Learning to take a smaller step

Can your own update schedule reach a low loss?

Make your own investigation

Specify a learning-rate schedule and compare repeated updates from two starting points.

For each rate, update w ← w − rate × 2(w−target). Retain every step and loss.

Case cards

Cut these cards apart. Use the original example first, then let a partner supply a changed case. Keep sealed/final cards with the teacher until the learner commits a rule.

Case 1

Start: -2

Learning rate schedule: 0.1,0.1,0.1,0.1

My prediction and reason:

Case 2

Start: 0

Learning rate schedule: 1.1,1.1,1.1,1.1

My prediction and reason:

Case 3

Start: 8

Learning rate schedule: 0.5,0.2,0.1

My prediction and reason:

What this cannot establish

This convex quadratic is a controlled teaching case, not a neural training benchmark.