First-Order Methods

Subgradient, proximal, accelerated, and stochastic gradient algorithms.


field tier

First-Order Methods. Subgradient, proximal, accelerated, and stochastic gradient algorithms.

Foundations and canonical references

The standard treatments of first-order methods approach the subject from complementary angles. Nesterov, Lectures on Convex Optimization (2018) is the anchor reference for the subject and lays out the core definitions, theorems, and worked examples that practitioners return to. Beck, First-Order Methods in Optimization (2017) gives a parallel, more proof-oriented exposition of the same material and is widely used as a graduate text.

Open methodological questions for first-order methods include sharpening the bridges between foundational theory and computational practice, extending classical results to broader or more structured settings, and integrating the techniques surveyed above with adjacent mathematical disciplines. The references listed in this page are the entry points that current work builds on.

Prerequisites

Sources

  • textbook · primary · 2018
    Lectures on Convex Optimization
    nesterov-2018
  • textbook · primary · 2017
    First-Order Methods in Optimization
    beck-2017

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