Reviews recent findings on neural network landscapes.
problem Non-convexity of loss functions causing bad landscapes.
method Rigorous geometric analysis and empirical exploration.
result Wide neural nets may have sub-optimal local minima.
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48 results for “optimization landscape”
Smoothed fitness landscape improves protein optimization.
problem Infeasibility of combinatorially large protein sequence space.
method Formulate protein fitness as a graph signal, smooth using Tikunov regularization, and optimize with Gibbs sampling.
result 2.5 fold fitness improvement over training set.
The study examines when MAML's objective has a benign landscape.
problem Understanding when MAML's objective landscape is benign.
method Analyzing the landscape of MAML objective on LQR tasks.
result The benign landscape of the MAML objective depends on task similarities.
Deeper models have a more favorable optimization landscape, making them more robust to noise.
problem Characterizing the effect of depth on the optimization landscape of linear regression models.
method Robust and over-parameterized setting, simple sub-gradient method.
result A simple sub-gradient method converges to a balanced solution that is close to the ground truth and enjoys a flat local landscape.
Paper characterizes optimization landscape of Tucker decomposition.
problem Finding exact Tucker decomposition is a nonconvex optimization problem.
method Characterized the optimization landscape and provided a local search algorithm.
result All local minima are globally optimal if tensor has an exact Tucker decomposition.
We analyze the optimization landscape of α-loss in logistic models.
problem Optimization landscape of α-loss in logistic models.
method Tools from strictly-locally-quasi-convex functions and geometric techniques.
result Evolution of optimization landscape with respect to α.
Visualizing the Loss Landscape of Actor Critic Methods with Applications in Inventory Optimizationcs.LG
Study visualizes actor-critic loss landscapes for inventory optimization.
problem Difficulties in solving multi-store dynamic inventory control problems.
method Low-dimensional visualizations of actor loss function.
result Loss landscapes favor optimal policies in reinforcement learning.
SGD vs quasi-Newton optimization in neural networks: different landscapes, different generalizability.
problem Understanding neural network optimization and generalizability.
method Comparison of stochastic gradient descent (SGD) and quasi-Newton optimization methods using computational tools.
result SGD solutions are separated by lower barriers than quasi-Newton solutions, but quasi-Newton solutions are deeper and more isolated.
LSAM optimizes deep learning training with improved efficiency.
problem Inefficiency in distributed large-batch training with Sharpness-Aware Minimization (SAM).
method Integrates SAM's adversarial steps with an asynchronous distributed sampling strategy.
result Higher final accuracy compared to data-parallel SAM.
The study tests inferences about neural network optimization from linear interpolation of loss landscapes.
problem Understanding the difficulty of neural network optimization problems.
method Linear interpolation of neural network loss landscapes, systematic evaluation of various factors.
result Linear interpolation does not correlate with model performance, challenging prior intuition.
Wide deep neural networks are easy to optimize without constraints.
problem Optimizing wide deep neural networks.
method Analysis of optimization landscapes and empirical-risk minimization.
result Wide neural networks have no confined points, making optimization easier.
There are many surprising and perhaps counter-intuitive properties of optimization of deep neural networks. We propose and experimentally verify a unified phenomenological model of the loss landscape that incorporates many of them. High dimensionality plays a key role in our model. Our core idea is to model the loss la…
New method simplifies optimization landscapes by transforming saddle points.
problem Saddle points hinder non-convex optimization in machine learning.
method Variable elimination algorithms, like VarPro, are compared to reveal geometric insights.
result Variable elimination reshapes critical point structure, creating local maxima from saddle points.
New findings on optimization landscape of Toeplitz covariance estimation.
problem Understanding the geometry of the Gaussian maximum-likelihood objective for Toeplitz covariance estimation.
method Overparameterized Carathéodory representation of positive definite Toeplitz covariance matrices, focusing on both amplitudes and frequencies.
result Joint optimization of amplitudes and frequencies leads to a benign population landscape, allowing for global recovery of the true Toeplitz covariance.
This work justifies neural collapse under MSE loss and analyzes the optimization landscape.
problem Understanding neural collapse in deep neural networks under MSE loss.
method Global landscape analysis of vanilla nonconvex MSE loss.
result The only global minimizers are neural collapse solutions.
New function class characterizes loss landscape of deep neural networks without over-parametrization.
problem Complex loss landscape of deep neural networks without over-parametrization.
method Proposed a novel class of functions to characterize loss landscape without over-parametrization.
result Gradient-based optimizers possess theoretical guarantees of convergence under the new function class assumption.
