Convergence and concentration properties of constant step-size SGD through Markov chains

Fuente: arXiv
Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Merad, Ibrahim, Gaïffas, Stéphane
Format: Preprint
Published: 2023
Subjects:
Online Access:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866911279004778496
author Merad, Ibrahim
Gaïffas, Stéphane
author_facet Merad, Ibrahim
Gaïffas, Stéphane
contents We consider the optimization of a smooth and strongly convex objective using constant step-size stochastic gradient descent (SGD) and study its properties through the prism of Markov chains. We show that, for unbiased gradient estimates with mildly controlled variance, the iteration converges to an invariant distribution in total variation distance. We also establish this convergence in Wasserstein-2 distance under a relaxed assumption on the gradient noise distribution compared to previous work. Our analysis shows that the SGD iterates and their invariant limit distribution \emph{inherit} sub-Gaussian or sub-exponential concentration properties when these hold true for the gradient. This allows the derivation of high-confidence bounds for the final estimate. Finally, under such conditions in the linear case, we obtain a dimension-free deviation bound for the Polyak-Ruppert average of a tail sequence. All our results are non-asymptotic and their consequences are discussed through a few applications.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2306_11497
institution arXiv
publishDate 2023
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Convergence and concentration properties of constant step-size SGD through Markov chains
Merad, Ibrahim
Gaïffas, Stéphane
Machine Learning
Optimization and Control
We consider the optimization of a smooth and strongly convex objective using constant step-size stochastic gradient descent (SGD) and study its properties through the prism of Markov chains. We show that, for unbiased gradient estimates with mildly controlled variance, the iteration converges to an invariant distribution in total variation distance. We also establish this convergence in Wasserstein-2 distance under a relaxed assumption on the gradient noise distribution compared to previous work. Our analysis shows that the SGD iterates and their invariant limit distribution \emph{inherit} sub-Gaussian or sub-exponential concentration properties when these hold true for the gradient. This allows the derivation of high-confidence bounds for the final estimate. Finally, under such conditions in the linear case, we obtain a dimension-free deviation bound for the Polyak-Ruppert average of a tail sequence. All our results are non-asymptotic and their consequences are discussed through a few applications.
title Convergence and concentration properties of constant step-size SGD through Markov chains
topic Machine Learning
Optimization and Control
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.11497