# Chain rule for subdifferential

I have two functions $g(x)$ and $h(z)$ where $h:\mathbb R^n\to \mathbb R$ and $g: \mathbb R\to \mathbb R$. Both are convex, neither are smooth. How can I apply the chain rule to find $\partial (g\circ h)$? (in terms of $\partial g$ and $\partial h$).

What I have so far: the definition for subdifferential (that's all) $$\partial(g\circ h)(x) = \{ z : g(h(y)) \geq g(h(x)) + z^T(y-x), \forall y\}$$

If in fact $h$ was smooth, we do have this result: $$\partial(g\circ h)(x) = \nabla h(x)^T \partial g(h(x))$$

My guess is that the answer will be something like $\partial(g\circ h)(x)=S$ where $$S = \{b \cdot a: a\in \partial h(x), b\in \partial g(h(x))\}$$ though I'm not sure...

Also does the problem become easier if I restrict the domain of $g$ to nonnegative scalars and claim that $g$ is monotonic?

Edit: Ok one of the special cases I am thinking of is that $h$ is a norm, and is nonsmooth only at 0, with $h(0)=0$. So, we only need to consider $\partial(g\circ h)(0)$; the rest follows the chain rule for smooth $h$. If, in addition, $g$ is monotonic, then $$a\in \partial h(0) \iff a^Ty \leq h(y) \forall y.$$ $$b\in \partial g(0) \Rightarrow b(a^Ty) \leq g(a^Ty) \leq g(h(y))$$ which gives $S \subseteq \partial (g\circ h)$.

The general case is still open!

• Assuming ${\rm dom}(g) \subseteq [0,+\infty[$ seems to help. Fix $x_0 \in \Bbb R^n$. If $t \in \partial g(h(x_0))$ and $v \in \partial h(x_0)$, then $t\geq 0$ and $tv \in \partial(g\circ h)(x_0)$: $$\langle tv, x-x_0\rangle = t\langle v,x-x_0\rangle \leq t(h(x_0)-h(x)) \leq g(h(x)) - g(h(x_0)).$$this way, $\partial g(h(x_0)) \cdot \partial h(x_0) \subseteq \partial (g\circ h)(x_0)$. I'm not sure about the converse. I have never studied this properly, so this'll stay just a comment. – Ivo Terek Nov 22 '17 at 0:55
• Niiice. I got stuck because your last step, I tried to use monotonicity which doesn't carry over with subtraction, but of course if $t\in \partial g$ then it doesn't matter! Thanks! – Y. S. Nov 22 '17 at 1:00

Let $f\colon H\to\mathbb{R}$ be continuous and convex, and let $\phi$ be lower semicontinuous, convex, and increasing on the range of $f$. Suppose that (the relative interior of the range of $f$ + the positive reals) intersected with the relative interior of the domain of $\phi$ is nonempty. Let $\bar{x}$ be in $H$ such that $f(\bar{x})$ is in the domain of $\phi$. Then $$\partial (\phi\circ f)(\bar{x}) = \left\{ \alpha u \mid| (\alpha,u)\in\partial\phi(f(\bar{x}))\times\partial f(\bar{x})\right\}.$$
• thanks for the pointer! This is actually a pretty general condition, and definitely seems to encapsulate the monotonic and positive domain $\phi$ case. Very nice, thanks! – Y. S. Nov 26 '17 at 17:53