DEPAUL STEM RESEARCH SHOWCASE · ENES DEMIRELFACULTY SPONSOR DR. ENRICO AU-YEUNG

CONVEX UNTILPROVEN GUILTY

Pick a landscape, press Run, and watch optimization balls race downhill while monitoring whether the surface is a true bowl or a hidden hill.

Stretched bowl: why acceleration matters

Plain gradient descent zig-zags across the steep canyon walls.

Nesterov momentum builds speed along the valley floor and finishes up to 27× faster.

RACE LEDGER (HUD)START (1.00, 1.00) · L = 100
METHODSTEPS|SLOPE|STATUS
GRADIENT DESCENT
0100.0AT REST
HEAVY-BALL MOMENTUM
0100.0AT REST
NESTEROV AGD
0100.0AT REST
SPEED
VIEW
STRETCH κ = L/σ