arXiv Machine Learning

Ideal Paths for Approximating Logistic Gradient Descent Trajectories at Large Initialization

arXiv Machine Learning
Aug 12

A lower bound for stepsize-based acceleration of gradient descent

arXiv:2608. 10418v1 Announce Type: cross Abstract: Recent work has shown that, for smooth convex optimization, plain gradient descent can be accelerated from its textbook convergence rate of $O(T^{-1})$ (where $T$ denotes the number of iterations) to $O\big(T^{-\log_2(1+\sqrt{2})}\big)$ using carefully designed stepsize schedules alone, without resorting to momentum or other algorithmic modifications.

By Jianhao Ma, Yuxin Chen
arXiv AI
Sep 28

Guiding End-to-End Driving Models with Endpoint-Constrained Trajectory Optimization

The paper introduces Endpoint-Constrained Optimization (ECO), a lightweight postprocessing layer that corrects intermediate waypoints of end-to-end driving policies while preserving the predicted endpoint. ECO does not require maps, privileged simulator state, or additional training, and can be applied to a wide range of waypoint-emitting policies. Experiments on two closed-loop simulators show that ECO significantly improves closed-loop performance, achieving top results in the HUGSIM Closed-Loop Driving Challenge and boosting scene scores on AlpaSim.

By Brayden Zhang, Mahsa Golchoubian, Igor Gilitschenski, Boris Ivanovic, Kashyap Chitta
arXiv Machine Learning
Sep 17

A Convergence Framework for Deep $V$-Learning: Error Propagation and Sharp Action-Gap Bounds

The paper presents a convergence framework for deep $V$‑learning over a finite horizon $H$, deriving explicit bounds on policy loss by decomposing the Bellman update error into six residuals. It shows how $L^s$ concentrability controls expected $L^1$ loss, quantifies the impact of shared sampling across horizon levels, and provides optimal and near‑optimal sample allocations for statistical error rates. The work also establishes sharp action‑gap bounds under a margin condition, transfers optimal‑gap results to frozen‑iterate gaps, and offers consistency guarantees for generative‑reset approximate‑ERM procedures with exact action scores.

By Yury Kolomeytsev