GLASD: A Loss-Function-Agnostic Global Optimizer for Robust Correlation Estimation under Data Contamination and Heavy TailsPriyam Dashttps://arxiv.org/abs/2506.14801
GLASD: A Loss-Function-Agnostic Global Optimizer for Robust Correlation Estimation under Data Contamination and Heavy TailsRobust correlation estimation is essential in high-dimensional settings, particularly when data are contaminated by outliers or exhibit heavy-tailed behavior. Many robust loss functions of practical interest-such as those involving truncation or redescending M-estimators-lead to objective functions that are inherently non-convex and non-differentiable. Traditional methods typically focus on a single loss function tailored to a specific contamination model and develop custom algorithms tightly c…