mathematics · convex optimization

Zeroth-order convex-optimization lower bound

Closing a lower-bound gap for zeroth-order convex optimization, including a stronger refinement and formal verification.

The result was new and formally checked by the author at the archive cutoff but had not yet completed peer review.

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Jul 15, 2026 · caseGPT-5.6 closes a zeroth-order convex-optimization gap

A 148-minute run using a CDC-style prompt produced the main quadratic lower-bound argument; Phillip Kerger checked and formally verified it, then obtained a stronger refinement in a later chat.

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