beta_k=\Theta(k^{-1})$ and $\alpha_k=\Theta(k^{-a})$, $a\in(1/2,1)$, generally satisfies a mean-square rate of order $k^{-a}$; decoupled $k^{-1}$ rates require strong local linearity.

By Dhruv Sarkar, Vaneet Aggarwal