arXiv:2605.28513cs.LGcs.AI2026-05

首次为SVRG提供非平凡泛化分析,揭示优化与泛化关系。

Learning Theory of the SVRG: Generalization and Convergence Analysis

论文配图:Learning Theory of the SVRG: Generalization and Convergence Analysis
图 1 · 摘自论文原文
  • 将SVRG分解为SGD步与零均值修正项,构建新稳定性分析框架
  • 在凸与强凸场景下获得数据依赖的紧泛化界,实现最优风险上界
  • 方法可推广至SAGA等其他方差减少算法,适合关注泛化理论的研究者

方差减少(VR)方法通过降低随机梯度的方差,在大规模机器学习优化中广泛应用。现有理论研究多集中于收敛性分析,而对泛化行为的探索不足。本文首次从算法稳定性的视角,对代表性方差减少方法Stochastic Variance Reduced Gradient(SVRG)进行非平凡的泛化分析。通过利用其算法结构,我们在凸和强凸设定下建立了紧的稳定性边界,这些边界依赖于训练误差沿轨迹的变化。分析揭示了优化与泛化之间的相互作用,从而在两种设定下获得了最优的超出总体风险上界。我们的方法区别于传统随机算法分析:将SVRG更新分解为类似SGD的步骤与零均值修正项,并引入新颖的Lyapunov函数以吸收参考点带来的额外梯度项。该分析框架可推广至其他VR方法,我们进一步展示了经典Stochastic Average Gradient Accelerated(SAGA)方法的泛化能力。

原文摘要 · Abstract (English)

Variance reduction (VR) methods employ stochastic gradients with decreasing variance, and they have been widely applied to solve large-scale optimization problems in machine learning because of their efficiency. Existing theoretical studies of VR methods are mainly focused on the convergence analysis, leaving the generalization behavior largely unexplored. In this paper, we bridge this gap by developing the first non-vacuous generalization analysis of the representative VR method: Stochastic Variance Reduced Gradient (SVRG), through the lens of algorithmic stability. In particular, we establish sharp stability bounds of the SVRG in both convex and strongly convex settings by exploiting its algorithmic structure. The obtained bounds are data-dependent, because the training errors are incorporated along the trajectory. Our analysis clarifies the interplay between optimization and generalization, leading to optimal excess population risk bounds in both settings. Our approach differs substantially from existing analyses of stochastic algorithms in the sense that we decompose the SVRG update as an SGD-like step plus a zero-mean correction term and then introduce novel Lyapunov functions to absorb the additional gradient terms induced by the reference points. Our analytical framework can be generalized to other VR methods, and we demonstrate the generalization by the well-known Stochastic Average Gradient Accelerated (SAGA) method.

优化理论泛化分析方差减少算法稳定

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