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arXiv research

A locally-built, LLM-digested index of recent arXiv papers in quant finance, geometry/topology, and statistical ML — keyword search served straight from SQLite on this machine.

169,042 papers · 148 categories

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48 results for sharp local minimum

Study shows unique sharp local minimum in 1\ell_1-minimization for dictionary learning.

problem Global recovery of a dictionary from random linear combinations of atoms.
method Norm condition, explicit bound, perturbation-based test, Block Coordinate Descent algorithm.
result Reference dictionary is the unique sharp local minimum of the 1\ell_1 objective function.

Averaged SGD optimizes a smoothed objective, leading to better generalization.

problem Improving generalization performance in machine learning models.
method Analyzed the smoothed objective function of SGD and proved that averaged SGD can optimize this smoothed function efficiently.
result Averaged SGD can efficiently optimize a smoothed objective, leading to better generalization.

Improved portfolio optimization method yields better risk-adjusted returns.

problem Optimizing global minimum variance portfolios with reduced risk.
method k-fold boosted kk-BAHC covariance cleaning procedure for correlation matrices.
result Our method outperforms other filtering methods in Sharpe ratios, despite higher turnover.

Despite the non-convex nature of their loss functions, deep neural networks are known to generalize well when optimized with stochastic gradient descent (SGD). Recent work conjectures that SGD with proper configuration is able to find wide and flat local minima, which have been proposed to be associated with good gener…

2019-02-02abs ↗pdf ↗

SGD transitions between maxima and minima with varying time scales.

problem Understanding SGD's behavior near critical points in noisy landscapes.
method Analyzing SGD convergence and escape dynamics in 1D landscapes with infinite- and finite-variance noise.
result SGD reliably moves to the basin's minimum unless close to a local maximum, where it can linger.

The paper analyzes how good initial guesses affect the amount of data needed for low-rank matrix recovery.

problem Theoretical guarantee of local optimization algorithms requires excessive data to prevent spurious local minima.
method Quantifies the relationship between initial guess quality and sample complexity using restricted isometry constant.
result A linear improvement in initial guess quality leads to a constant factor improvement in sample complexity.

Proposes a new model to maximize out-of-sample Sharpe ratios by forecasting tangency portfolios.

problem Maximizing Sharpe ratios when returns and covariances are not stationary.
method Forecast the tangency portfolio using vector autoregressions and invest in the minimum Euclidean distance portfolio.
result Empirically validated superior out-of-sample Sharpe ratios.

In this paper we compute the sharp lower bounds for the crossing number of nn-string kk-loop essential tangles. For essential tangles with only string components, we characterise the ones with the minimum crossing number for a given number of components, both when the tangle has knotted strings or only unknotted stri…

2015-05-27abs ↗pdf ↗

SGD noise helps select flat minima by concentrating in sharp directions and being proportional to loss value.

problem Understanding the implicit regularization of SGD and selecting flat minima in over-parameterized models.
method Relating SGD's linear stability to the Frobenius norm of the Hessian and analyzing the alignment property of SGD noise.
result Flat minima are linearly stable for SGD, and their sharpness is bounded independently of model size and sample size.

A new tradeoff between regularization and sharpness improves model performance in overparameterized settings.

problem Improving model performance in overparameterized settings with minimum-norm interpolators.
method Proposes a regularization-sharpness tradeoff for overparameterized linear regression with an ℓ^p penalty.
result Empirical validation shows the tradeoff terms can distinguish performant linear interpolators.

SGD favors flat minima exponentially more than sharp minima in deep learning.

problem Understanding how SGD selects flat minima in deep learning.
method Developed a density diffusion theory (DDT) to analyze minima selection.
result SGD exponentially favors flat minima over sharp minima due to Hessian-dependent noise.

SAM optimizes deep networks by oscillating between sides of the minimum.

problem Improving performance of deep networks.
method Gradient-based optimization method that oscillates between sides of the minimum.
result SAM effectively performs gradient descent on the spectral norm of the Hessian, encouraging drift towards wider minima.

SAM selects flatter minima late in training, improving generalization.

problem Improving neural network generalization under various settings.
method Sharpness-Aware Minimization (SAM) applied late in training.
result SAM efficiently selects flatter minima late in training, improving generalization.

This paper introduces minimum-risk recalibration for probabilistic classifiers, improving their reliability and accuracy.

problem Improving the reliability and accuracy of probabilistic classifiers.
method Minimum-risk recalibration within the MSE decomposition framework, analyzing UMB method and label shift adaptation.
result The optimal number of bins for UMB scales with n1/3n^{1/3}, resulting in a risk bound of approximately O(n2/3)O(n^{-2/3}).

