arXiv subjects

Liam O'Carroll

Publications and source records attributed to Liam O'Carroll.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Fast, Parallel, Query-Efficient Binary Classification

We study the fundamental classification problem of computing a separating hyperplane for a binary-labeled dataset of size $n$ with normalized $d$-dimensional features. Letting $Φ\in \mathbb{R}^{n \times d}$ denote the feature matrix and $γ$ the margin of the maximum-margin separating hyperplane, we present a randomized algorithm that solves this problem in $\tilde{O}(γ^{-2/3}\, \operatorname{nnz}(Φ) + γ^{-2(ω+1)/3})$-sequential running time (work), $\tilde{O}(γ^{-2/3})$-parallel (computational) depth, and accesses $Φ$ only through $\tilde{O}(γ^{-2/3})$-matrix-vector queries (matvecs). We also present a second, faster randomized algorithm with a $\tilde{O}(γ^{-2/3}\, \operatorname{nnz}(Φ) + γ^{-2})$-sequential running time that uses $\tilde{O}(γ^{-2/3})$-matvecs to $Φ$, but achieves only $\tilde{O}(γ^{-4/3})$-parallel depth. Both algorithms match the near-optimal deterministic matvec complexity recently established by Kornowski and Shamir [2025], Karmarkar et al. [2026] and achieve improved sequential runtime and parallel depth, albeit at the expense of using randomness.

math.OC↗

arXiv2026

Solving Zero-Sum Games with Fewer Matrix-Vector Products

In this paper we consider the problem of computing an $ε$-approximate Nash Equilibrium of a zero-sum game in a payoff matrix $A \in \mathbb{R}^{m \times n}$ with $O(1)$-bounded entries given access to a matrix-vector product oracle for $A$ and its transpose $A^\top$. We provide a deterministic algorithm that solves the problem using $\tilde{O}(ε^{-8/9})$-oracle queries, where $\tilde{O}(\cdot)$ hides factors polylogarithmic in $m$, $n$, and $ε^{-1}$. Our result improves upon the state-of-the-art query complexity of $\tilde{O}(ε^{-1})$ established by [Nemirovski, 2004] and [Nesterov, 2005]. We obtain this result through a general framework that yields improved deterministic query complexities for solving a broader class of minimax optimization problems which includes computing a linear classifier (hard-margin support vector machine) as well as linear regression.

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arXiv2026

Solving Matrix Games with Near-Optimal Matvec Complexity

We study the problem of computing an $ε$-approximate Nash equilibrium of a two-player, bilinear game with a bounded payoff matrix $A \in \mathbb{R}^{m \times n}$, when the players' strategies are constrained to lie in simple sets. We provide algorithms which solve this problem in $\tilde{O}(ε^{-2/3})$ matrix-vector multiplies (matvecs) in two well-studied cases: $\ell_1$-$\ell_1$ (or zero-sum) games, where the players' strategies are both in the probability simplex, and $\ell_2$-$\ell_1$ games (encompassing hard-margin SVMs), where the players' strategies are in the unit Euclidean ball and probability simplex respectively. These results improve upon the previous state-of-the-art complexities of $\tilde{O}(ε^{-8/9})$ for $\ell_1$-$\ell_1$ and $\tilde{O}(ε^{-7/9})$ for $\ell_2$-$\ell_1$ due to [KOS '25]. In both settings our results are nearly-optimal as they match lower bounds of [KS '25] up to polylogarithmic factors.

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arXiv2025

Isotropic Noise in Stochastic and Quantum Convex Optimization

We consider the problem of minimizing a $d$-dimensional Lipschitz convex function using a stochastic gradient oracle. We introduce and motivate a setting where the noise of the stochastic gradient is isotropic in that it is bounded in every direction with high probability. We then develop an algorithm for this setting which improves upon prior results by a factor of $d$ in certain regimes, and as a corollary, achieves a new state-of-the-art complexity for sub-exponential noise. We give matching lower bounds (up to polylogarithmic factors) for both results. Additionally, we develop an efficient quantum isotropifier, a quantum algorithm which converts a variance-bounded quantum sampling oracle into one that outputs an unbiased estimate with isotropic error. Combining our results, we obtain improved dimension-dependent rates for quantum stochastic convex optimization.

