Paper presents a Bayesian-decision-theory framework for long-tailed classification.
problem Heavy imbalance and asymmetric misprediction costs in long-tailed datasets.
method Bayesian-decision-theory perspective, unifying re-balancing and ensemble methods.
result Improves accuracy for all classes, especially tails, with provably optimal decisions.
In this fact sheet we give some preliminary research results on the Bayesian Decision Theory. This theory has been under construction for the past two years. But what started as an intuitive enough idea, now seems to have the makings of something more fundamental.
The study analyzes when Bayesian averaging over decision trees is reliable.
problem When do Bayesian model averaging weights over decision trees provide reliable information?
method Closed-form solution for Bayesian decision trees with Catalan-exponential priors.
result Established a complete non-asymptotic theory of rational commitment thresholds.
Bayesian principles improve agentic AI decision-making.
problem Decision-making under uncertainty in agentic AI systems.
method Bayesian decision theory applied to the orchestration layer of agentic AI.
result Bayesian principles enhance agentic AI's ability to make decisions under uncertainty.
Bayesian approach to selecting data for machine learning.
problem Iterative data selection in machine learning algorithms.
method Embedding data selection into decision theory and deriving Bayes-optimal criteria.
result Mitigates confirmation bias in data selection.
The paper corrects Bayesian neural network approximations to improve decision quality.
problem Inaccurate posterior approximations in Bayesian neural networks lead to suboptimal decisions.
method Develops methods to calibrate approximate posterior predictive distributions for better decision making.
result Empirically produces higher quality decisions compared to previous methods.
Unified framework for DRO and DTA using Bayesian nonparametrics.
problem Combining DRO and DTA under ambiguity.
method Unified framework using DP and HDPs, with outlier robustness.
result Favorable performance in prediction accuracy and stability.
Active inference minimizes expected free energy for optimal behavior.
problem Understanding and optimizing behavior in complex systems.
method Combines Bayesian decision theory, optimal Bayesian design, and the free energy principle.
result Active inference emerges as a unified framework for information-seeking, utility maximization, and goal-directed behavior.
Bayesian decision theory outlines a rigorous framework for making optimal decisions based on maximizing expected utility over a model posterior. However, practitioners often do not have access to the full posterior and resort to approximate inference strategies. In such cases, taking the eventual decision-making task i…
A new method improves active learning for large batch sizes.
problem Challenges in scaling Bayesian active learning to large batch sizes.
method Derives Partial Batch Label Sampling (ParBaLS) for EPIG algorithm.
result ParBaLS EPIG outperforms top-B selection and BatchBALD. This paper solves the open problem of computing Bayes optimal prediction for decision trees using a Markov chain Monte Carlo method.
problem Computing the Bayes optimal prediction for decision trees is infeasible due to an infeasible summation over all division patterns of a feature space.
method Solved the open problem using a Markov chain Monte Carlo method with adaptively tuned step size.
result Computed the Bayes optimal prediction for decision trees using a Markov chain Monte Carlo method.
Recent decades have seen an interest in prediction problems for which Bayesian methodology has been used ubiquitously. Sampling from or approximating the posterior predictive distribution in a Bayesian model allows one to make inferential statements about potentially observable random quantities given observed data. Th…
Bayesian model improves categorization of explosions from sparse data.
problem Challenges in categorizing explosions from limited data.
method Bayesian update to Event Categorization Matrix model with Bayesian Decision Theory.
result Consistent gains in overall accuracy and lower false negative rates.
Bayesian neural networks are shown to be minimax and admissible under certain conditions.
problem Optimality of Bayesian neural networks in deep learning models.
method Analysis of decision rules induced by BNNs in the normal location model under quadratic loss.
result A hyperprior on the effective output variance yields a minimax and admissible decision rule.
Bayesian approach for learning from synthetic data, improving model accuracy.
problem Lack of statistical properties and robust methods for learning from synthetic data.
method Bayesian paradigm to update model parameters considering synthetic data generating process and learning task.
result Novel approach outperforms standard methods in supervised learning and inference problems.
We define the information threshold in Bayesian decision-making.
problem Understanding the optimal amount of information for reliable classification.
method Defining the information threshold as the point of maximum curvature in the prior vs. posterior curve.
result At the information threshold, additional evidence does not significantly improve posterior probability.
Aims to improve personalized treatment decisions through Bayesian experimental design.
problem Evaluating and improving personalized treatment decisions in contexts like customer service.
method Model-agnostic Bayesian Experimental Design to efficiently gather data and avoid highly sub-optimal treatments.
result Our method achieves superior performance in evaluating and improving treatment decisions compared to traditional approaches.
