arXiv Machine Learning

Statistical Inference for Stochastic Gradient Descent: Beyond Finite Variance

arXiv:2605. 26000v2 Announce Type: replace-cross Abstract: Stochastic gradient descent (SGD) is foundational to large-scale statistical learning and stochastic optimization.

arXiv Machine Learning
Jun 2

Accurate Large-sample Uncertainty Quantification using Stochastic Gradient Markov Chain Monte Carlo

arXiv:2606. 00293v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: Tuning algorithms such as stochastic gradient descent (SGD) and stochastic gradient Langevin dynamics (SGLD) for approximate sampling and uncertainty quantification remains challenging, particularly in the practically relevant settings when the batch size is large or the model is misspecified.

By Yu Wang, Jie Ding, Jonathan H. Huggins
arXiv Machine Learning
Jul 7

A Gradient Flow Perspective on Minimum MMD Estimation

arXiv:2607. 03871v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: Minimum maximum mean discrepancy (MMD) estimation has emerged as a robust and likelihood-free alternative to maximum likelihood estimation for parameter estimation.

By Sophia Seulkee Kang, Louis Sharrock, Xiaoyuan Cheng, Fran\c{c}ois-Xavier Briol, Zonghao Chen
arXiv Machine Learning
Sep 14

High-Probability Convergence of SGD via Batched Updates

The paper introduces Batched SGD, a variant that groups online samples into epochs and performs a single update per epoch using a low‑variance gradient estimate. This batching approach allows a straightforward high‑probability analysis without restrictive assumptions or auxiliary sequences, yielding near‑optimal rates for both strongly convex and non‑convex objectives under standard smoothness and sub‑Gaussian noise conditions. The authors also extend the method to federated learning, providing the first high‑probability guarantees with logarithmic communication complexity, linear speedup in the number of agents, and robustness to data heterogeneity.

By Feng Zhu, Robert W. Heath Jr., Aritra Mitra
arXiv Machine Learning
Sep 14

Almost Sure Convergence Analysis of Stochastic Gradient Methods with Clipping and Additive Noise

The paper proves that stochastic gradient descent with gradient clipping and additive Gaussian noise (SGD‑CN) converges almost surely under smoothness and bounded noise assumptions, given standard decaying step sizes. The analysis extends to momentum variants such as the stochastic heavy ball and Nesterov's accelerated gradient, showing that careful energy constructions yield similar guarantees. These results provide stronger theoretical foundations for understanding the pathwise behaviour of clipped stochastic gradient methods in both convex and nonconvex regimes.

By Amartya Mukherjee, Jun Liu