A Random Block-Coordinate Douglas-Rachford Splitting Method with Low Computational Complexity for Binary Logistic Regression

In this paper, we propose a new optimization algorithm for sparse logistic regression based on a stochastic version of the Douglas Rachford splitting method. Our algorithm sweeps the training set by randomly selecting a mini-batch of data at each iteration, and it allows us to update the variables in a block coordinate manner. Our approach … Read more

A single potential governing convergence of conjugate gradient, accelerated gradient and geometric descent

Nesterov’s accelerated gradient (AG) method for minimizing a smooth strongly convex function $f$ is known to reduce $f({\bf x}_k)-f({\bf x}^*)$ by a factor of $\epsilon\in(0,1)$ after $k=O(\sqrt{L/\ell}\log(1/\epsilon))$ iterations, where $\ell,L$ are the two parameters of smooth strong convexity. Furthermore, it is known that this is the best possible complexity in the function-gradient oracle model of … Read more

Let’s Make Block Coordinate Descent Go Fast: Faster Greedy Rules, Message-Passing, Active-Set Complexity, and Superlinear Convergence

Block coordinate descent (BCD) methods are widely-used for large-scale numerical optimization because of their cheap iteration costs, low memory requirements, amenability to parallelization, and ability to exploit problem structure. Three main algorithmic choices influence the performance of BCD methods: the block partitioning strategy, the block selection rule, and the block update rule. In this paper … Read more

An Algorithm for Piecewise Linear Optimization of Objective Functions in Abs-normal Form

In the paper [11] we derived first order (KKT) and second order (SSC) optimality conditions for functions defined by evaluation programs involving smooth elementals and absolute values. For this class of problems we showed in [12] that the natural algorithm of successive piecewise linear optimization with a proximal term (SPLOP) achieves a linear or even … Read more

Long-Step Path-Following Algorithm for Solving Symmetric Programming Problems with Nonlinear Objective Functions

We describe a long-step path-following algorithm for a class of symmetric programming problems with nonlinear convex objective functions. The complexity estimates similar to the case of a linear-quadratic objective function are established. The results of numerical experiments for the class of optimization problems involving quantum entropy are presented. Citation Preprint, University of Notre Dame, December … Read more

Convergence Rates for Deterministic and Stochastic Subgradient Methods Without Lipschitz Continuity

We generalize the classic convergence rate theory for subgradient methods to apply to non-Lipschitz functions via a new measure of steepness. For the deterministic projected subgradient method, we derive a global $O(1/\sqrt{T})$ convergence rate for any function with at most exponential growth. Our approach implies generalizations of the standard convergence rates for gradient descent on … Read more

”Active-set complexity” of proximal gradient: How long does it take to find the sparsity pattern?

Proximal gradient methods have been found to be highly effective for solving minimization problems with non-negative constraints or L1-regularization. Under suitable nondegeneracy conditions, it is known that these algorithms identify the optimal sparsity pattern for these types of problems in a finite number of iterations. However, it is not known how many iterations this may … Read more

Two-level value function approach to nonsmooth optimistic and pessimistic bilevel programs

The authors’ paper in Ref. [5], was the first one to provide detailed optimality conditions for pessimistic bilevel optimization. The results there were based on the concept of the two-level optimal value function introduced and analyzed in Ref. [4], for the case of optimistic bilevel programs. One of the basic assumptions in both of these … Read more

Iteration complexity of an inexact Douglas-Rachford method and of a Douglas-Rachford-Tseng’s F-B four-operator splitting method for solving monotone inclusions

In this paper, we propose and study the iteration complexity of an inexact Douglas-Rachford splitting (DRS) method and a Douglas-Rachford-Tseng’s forward-backward (F-B) splitting method for solving two-operator and four-operator monotone inclusions, respectively. The former method (although based on a slightly different mechanism of iteration) is motivated by the recent work of J. Eckstein and W. … Read more

Linear Convergence Rate of the Generalized Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers for a Class of Convex Optimization Problems

Rencently, the generalized aternating direction method of multipliers (GADMM) proposed by Eckstein and Bertsekas has received intensive attention from a broad spectrum of areas. In this paper, we consider the convergence rate of GADMM when applying to the convex optimization problems that the subdifferentials of the underlying functions are piecewise linear multifunctions, including LASSO, a … Read more