Gradient Golf

This is an illustrative two-dimensional loss surface. You do not aim the ball: the local slope chooses the direction, while you choose how the optimizer moves downhill. Each stroke is a fresh run from rest, six deterministic updates long, and momentum and Adam state reset between strokes. Predict, observe, revise.

Scroll to see all 3 steps ↓

1. Step 1

   Read the terrain

   Dark green is lower loss; pale ground is higher loss. The flag marks the cup region near a low basin. The blue arrow always shows the descent direction from where the ball sits.

2. SGDMOMADAMSHORTMEDIUMLONG

   Step 2

   Choose your stroke

   SGD uses the current slope, Momentum carries direction within a stroke, and Adam rescales each axis. Short, medium, and long rates trade control for travel. These 3x3 choices are a small teaching palette, not a claim that real training has only nine settings. No choice is best everywhere.

3. Par 2

   Step 3

   Mind the hazards

   A long step can leave the surface; that stroke still counts. Scored holes end after 8 strokes. Scoring: match the course's verified best stroke count for 100 points, hole at par for 90 or better, one over par scores 75, and each extra stroke costs 10 more. 90+ earns three stars, 70+ earns two. The first hole is guided practice.