Dimension-Free Bounds for Generalized First-Order Methods via Gaussian Coupling

Abstract: We establish non-asymptotic bounds on the finite-sample behavior of generalized first-order iterative algorithms -- including gradient-based optimization methods and approximate message passing (AMP) -- with Gaussian data matrices and full-memory, non-separable nonlinearities. The central result constructs an explicit coupling between the iterates of a generalized first-order method and a conditionally Gaussian process whose covariance evolves deterministically via a finite-dimensional state evolution recursion. This coupling yields tight, dimension-free bounds under mild Lipschitz and moment-matching conditions. Our analysis departs from classical inductive AMP proofs by employing a direct comparison between the generalized first-order method and the conditionally Gaussian comparison process. This approach provides a unified derivation of AMP theory for Gaussian matrices without relying on separability or asymptotics. A complementary lower bound on the Wasserstein distance demonstrates the sharpness of our upper bounds.