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arXiv2024

Extracting Dual Solutions via Primal Optimizers

We provide a general method to convert a "primal" black-box algorithm for solving regularized convex-concave minimax optimization problems into an algorithm for solving the associated dual maximin optimization problem. Our method adds recursive regularization over a logarithmic number of rounds where each round consists of an approximate regularized primal optimization followed by the computation of a dual best response. We apply this result to obtain new state-of-the-art runtimes for solving matrix games in specific parameter regimes, obtain improved query complexity for solving the dual of the CVaR distributionally robust optimization (DRO) problem, and recover the optimal query complexity for finding a stationary point of a convex function.

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arXiv2022

The Burer-Monteiro SDP method can fail even above the Barvinok-Pataki bound

The most widely used technique for solving large-scale semidefinite programs (SDPs) in practice is the non-convex Burer-Monteiro method, which explicitly maintains a low-rank SDP solution for memory efficiency. There has been much recent interest in obtaining a better theoretical understanding of the Burer-Monteiro method. When the maximum allowed rank $p$ of the SDP solution is above the Barvinok-Pataki bound (where a globally optimal solution of rank at most $p$ is guaranteed to exist), a recent line of work established convergence to a global optimum for generic or smoothed instances of the problem. However, it was open whether there even exists an instance in this regime where the Burer-Monteiro method fails. We prove that the Burer-Monteiro method can fail for the Max-Cut SDP on $n$ vertices when the rank is above the Barvinok-Pataki bound ($p \ge \sqrt{2n}$). We provide a family of instances that have spurious local minima even when the rank $p = n/2$. Combined with existing guarantees, this settles the question of the existence of spurious local minima for the Max-Cut formulation in all ranges of the rank and justifies the use of beyond worst-case paradigms like smoothed analysis to obtain guarantees for the Burer-Monteiro method.

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arXiv2018

On the integral degree of integral ring extensions

Let $A\subset B$ be an integral ring extension of integral domains with fields of fractions $K$ and $L$, respectively. The integral degree of $A\subset B$, denoted by ${\rm d}_A(B)$, is defined as the supremum of the degrees of minimal integral equations of elements of $B$ over $A$. It is an invariant that lies in between ${\rm d}_K(L)$ and $μ_A(B)$, the minimal number of generators of the $A$-module $B$. Our purpose is to study this invariant. We prove that it is sub-multiplicative and upper-semicontinuous in the following three cases: if $A\subset B$ is simple; if $A\subset B$ is projective and finite and $K\subset L$ is a simple algebraic field extension; or if $A$ is integrally closed. Furthermore, ${\rm d}$ is semicontinuous if $A$ is noetherian of dimension $1$ and with finite integral closure. In general, however, ${\rm d}$ is neither sub-multiplicative nor upper-semicontinuous.

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arXiv2018

Minimal free resolutions of lattice ideals of digraphs

Based upon a previous work of Manjunath and Sturmfels for a finite, complete, undirected graph, and a refined algorithm by Eröcal, Motsak, Schreyer and Steenpaß for computing syzygies, we display a free resolution of the lattice ideal associated to a finite, strongly connected, weighted, directed graph. Moreover, the resolution is minimal precisely when the digraph is strongly complete.

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arXiv2014

Non-complete intersection prime ideals in dimension 3

We describe prime ideals of height 2 minimally generated by 3 elements in a Gorenstein, Nagata local ring of Krull dimension 3 and multiplicity at most 3. This subject is related to a conjecture of Y. Shimoda and to a long-standing problem of J. Sally.

