2019 NIPS NeurIPS 2019

Rapid Convergence of the Unadjusted Langevin Algorithm: Isoperimetry Suffices

Abstract

We study the Unadjusted Langevin Algorithm (ULA) for sampling from a probability distribution $\nu = e^{-f}$ on $\R^n$. We prove a convergence guarantee in Kullback-Leibler (KL) divergence assuming $\nu$ satisfies log-Sobolev inequality and $f$ has bounded Hessian. Notably, we do not assume convexity or bounds on higher derivatives. We also prove convergence guarantees in R\'enyi divergence of order $q > 1$ assuming the limit of ULA satisfies either log-Sobolev or Poincar\'e inequality.

🌉 Interdisciplinary Bridge — Machine Learning and Mathematics & Optimization
🧭 Keyword Pioneer — log-sobolev inequality
🐣 Hot Topic Early Bird — kl divergence
🐝 Cross-Pollinator — Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science, Computer Vision, Data Science & Analytics, Deep Learning, Healthcare & Medicine, Interdisciplinary, Knowledge & Reasoning, Machine Learning, Mathematics & Optimization, Natural Language Processing, Reinforcement Learning, Security & Privacy, Speech & Audio