# Block-coordinate and incremental aggregated proximal gradient methods for nonsmooth nonconvex problems

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/1906.10053 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/1906.10053/

## Key facts

- Cited by 5 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 24 Jun 2019.

## Built on by (most cited first, 5 of 5)

- [Adaptive proximal algorithms for convex optimization under local Lipschitz continuity of the gradient](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2301.04431/) (2023)
- [Randomized Block-Coordinate Optimistic Gradient Algorithms for Root-Finding Problems](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2301.03113/) (2023)
- [A Normal Map-Based Proximal Stochastic Gradient Method: Convergence and Identification Properties](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2305.05828/) (2023)
- [SPIRAL: A superlinearly convergent incremental proximal algorithm for nonconvex finite sum minimization](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2207.08195/) (2022)
- [An Asynchronous Decentralised Optimisation Algorithm for Nonconvex Problems](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2507.22311/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

This paper analyzes block-coordinate proximal gradient methods for minimizing the sum of a separable smooth function and a (nonseparable) nonsmooth function, both of which are allowed to be nonconvex. The main tool in our analysis is the forward-backward envelope (FBE), which serves as a particularly suitable continuous and real-valued Lyapunov function. Global and linear convergence results are established when the cost function satisfies the Kurdyka-L ojasiewicz property without imposing convexity requirements on the smooth function. Two prominent special cases of the investigated setting are regularized finite sum minimization and the sharing problem; in particular, an immediate byproduct of our analysis leads to novel convergence results and rates for the popular Finito/MISO algorithm in the nonsmooth and nonconvex setting with very general sampling strategies. This paper analyzes block-coordinate proximal gradient methods for minimizing the sum of a separable smooth function and a (nonseparable) nonsmooth function, both of which are allowed to be nonconvex. The main tool in our analysis is the forward-backward envelope (FBE), which serves as a particularly suitable continuous and real-valued Lyapunov function. Global and linear convergence results are established when the cost function satisfies the Kurdyka-L ojasiewicz property without imposing convexity requirements on the smooth function. Two prominent special cases of the investigated setting are regularized finite sum minimization and the sharing problem; in particular, an immediate byproduct of our analysis leads to novel convergence results and rates for the popular Finito/MISO algorithm in the nonsmooth and nonconvex setting with very general sampling strategies.