LineSearchNocedalWright.h

// Copyright (C) 2016-2026 Yixuan Qiu <yixuan.qiu@cos.name>
// Copyright (C) 2016-2026 Dirk Toewe <DirkToewe@GoogleMail.com>
// Under MIT license
 
#ifndef LBFGSPP_LINE_SEARCH_NOCEDAL_WRIGHT_H
#define LBFGSPP_LINE_SEARCH_NOCEDAL_WRIGHT_H
 
#include <Eigen/Core>
#include <stdexcept>
#include "Param.h"
 
namespace LBFGSpp {

template <typename Scalar>
class LineSearchNocedalWright
{
private:
    using Vector = Eigen::Matrix<Scalar, Eigen::Dynamic, 1>;
 
    // Use {fx_lo, fx_hi, dg_lo} to make a quadratic interpolation of
    // the function, and the fitted quadratic function is used to
    // estimate the minimum
    static Scalar quad_interp(const Scalar& step_lo, const Scalar& step_hi,
        const Scalar& fx_lo, const Scalar& fx_hi, const Scalar& dg_lo)
    {
        using std::abs;
 
        // polynomial: p (x) = c0*(x - step)² + c1
        // conditions: p (step_hi) = fx_hi
        //             p (step_lo) = fx_lo
        //             p'(step_lo) = dg_lo
 
        // We allow fx_hi to be Inf, so first compute a candidate for step size,
        // and test whether NaN occurs
        const Scalar fdiff = fx_hi - fx_lo;
        const Scalar sdiff = step_hi - step_lo;
        const Scalar smid = (step_hi + step_lo) / Scalar(2);
        Scalar step_candid = fdiff * step_lo - smid * sdiff * dg_lo;
        step_candid = step_candid / (fdiff - sdiff * dg_lo);
 
        // In some cases the interpolation is not a good choice
        // This includes (a) NaN values; (b) too close to the end points; (c) outside the interval
        // In such cases, a bisection search is used
        const bool candid_nan = !(std::isfinite(step_candid));
        const Scalar end_dist = std::min(abs(step_candid - step_lo), abs(step_candid - step_hi));
        const bool near_end = end_dist < Scalar(0.01) * abs(sdiff);
        const bool bisect = candid_nan ||
            (step_candid <= std::min(step_lo, step_hi)) ||
            (step_candid >= std::max(step_lo, step_hi)) ||
            near_end;
        const Scalar step = bisect ? smid : step_candid;
        return step;
    }
 
public:
    template <typename Foo>
    static void LineSearch(Foo& f, const LBFGSParam<Scalar>& param,
                           const Vector& xp, const Vector& drt, const Scalar& step_max,
                           Scalar& step, Scalar& fx, Vector& grad, Scalar& dg, Vector& x)
    {
        using std::abs;
 
        // Check the value of step
        if (step <= Scalar(0))
            throw std::invalid_argument("'step' must be positive");
 
        if (param.linesearch != LBFGS_LINESEARCH_BACKTRACKING_STRONG_WOLFE)
            throw std::invalid_argument("'param.linesearch' must be 'LBFGS_LINESEARCH_BACKTRACKING_STRONG_WOLFE' for LineSearchNocedalWright");
 
        // To make this implementation more similar to the other line search
        // methods in LBFGSpp, the symbol names from the literature
        // ("Numerical Optimizations") have been changed.
        //
        // Literature | LBFGSpp
        // -----------|--------
        // alpha      | step
        // phi        | fx
        // phi'       | dg
 
        // The expansion rate of the step size
        const Scalar expansion = Scalar(2);
 
        // Save the function value at the current x
        const Scalar fx_init = fx;
        // Projection of gradient on the search direction
        const Scalar dg_init = dg;
        // Make sure d points to a descent direction
        if (dg_init > Scalar(0))
            throw std::logic_error("the moving direction increases the objective function value");
 
        const Scalar test_decr = param.ftol * dg_init,  // Sufficient decrease
            test_curv = -param.wolfe * dg_init;         // Curvature
 
        // Ends of the line search range (step_lo > step_hi is allowed)
        // We can also define dg_hi, but it will never be used
        Scalar step_hi, fx_hi;
        Scalar step_lo = Scalar(0), fx_lo = fx_init, dg_lo = dg_init;
        // We also need to save x and grad for step=step_lo, since we want to return the best
        // step size along the path when strong Wolfe condition is not met
        Vector x_lo = xp, grad_lo = grad;
 
