An Approximation-Based Regularized Extra-Gradient Method for Monotone Variational Inequalities

Abstract: In this paper, we propose a general extra-gradient scheme for solving monotone variational inequalities (VI), referred to here as Approximation-based Regularized Extra-gradient method (ARE). The first step of ARE solves a VI subproblem with an approximation operator satisfying a $p^{th}$-order Lipschitz bound with respect to the original mapping, further coupled with the gradient of a $(p+1)^{th}$-order regularization. The optimal global convergence is guaranteed by including an additional extra-gradient step, while a $p^{th}$-order superlinear local convergence is shown to hold if the VI is strongly monotone. The proposed ARE is inclusive and general, in the sense that a variety of solution methods can be formulated within this framework as different manifestations of approximations, and their iteration complexities would follow through in a unified fashion. The ARE framework relates to the first-order methods, while opening up possibilities to developing higher-order methods specifically for structured problems that guarantee the optimal iteration complexity bounds.