  We derive a second-order ordinary differential equation (ODE) which is the
limit of Nesterov's accelerated gradient method. This ODE exhibits approximate
equivalence to Nesterov's scheme and thus can serve as a tool for analysis. We
show that the continuous time ODE allows for a better understanding of
Nesterov's scheme. As a byproduct, we obtain a family of schemes with similar
convergence rates. The ODE interpretation also suggests restarting Nesterov's
scheme leading to an algorithm, which can be rigorously proven to converge at a
linear rate whenever the objective is strongly convex.
