cs.LGSep 30, 2026

Parameter-Free Interval-Dynamic Regret under Heavy-Tailed Noise

Authors: Vaneet Aggarwal

Organizations: Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA

Abstract

We study online convex optimization with one unbiased stochastic subgradient per round and an unknown finite conditional ppth noise moment, 1<p≤21<p\le2. For every fixed interval II of length nn and comparator path with ΛI=1+PI/DΛ_I=1+P_I/D, one learner achieves

E[RegretI(u)]≤min⁡(GDn,C[GDn(ΛI+log⁡2(2T))+σDn1/p(ΛI+log⁡2(2T))(p−1)/p]).E[Regret_I(u)]\le\min(GDn, C[GD\sqrt{n(Λ_I+\log^2(2T))} +σDn^{1/p}(Λ_I+\log^2(2T))^{(p-1)/p}]).

The learner uses none of G,σ,p,I,PIG,σ,p,I,P_I, and the constant is universal. Interval adaptation adds to comparator complexity, preserving the distinct mean-gradient and noise exponents. The analysis controls calibration in expectation and limits the cost of observation-scale changes. Its general theorem compares to distributions over predictably available experts with relative-entropy dependence on a nonuniform prior. A common prior favors long windows and long restart lengths. With the statistics supplied, the interval cost becomes 1+log⁡(T/n)1+\log(T/n), including the optimal full-horizon static rate. A change-of-measure lower bound identifies the noise power of this logarithm for learners retaining a full-horizon optimal guarantee, under explicit conditions. Static comparisons and deterministic partitions follow from the same decisions.

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