New decision-theoretic characterization separates belief and decision posteriors.
problem Understanding the conditions under which loss-based updating coincides with Bayesian updating.
method Decision-theoretic approach to distinguish belief and decision posteriors.
result Generalized Bayes coincides with ordinary Bayesian updating only if the loss is proportional to negative log-likelihood.
This paper generalizes BO uncertainty measures using decision-theoretic entropies.
problem Efficiently inferring optima of expensive black-box functions.
method Introduces a generalized entropy measure from statistical decision theory to optimize Bayesian optimization.
result Demonstrates strong empirical performance across various sequential decision-making tasks.
Develops a framework for quantifying agentic AI model risk using LLM-inferred Bayesian state filters.
problem Quantifying the risk of agentic AI systems due to uncertain beliefs and actions.
method Representing the system as a partially observed Markov decision process with latent states, Bayesian belief updates, control-dependent losses, and tail-risk functionals.
result Develops a rigorous framework for separating uncertainty quantification from risk measurement.
This work explores how XAI methods can visualize the diversity of feature representations in Bayesian Neural Networks.
problem Explaining the diversity of feature representations learned by Bayesian Neural Networks.
method Application of global XAI methods to visualize and quantify the diversity of feature representations.
result The diversity of learned feature representations correlates with uncertainty estimates and network width.
Develops BPDS for better financial portfolio decisions.
problem Model uncertainty in financial time series forecasting.
method Bayesian dynamic modelling and predictive decision synthesis.
result Improved predictive and decision outcomes compared to traditional Bayesian analysis.
Novel framework for reliable long-tailed classification.
problem Challenges of long-tailed imbalance and specific error risks.
method Bayesian Decision Theory and variational optimization.
result Demonstrates reliability and flexibility in diverse tasks.
Safe Bayesian optimization method using information theory.
problem Optimizing unknown functions while respecting safety constraints.
method Information-theoretic exploration criterion for continuous domains.
result The method learns the value of the safe optimum up to arbitrary precision.
Optimizes active learning for machine learning models with Bayesian approach.
problem Efficiently allocate labeling resources to train machine learning models.
method Directly optimizes misclassification error using a Bayesian approach with conjugate prior.
result Superior performance compared to state-of-the-art selection strategies.
This paper studies uncertainty quantification in deep spatiotemporal forecasting.
problem Uncertainty quantification in deep spatiotemporal forecasting models.
method Analysis of UQ methods from Bayesian and frequentist perspectives, including statistical decision theory.
result Different UQ methods have different strengths and weaknesses, with Bayesian methods being more robust in mean prediction and frequentist methods providing more extensive coverage.
Efficient Bayesian decision-making with intractable likelihoods.
problem Bayesian decision-making under intractable likelihoods.
method Learning surrogate models and using simulation-based inference and Bayesian optimization.
result Optimal actions can be learned with fewer simulations than posterior inference.
Unified framework for Bayesian and Frequentist statistics.
problem Embedding Bayesian statistics within a broader decision-making framework.
method Game theory and statistical analysis.
result Statistical games unify Bayesian and Frequentist statistics.
Paper introduces exact credible sets for classification problems.
problem No general way to construct exact credible sets for classification.
method Generalized credible set with connection to Neyman--Pearson lemma and randomized decision rule.
result Achieves any preassigned credible level for classification problems.
New algorithms for fast online decision making using neural networks and martingale posteriors.
problem Online sequential decision making under uncertainty.
method Martingale posterior neural networks for fast online learning and decision making.
result Achieves competitive performance-speed trade-offs in non-stationary contextual bandits and Bayesian optimization.
Pseudo-label selection affects semi-supervised learning performance.
problem Selection of pseudo-labeled data impacts semi-supervised learning's generalization performance.
method Embedding pseudo-label selection into decision theory, deriving a novel selection criterion based on posterior predictive.
result BPLS (Bayesian pseudo-label selection) outperforms traditional methods in overfitting-prone data.
MAXENT method outperforms ML in sparse data with specific prior correlations.
problem Evaluating MAXENT method's validity limits and comparing it with ML.
method Bayesian decision theory, Dirichlet density, KL distance, regularized maximum likelihood.
result MAXENT can outperform ML in sparse data with specific prior correlations.