Every local minimum in non-convex machine learning is globally optimal.

problem Non-convex optimization challenges in machine learning.
method Proves every local minimum achieves globally optimal value of perturbable gradient basis model.
result Theoretical support for non-convex machine learning similar to convex machine learning.

The paper constructs upper bounds for cost minimization in shallow neural networks.

problem Cost minimization in underparametrized shallow ReLU networks.
method Explicit construction of upper bounds based on the geometric structure of classification data.
result An upper bound on the minimum of the cost function of order O(δP)O(δ_P), with exact degenerate local minimum in the special case M=QM=Q.

Proposes a method to solve deep neural networks' local minimum problem.

problem Local minimum problem in deep neural networks training.
method Transforms cross-entropy loss into risk-averse error criterion, adjusts RSI, and uses convexity region.
result Trained deep learning machine is expected to be inside a global minimum's attraction basin.

The paper measures non-convexity of real algebraic curves near a strict local minimum.

problem Measuring the non-convexity of real algebraic curves near a strict local minimum.
method Introduced a new combinatorial object, the Poincare-Reeb graph, to encode and quantify the shape of curves.
result The Poincare-Reeb graph is a plane tree and can be used to study the asymptotic behaviour of level curves near a strict local minimum.

In this paper, we theoretically prove that adding one special neuron per output unit eliminates all suboptimal local minima of any deep neural network, for multi-class classification, binary classification, and regression with an arbitrary loss function, under practical assumptions. At every local minimum of any deep n…

2019-01-02abs ↗pdf ↗

New proof shows how to identify DAGs with weakly increasing errors.

problem Identifying the true DAG in models with weakly increasing error variances.
method Minimum-trace DAG method and hill climbing algorithm with R2R neighborhood.
result Hill climbing algorithm without strict local optima under weakly increasing error variances.

One of the main difficulties in analyzing neural networks is the non-convexity of the loss function which may have many bad local minima. In this paper, we study the landscape of neural networks for binary classification tasks. Under mild assumptions, we prove that after adding one special neuron with a skip connection…

2018-05-22abs ↗pdf ↗

This study compares Markowitz and Single-Index models for Malaysian stocks.

problem Optimizing portfolio selection for Malaysian stocks using different models.
method Applied Markowitz and Single-Index models to 10-year historical data of 10 stocks and a risk-free asset.
result Comparison of minimum variance and maximum Sharpe portfolios for both models under various constraints.

We study the blow-up behaviour of minimizing sequences for the singular Moser-Trudinger functional on compact surfaces. Assuming non-existence of minimum points, we give an estimate for the infimum value of the functional. This result can be applied to give sharp Onofri-type inequalities on the sphere in the presence o…

2014-08-28abs ↗pdf ↗

New method for Sharpe ratio analysis in high dimensions using residual-based nodewise regression.

problem Consistency of Sharpe ratio estimators in high-dimensional portfolios.
method Residual-based nodewise regression for estimating precision matrix of errors and returns.
result Consistent Sharpe ratio estimators in various portfolio settings.

New algorithm finds local minima in non-convex problems efficiently.

problem Finding local minima in non-convex finite-sum minimization problems.
method Stochastic Trust Region (STR) algorithm combining inexact gradient and Hessian estimation.
result STR finds (ε,ε)(ε, \sqrtε)-approximate local minimum with improved efficiency.

Study shows LLC correlates with neural network compressibility.

problem Evaluating limits of neural network compression.
method Extended minimum description length principle using singular learning theory.
result Complexity estimates based on LLC are linearly correlated with compressibility.

We design a non-convex second-order optimization algorithm that is guaranteed to return an approximate local minimum in time which scales linearly in the underlying dimension and the number of training examples. The time complexity of our algorithm to find an approximate local minimum is even faster than that of gradie…

2016-11-03abs ↗pdf ↗

Study analyzes stock performance before, during, and after the pandemic.

problem Impact of the pandemic on stock performance and risk.
method Daily data of most traded companies in Colombia from 2015 to 2023, using minimum variance approach.
result Portfolio returns and risks varied significantly during the pandemic.

The L1 loss landscape of neural nets near local minima behaves differently, revealing exponential decay and increased vertex density.

problem Understanding the L1 loss landscape of neural nets near local minima.
method Iterative minimization of the loss function on adjacent vertices of the Deep ReLU Simplex algorithm.
result Exponential decay of loss levels and increased vertex density around local minima.