TY - JOUR
T1 - Convergence of trust-region methods based on probabilistic models
AU - Bandeira, A. S.
AU - Scheinberg, K.
AU - Vicente, L. N.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2014 Societ y for Industrial and Applied Mathematics.
PY - 2014
Y1 - 2014
N2 - In this paper we consider the use of probabilistic or random models within a classical trust-region framework for optimization of deterministic smooth general nonlinear functions. Our method and setting differs from many stochastic optimization approaches in two principal ways. Firstly, we assume that the value of the function itself can be computed without noise, in other words, that the function is deterministic. Second, we use random models of higher quality than those produced by the usual stochastic gradient methods. In particular, a first order model based on random approximation of the gradient is required to provide sufficient quality of approximation with probability ≥ 1/2. This is in contrast with stochastic gradient approaches, where the model is assumed to be "correct" only in expectation. As a result of this particular setting, we are able to prove convergence, with probability one, of a trust-region method which is almost identical to the classical method. Moreover, the new method is simpler than its deterministic counterpart as it does not require a criticality step. Hence we show that a standard optimization framework can be used in cases when models are random and may or may not provide good approximations, as long as "good" models are more likely than "bad" models. Our results are based on the use of properties of martingales. Our motivation comes from using random sample sets and interpolation models in derivative-free optimization. However, our framework is general and can be applied with any source of uncertainty in the model. We discuss various applications for our methods in the paper.
AB - In this paper we consider the use of probabilistic or random models within a classical trust-region framework for optimization of deterministic smooth general nonlinear functions. Our method and setting differs from many stochastic optimization approaches in two principal ways. Firstly, we assume that the value of the function itself can be computed without noise, in other words, that the function is deterministic. Second, we use random models of higher quality than those produced by the usual stochastic gradient methods. In particular, a first order model based on random approximation of the gradient is required to provide sufficient quality of approximation with probability ≥ 1/2. This is in contrast with stochastic gradient approaches, where the model is assumed to be "correct" only in expectation. As a result of this particular setting, we are able to prove convergence, with probability one, of a trust-region method which is almost identical to the classical method. Moreover, the new method is simpler than its deterministic counterpart as it does not require a criticality step. Hence we show that a standard optimization framework can be used in cases when models are random and may or may not provide good approximations, as long as "good" models are more likely than "bad" models. Our results are based on the use of properties of martingales. Our motivation comes from using random sample sets and interpolation models in derivative-free optimization. However, our framework is general and can be applied with any source of uncertainty in the model. We discuss various applications for our methods in the paper.
KW - Derivativefree optimization
KW - Global convergence
KW - Probabilistic models
KW - Trust-region methods
KW - Unconstrained optimizat ion
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U2 - 10.1137/130915984
DO - 10.1137/130915984
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84910601452
SN - 1052-6234
VL - 24
SP - 1238
EP - 1264
JO - SIAM Journal on Optimization
JF - SIAM Journal on Optimization
IS - 3
ER -