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arXiv2014

Degree and algebraic properties of lattice and matrix ideals

We study the degree of non-homogeneous lattice ideals over arbitrary fields, and give formulae to compute the degree in terms of the torsion of certain factor groups of Z^s and in terms of relative volumes of lattice polytopes. We also study primary decompositions of lattice ideals over an arbitrary field using the Eisenbud-Sturmfels theory of binomial ideals over algebraically closed fields. We then use these results to study certain families of integer matrices (PCB, GPCB, CB, GCB matrices) and the algebra of their corresponding matrix ideals. In particular, the family of generalized positive critical binomial matrices (GPCB matrices) is shown to be closed under transposition, and previous results for PCB ideals are extended to GPCB ideals. Then, more particularly, we give some applications to the theory of 1-dimensional binomial ideals. If G is a connected graph, we show as a further application that the order of its sandpile group is the degree of the Laplacian ideal and the degree of the toppling ideal. We also use our earlier results to give a structure theorem for graded lattice ideals of dimension 1 in 3 variables and for homogeneous lattices in Z^3 in terms of critical binomial ideals (CB ideals) and critical binomial matrices, respectively, thus complementing a well-known theorem of Herzog on the toric ideal of a monomial space curve.

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arXiv2012

J. Sally's question and a conjecture of Y. Shimoda

In 2007, Y. Shimoda, in connection with a long-standing question of J. Sally, asked whether a Noetherian local ring, such that all its prime ideals different from the maximal ideal are complete intersections, has Krull dimension at most two. In this paper, having reduced the conjecture to the case of dimension three, if the ring is regular and local of dimension three, we explicitly describe a family of prime ideals of height two minimally generated by three elements. Weakening the hypothesis of regularity, we find that, to achieve the same end, we need to add extra hypotheses, such as completeness, infiniteness of the residue field and the multiplicity of the ring being at most three. In the second part of the paper we turn our attention to the category of standard graded algebras. A geometrical approach via a double use of a Bertini Theorem, together with a result of A. Simis, B. Ulrich and W.V. Vasconcelos, allows us to obtain a definitive answer in this setting. Finally, by adapting work of M. Miller on prime Bourbaki ideals in local rings, we detail some more technical results concerning the existence in standard graded algebras of homogeneous prime ideals with an "excessive" number of generators.

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arXiv2012

The primary components of positive critical binomial ideals

A natural candidate for a generating set of the (necessarily prime) defining ideal of an $n$-dimensional monomial curve, when the ideal is an almost complete intersection, is a full set of $n$ critical binomials. In a somewhat modified and more tractable context, we prove that, when the exponents are all positive, critical binomial ideals in our sense are not even unmixed for $n\geq 4$, whereas for $n\leq 3$ they are unmixed. We further give a complete description of their isolated primary components as the defining ideals of monomial curves with coefficients. This answers an open question on the number of primary components of Herzog-Northcott ideals, which comprise the case $n=3$. Moreover, we find an explicit, concrete description of the irredundant embedded component (for $n\geq 4$) and characterize when the hull of the ideal, i.e., the intersection of its isolated primary components, is prime. Note that these last results are independent of the characteristic of the ground field. Our techniques involve the Eisenbud-Sturmfels theory of binomial ideals and Laurent polynomial rings, together with theory of Smith Normal Form and of Fitting ideals. This gives a more transparent and completely general approach, replacing the theory of multiplicities used previously to treat the particular case $n=3$.

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arXiv2010

Ideals of Herzog-Northcott type

This paper takes a new look at ideals generated by 2x2 minors of 2x3 matrices whose entries are powers of three elements not necessarily forming a regular sequence. A special case of this are the ideals determining monomial curves in three dimensional space, which were already studied by Herzog. In the broader context studied here, these ideals are identified as Northcott ideals in the sense of Vasconcelos, and so their liaison properties are displayed. It is shown that they are set-theoretically complete intersections, revisiting the work of Bresinsky and of Valla. Even when the three elements are taken to be variables in a polynomial ring in three variables over a field, this point of view gives a larger class of ideals than just the defining ideals of monomial curves. We then characterize when the ideals in this larger class are prime, we show that they are usually radical and, using the theory of multiplicities, we give upper bounds on the number of their minimal prime ideals, one of these primes being a uniquely determined prime ideal of definition of a monomial curve. Finally, we provide examples of characteristic-dependent minimal prime and primary structures for these ideals.

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