Paper explores challenges in training PINNs and loss landscape effects.
problem Challenges in training Physics-Informed Neural Networks (PINNs) due to loss landscape issues.
method Examined gradient-based optimizers Adam, L-BFGS, and their combination Adam+L-BFGS, and introduced NysNewton-CG (NNCG).
result Adam+L-BFGS outperforms other optimizers, and NysNewton-CG significantly improves PINN performance.
Adaptor 'E' extends gradient-based optimizers to explore loss landscapes, improving generalization.
problem Finding lower and better-generalizing minima in deep learning.
method Proposes an adaptor 'E' to extend gradient-based optimizers, encouraging exploration along landscape valleys.
result Adapted optimizers increase test accuracy by an average of 2.5% in large-batch training tasks.
Equivalent formulations for low-rank matrix optimization are proven.
problem Low-rank matrix optimization with rank constraints.
method Established geometric landscape connections between manifold and factorization formulations.
result Equivalence between manifold and factorization formulations at FOSPs, SOSPs, and strict saddles.
Neural networks' optimization dynamics are confined to a single basin despite connected basins in the loss landscape.
problem Neural networks' optimization dynamics are confined to a single basin despite connected basins in the loss landscape.
method Identifying entropic barriers arising from the interplay between curvature variations along low-loss paths and noise in optimization dynamics.
result Curvature-induced entropic forces bias noisy dynamics back toward the endpoints, explaining the confinement and connectivity of solutions.
Efficiently infers graph edges from genetic similarity data in landscape genetics.
problem Inferring unknown graph edges from genetic similarity data in a heterogeneous landscape.
method Developed an efficient first-order optimization method to solve the inverse landscape genetics problem.
result Our method provides fast and reliable convergence, significantly outperforming existing heuristics.
Analyzes adversarial training's impact on loss landscape, proposing PAS to improve model performance.
problem Challenges in optimizing models under adversarial training due to loss landscape properties.
method Analytical studies of adversarial loss functions, numerical analyses, PAS strategy.
result Adversarial training impairs optimization, but PAS strategy improves model performance.
Entropy regularization is commonly used to improve policy optimization in reinforcement learning. It is believed to help with \emph{exploration} by encouraging the selection of more stochastic policies. In this work, we analyze this claim using new visualizations of the optimization landscape based on randomly perturbi…
Optimizes MMD learning for generative models with theoretical guarantees.
problem Theoretical guarantees for optimizing non-convex MMD objectives.
method Analyzes MMD optimization landscape for specific distributions.
result Gradient-based methods globally minimize MMD objective for certain distributions.
We investigate the structure of the profit landscape obtained from the most basic, fluctuation based, trading strategy applied for the daily stock price data. The strategy is parameterized by only two variables, p and q. Stocks are sold and bought if the log return is bigger than p and less than -q, respectively. Repet…
We solve the optimization of two-layer ReLU networks using convex math.
problem Optimizing two-layer ReLU neural networks.
method Exact characterization of optimal solutions via convex optimization.
result We prove that all globally optimal solutions can be found via convex optimization.
Embedding principle explains loss landscape of deep neural networks.
problem Understanding the structure of loss landscapes in deep neural networks.
method Proposed an embedding principle that critical points of narrower DNNs can be embedded to critical points of wider DNNs.
result Wide DNNs are often attracted by highly-degenerate critical points embedded from narrower DNNs.
New method tackles rugged optimization landscapes in contact-rich scenarios.
problem Optimization challenges in dynamic environments with deformable objects.
method Combines Bayesian optimization with semi-local 'leaps' for global search.
result Outperforms gradient-based and gradient-free baselines in simulation and real robot experiments.
Choosing the best-performing optimizer(s) out of a portfolio of optimization algorithms is usually a difficult and complex task. It gets even worse, if the underlying functions are unknown, i.e., so-called Black-Box problems, and function evaluations are considered to be expensive. In the case of continuous single-obje…
Training an artificial neural network involves an optimization process over the landscape defined by the cost (loss) as a function of the network parameters. We explore these landscapes using optimisation tools developed for potential energy landscapes in molecular science. The number of local minima and transition sta…
This work proposes a mathematical framework for loss landscapes and optimization in deep neural networks.
problem The effectiveness of gradient-based optimization in over-parameterized neural networks.
method A modern view and mathematical framework of loss landscapes and efficient optimization in over-parameterized machine learning models.
result Wide neural networks satisfy the PL condition, explaining (S)GD convergence to a global minimum.
