blog details
15 Dec
by Sekuen

ML technical: Logistic regression sensitive choice of solvers

In logistic regression, choosing the right solver can significantly impact training time, memory usage, and even model accuracy. Here's a breakdown of the differences between saga, sag, and lbfgs:

1. Algorithm:

  • SAGA (Stochastic Average Gradient Algorithm): An efficient variant of SAG that utilizes an unbiased estimate of the full gradient, improving convergence and allowing for L1 regularization.

  • SAG (Stochastic Average Gradient): Iteratively updates the model parameters by averaging mini-batch gradients, making it memory-efficient and suitable for large datasets.

  • LBFGS (Limited-memory Broyden-Fletcher-Goldfarb-Shanno): A quasi-Newton method that approximates the Hessian matrix, leading to faster convergence for small to medium datasets but requiring more memory.

2. Memory Usage:

  • SAGA and SAG: Both are memory-efficient, making them well-suited for large datasets.

  • LBFGS: Requires more memory due to storing past gradients, which can be a bottleneck for large datasets.

3. Convergence Speed:

  • LBFGS: Generally converges faster for small to medium datasets due to its Hessian approximation.

  • SAGA: Offers better theoretical convergence guarantees than SAG but may be slightly slower in practice.

  • SAG: Can be slower than LBFGS for small datasets but scales well with larger datasets.

4. Regularization:

  • SAGA: Supports both L1 and L2 regularization due to its unbiased gradient estimate.

  • SAG: Primarily supports L2 regularization, although some implementations offer L1 as well.

  • LBFGS: Generally supports both L1 and L2 regularization but may require additional configuration.

5. Use Cases:

  • SAGA and SAG: Ideal for large datasets with L1 or L2 regularization.

  • LBFGS: Preferred for small to medium datasets where faster convergence outweighs memory limitations.

Choosing the right solver depends on your specific needs and dataset size.

  • For large datasets with L1 or L2 regularization, SAGA or SAG are excellent choices.

  • For small to medium datasets where faster convergence is crucial, LBFGS might be a better option, provided memory limitations are not a concern.

Ultimately, experimenting with different solvers and evaluating their performance on your specific data can help you find the optimal choice for your logistic regression model.

References

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This summary was written with the help of Bard.

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