Trace'ing Gradient in FindMinimum
- To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
- Subject: [mg87384] Trace'ing Gradient in FindMinimum
- From: Art <grenander at gmail.com>
- Date: Wed, 9 Apr 2008 05:54:56 -0400 (EDT)
Can I track Gradient computations in FindMinimum using Trace? Here, tr
is empty though df is evaluated several times:
f[x_List] := (x.x - 10)^2
df[x : {__?NumericQ}] := 4 (x.x - 10) x
init = RandomReal[1, {1000}];
tr =
Trace[
FindMinimum[f[x], {x, init}, Gradient -> df[x]],
df[x_] -> Norm[x]
]
But Tracing the evaluation of f[] is possible and yields the same as
EvaluationMonitor:
ev = {};
tr =
ReleaseHold /@
Flatten@Trace[
FindMinimum[f[x], {x, init}, Gradient -> df[x],
EvaluationMonitor :> AppendTo[ev, Norm[x]] ],
f[x_] -> Norm[x]];
Here, tr == ev.
It looks like FindMinimum eats the function df and doesn't ever
explicitly call it, but it doesn't eat f.
I am trying to resolve an error where FindMinimum immediately
complains my Gradient doesn't evaluate to a vector of reals for init
and returns. Placing a Print inside df shows that FindMinimum does
actually call df with init and when I separately evaluate df[init],
there is no problem. I know I am doing something wrong so I was hoping
to figure it out with Trace on df. I would also like to learn to use
Trace.
Second question: Is there a way to specify that FindMinimum should not
try to find symbolic derivatives and such for it's arguments other
than using patterns like x:{__?NumericQ}, which probably take time to
compute. It would be nice for something like f[x_ /;
And@@(MatrixQ[#,NumericQ]&/@x)] not to be evaluated each iteration. Is
there a global $TrustUserUnconditionally = True option?
Thanks for any suggestions.