"""Generate paper-116-gradient-decay.png in the current working directory. Tested with Python 3.14.4, NumPy 2.3.5 and Matplotlib 3.10.7, using the repository's existing pyproject.toml dependencies. No repository writes. """ from pathlib import Path import matplotlib matplotlib.use("Agg") import matplotlib.pyplot as plt import numpy as np def main(): t = np.linspace(0, 6, 500) fig, ax = plt.subplots(figsize=(7.8, 4), dpi=100, facecolor="white") ax.set_facecolor("white") ax.semilogy(t, np.exp(-2*t), color="#1765a1", linewidth=2.3, label=r"Morse minimum: $f(x)=x^2$, $x(t)=e^{-2t}$") ax.semilogy(t, (1+8*t)**(-0.5), color="#c26418", linewidth=2.3, label=r"Degenerate minimum: $f(x)=x^4$, $x(t)=(1+8t)^{-1/2}$") ax.set(xlabel="Time t", ylabel="Distance from the minimum (log scale)", title="A degenerate minimum can slow gradient convergence", xlim=(0, 6), ylim=(4e-6, 1.6)) ax.legend(loc="lower left", fontsize=9, framealpha=1) ax.grid(True, which="major", color="#d9d9d9", linewidth=0.7) fig.tight_layout() fig.savefig(Path("paper-116-gradient-decay.png"), dpi=100, facecolor="white", transparent=False) plt.close(fig) if __name__ == "__main__": main()