FPCA optimizes fairness in target vectors' span.
problem Fairness in principal component analysis for multiple target vectors.
method Non-concave maximization of worst projected target norm using sub-gradient descent.
result Optimization landscape is benign with globally optimal local minima.
This work reveals symmetries in quantum circuits and develops a noise-aware optimization method.
problem Understanding and optimizing the cost landscape of parametrized quantum circuits.
method Analytical proof of symmetries and their resilience to noise, followed by the development of SYMH optimization method.
result Symmetries in PQCs lead to degeneracy in the cost landscape and can be exploited to improve optimization under noise.
New framework to understand and exploit curvature in deep learning loss landscapes.
problem Understanding and optimizing the loss landscape in deep learning models.
method New conceptual framework and techniques to estimate and exploit curvature of expected loss changes.
result Alice algorithm optimizes training by incorporating curvature terms and step bounds.
Paper shows no spurious local minima in a specific matrix factorization problem.
problem Optimization of -norm rank-one symmetric matrix factorization.
method Second-order variational analysis to study the landscape of the problem.
result Any second-order stationary point is globally optimal.
Hill-ADAM optimizes loss landscapes by exploring state space deterministically.
problem Escaping local minima in loss landscapes.
method Hill-ADAM alternates between minimizing and maximizing error to explore the loss space.
result Hill-ADAM finds the global minimum state in loss landscapes.
This work tackles Bayesian neural networks by addressing loss landscape symmetries.
problem Understanding and optimizing the loss landscape of Bayesian neural networks.
method The approach involves extending marginalized loss barrier formalism to BNNs, proposing a matching algorithm to search for linearly connected solutions using permutation matrices and combinatorial optimization.
result Nearly zero marginalized loss barriers for linearly connected solutions were found.
Researchers improve NCE by addressing its flat loss landscape issues.
problem NCE's poor performance due to an ill-behaved loss landscape.
method Introduced eNCE with an exponential loss and normalized gradient descent.
result Proven that landscape issues arise from inappropriate noise distribution.
Variational quantum computing faces a flat optimization landscape problem.
problem Barren Plateaus (BP) in optimization landscapes.
method Theoretical and heuristic methods to understand and mitigate BPs.
result All algorithm components can lead to BPs if not well-suited.
The paper analyzes adaptive algorithms in non-convex optimization landscapes.
problem Analyzing adaptive algorithms in non-convex optimization landscapes.
method Stochastic algorithms with decreasing step-size, considering mini-batches and noise.
result Established almost sure convergence to critical points and minimizers.
Neural network training relies on our ability to find "good" minimizers of highly non-convex loss functions. It is well-known that certain network architecture designs (e.g., skip connections) produce loss functions that train easier, and well-chosen training parameters (batch size, learning rate, optimizer) produce mi…
We propose a general theory for studying the \xl{landscape} of nonconvex \xl{optimization} with underlying symmetric structures \tz{for a class of machine learning problems (e.g., low-rank matrix factorization, phase retrieval, and deep linear neural networks)}. In specific, we characterize the locations of stationary …
Improved Langevin Monte Carlo reduces energy barriers for faster optimization.
problem Optimizing functions with high energy barriers.
method Proposes a modified landscape for Langevin Monte Carlo.
result Polynomial dependence on energy barrier in Log-Sobolev constant.
Study uses Bayesian Optimization to analyze noise effects in materials research.
problem Optimizing materials with many variables and experimental noise.
method Batch Bayesian Optimization with synthetic data analysis.
result Noise sensitivity varies by problem landscape, impacting optimization outcomes.
Studying SGD on deep neural networks using diffusion maps.
problem Understanding why SGD performs well in deep learning.
method Data-driven approach using diffusion maps to analyze SGD dynamics.
result SGD dynamics may mainly live on a low-dimensional manifold in high-dimensional parameter space.
We present multi-point optimization: an optimization technique that allows to train several models simultaneously without the need to keep the parameters of each one individually. The proposed method is used for a thorough empirical analysis of the loss landscape of neural networks. By extensive experiments on FashionM…
We study nonconvex optimization landscapes for learning overcomplete representations, including learning (i) sparsely used overcomplete dictionaries and (ii) convolutional dictionaries, where these unsupervised learning problems find many applications in high-dimensional data analysis. Despite the empirical success of …
New method uses LLMs to generate detailed scientific hypotheses.
problem Generating detailed, actionable scientific hypotheses from coarse initial directions.
method Hierarchical search method that incrementally adds details to hypotheses.
result Hierarchical search method consistently outperforms strong baselines on expert-annotated hypotheses.