        // STEP 1: Bracketing Phase
        //   Find a range guaranteed to contain a step satisfying strong Wolfe.
        //   The bracketing phase exits if one of the following conditions is satisfied:
        //   (1) Current step violates the sufficient decrease condition
        //   (2) Current fx >= previous fx
        //   (3) Current dg >= 0
        //   (4) Strong Wolfe condition is met
        //
        //   (4) terminates the whole line search, and (1)-(3) go to the zoom phase
        //
        //   See also:
        //     "Numerical Optimization", "Algorithm 3.5 (Line Search Algorithm)".
        int iter = 0;
        for (;;)
        {
            // Evaluate the current step size
            x.noalias() = xp + step * drt;
            fx = f(x, grad);
            dg = grad.dot(drt);
 
            // Test the sufficient decrease condition
            if (fx - fx_init > step * test_decr || (Scalar(0) < step_lo && fx >= fx_lo))
            {
                // Case (1) and (2)
                step_hi = step;
                fx_hi = fx;
                // dg_hi = dg;
                break;
            }
            // If reaching here, then the sufficient decrease condition is satisfied
 
            // Test the curvature condition
            if (abs(dg) <= test_curv)
                return;  // Case (4)
 
            step_hi = step_lo;
            fx_hi = fx_lo;
            // dg_hi = dg_lo;
            step_lo = step;
            fx_lo = fx;
            dg_lo = dg;
            // Move x and grad to x_lo and grad_lo, respectively
            x_lo.swap(x);
            grad_lo.swap(grad);
 
            if (dg >= Scalar(0))
                break;  // Case (3)
 
            iter++;
            // If we have used up all line search iterations in the bracketing phase,
            // it means every new step decreases the objective function. Of course,
            // the strong Wolfe condition is not met, but we choose not to raise an
            // exception; instead, we return the best step size so far. This means that
            // we exit the line search with the most recent step size, which has the
            // smallest objective function value during the line search
            if (iter >= param.max_linesearch)
            {
                // throw std::runtime_error("the line search routine reached the maximum number of iterations");
 
                // At this point we can guarantee that {step, fx, dg}=={step, fx, dg}_lo
                // But we need to move {x, grad}_lo back before returning
                x.swap(x_lo);
                grad.swap(grad_lo);
                return;
            }
 
            // If we still stay in the loop, it means we can expand the current step
            step *= expansion;
        }
 
        // STEP 2: Zoom Phase
        //   Given a range (step_lo,step_hi) that is guaranteed to
        //   contain a valid strong Wolfe step value, this method
        //   finds such a value.
        //
        //   If step_lo > 0, then step_lo is, among all step sizes generated so far and
        //   satisfying the sufficient decrease condition, the one giving the smallest
        //   objective function value.
        //
        //   See also:
        //     "Numerical Optimization", "Algorithm 3.6 (Zoom)".
        for (;;)
        {
            // Use {fx_lo, fx_hi, dg_lo} to make a quadratic interpolation of
            // the function, and the fitted quadratic function is used to
            // estimate the minimum
            step = quad_interp(step_lo, step_hi, fx_lo, fx_hi, dg_lo);
 
            // Evaluate the current step size
            x.noalias() = xp + step * drt;
            fx = f(x, grad);
            dg = grad.dot(drt);
 
            // Test the sufficient decrease condition
            if (fx - fx_init > step * test_decr || fx >= fx_lo)
            {
                if (step == step_hi)
                    throw std::runtime_error("the line search routine failed, possibly due to insufficient numeric precision");
 
                step_hi = step;
                fx_hi = fx;
                // dg_hi = dg;
            }
            else
            {
                // Test the curvature condition
                if (abs(dg) <= test_curv)
                    return;
 
                if (dg * (step_hi - step_lo) >= Scalar(0))
                {
                    step_hi = step_lo;
                    fx_hi = fx_lo;
                    // dg_hi = dg_lo;
                }
 
                if (step == step_lo)
                    throw std::runtime_error("the line search routine failed, possibly due to insufficient numeric precision");
 
                // If reaching here, then the current step satisfies sufficient decrease condition
                step_lo = step;
                fx_lo = fx;
                dg_lo = dg;
                // Move x and grad to x_lo and grad_lo, respectively
                x_lo.swap(x);
                grad_lo.swap(grad);
            }
 
            iter++;
            // If we have used up all line search iterations in the zoom phase,
            // then the strong Wolfe condition is not met. We choose not to raise an
            // exception (unless no step satisfying sufficient decrease is found),
            // but to return the best step size so far, i.e., step_lo
            if (iter >= param.max_linesearch)
            {
                // throw std::runtime_error("the line search routine reached the maximum number of iterations");
                if (step_lo <= Scalar(0))
                    throw std::runtime_error("the line search routine failed, unable to sufficiently decrease the function value");
 
                // Return everything with _lo
                step = step_lo;
                fx = fx_lo;
                dg = dg_lo;
                // Move {x, grad}_lo back
                x.swap(x_lo);
                grad.swap(grad_lo);
                return;
            }
        }
    }
};
 
}  // namespace LBFGSpp
 
#endif  // LBFGSPP_LINE_SEARCH_NOCEDAL_WRIGHT_H