This paper improves Bayesian decision tree learning using HMC.
problem Bayesian decision tree learning is challenging due to a large parameter space.
method Develops and compares HMC-based algorithms for exploring Bayesian decision tree posteriors.
result HMC-based methods outperform existing methods in predictive accuracy and tree complexity.
Bayesian GBMs improve predictive uncertainty calibration for tabular data.
problem Lack of well-calibrated predictive uncertainties in gradient boosting machines.
method Variational inference with soft decision trees.
result Variational soft GBMs provide useful uncertainty estimates and maintain good predictive performance.
The paper measures semantic information production in generative models using information theory.
problem Measuring when semantic decisions are made during generative model training.
method Using an online formula for the optimal Bayesian classifier, the paper estimates conditional entropy and determines time intervals for highest information transfer.
result Semantic information transfer is highest in intermediate stages of diffusion, with different classes making decisions at different times.
Develops a dynamic mean field theory for reinforcement learning.
problem Finite state and action Bayesian reinforcement learning in large state spaces.
method Analogies with statistical physics, interpreting probabilities as couplings and values as spins, solving mean field equations.
result State-action values are statistically independent in the asymptotic state space limit, with exact or approximate equations for computation.
Gittins index optimizes decision-making under uncertainty, even in complex scenarios.
problem Optimal decision-making under uncertainty.
method Gittins index optimizes allocation of resources among uncertain options.
result Gittins index can be effectively applied to practical problems, including Bayesian optimization and queue latency minimization.
Bayesian framework for policy learning in decision problems.
problem Maximizing expected welfare in decision-making problems.
method Loss-based Bayesian updating and squared-loss surrogate for welfare maximization.
result General Bayes posterior over decision rules with Gaussian pseudo-likelihood interpretation.
Optimizes portfolio construction using Bayesian methods and variational techniques.
problem Balancing reward and risk in portfolio construction.
method Bayesian decision-theoretic formulation, saddle-point problem, variational Bayes relaxation, efficient algorithm, provable convergence.
result Proves statistical consistency of proposed decision with optimal Bayesian decision.
New online GP algorithm offers performance guarantees for streaming data.
problem Training and inference of GPs require all historic data, limiting online decision-making.
method Developed a new theoretical framework based on PAC-Bayes theory, optimizing empirical risk and parameter divergence.
result Offers both a guarantee of generalized performance and good accuracy.
Low-dimensional probability models for local distribution functions in a Bayesian network include decision trees, decision graphs, and causal independence models. We describe a new probability model for discrete Bayesian networks, which we call an embedded Bayesian network classifier or EBNC. The model for a node Y g…
The paper provides a statistical decision-theoretical derivation of the Two-Stage approach for parameter estimation.
problem Theoretical justification for the Two-Stage approach in situations where likelihood is difficult to evaluate.
method Statistical decision-theoretical derivation leading to Bayesian and Minimax estimators.
result The Two-Stage approach is justified theoretically and applied to independent and identically distributed samples.
Bayesian framework for learning optimal action-value function in MDPs.
problem Uncertainty quantification in MDPs for optimal decision-making strategies.
method Full Bayesian framework including modelling, inference, and decision-making.
result Demonstrates exploration benefits of posterior sampling in MDPs.
Bayesian optimization with cost-awareness using Gittins index.
problem Optimizing unknown functions with limited data evaluations and costs.
method Developed a connection between cost-aware Bayesian optimization and the Pandora's Box problem, using the Gittins index as an acquisition function.
result The Gittins index-based acquisition function performs well in cost-aware Bayesian optimization, especially in high dimensions.
Cold posteriors in BNNs harm performance, likely due to incorrect likelihood.
problem Cold posteriors in Bayesian neural networks degrade performance.
method Developed a generative model explaining cold posteriors and matched it to the tempered likelihoods.
result Cold posteriors are a result of using the wrong likelihood for image classification datasets.
Bayesian models quantify uncertainty and facilitate optimal decision-making in downstream applications. For most models, however, practitioners are forced to use approximate inference techniques that lead to sub-optimal decisions due to incorrect posterior predictive distributions. We present a novel approach that corr…
Bayesian framework robustifies classifiers against malicious attacks.
problem Adversarial attacks on classification algorithms in security and business.
method Adversarial risk analysis and approximate Bayesian computation.
result Robustifies statistical classification algorithms against attacks.
qEUBO optimizes decision-making with noisy feedback.
problem Optimizing decision-making with noisy preference feedback.
method Introduces qEUBO as a novel acquisition function for preferential Bayesian optimization.
result qEUBO is one-step Bayes optimal and enjoys an approximation guarantee under noise.