Dictionary entry
gradient descent
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Definition of gradient descent
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: an optimization method that improves a model step by step by moving its parameters a little in whichever direction reduces the error the most
- Picture gradient descent as walking downhill in fog, one careful step at a time.
- The learning rate controls how big each step of gradient descent is.
Origin & history
first known use1847
Described by the French mathematician Augustin-Louis Cauchy in 1847, long before computers.
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Cite this entry
"Gradient descent." AI Dictionary, Dadgogo, https://dadgogo.com/dictionary/gradient-descent/. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.
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