Bayesian approach for policy search in stochastic domains.
problem Policy search in stochastic domains.
method Nested probabilistic programs, Lightweight Metropolis-Hastings (LMH) adaptation.
result Similar quality policies learned with simpler algorithm.
This dissertation uses ILP to learn Bayesian network structures efficiently.
problem Learning the structure of Bayesian networks from data.
method Integer Linear Programming formulation with cluster constraints and cutting planes.
result The approach finds feasible solutions for Bayesian network structures efficiently.
Bayesian approach models neurodegenerative diseases without clinical labels.
problem Personalized, predictive modeling of neurodegenerative diseases.
method Probabilistic programmed deep kernel learning combining Gaussian processes and neural networks.
result Surpasses deep learning in accuracy and timeliness of predicting neurodegeneration.
dynestyx: A library for probabilistic programming of dynamical systems
problem integrating state-space models into probabilistic programming languages
method a unified interface for specifying priors and performing inference
result principled uncertainty quantification for state and parameters
In this paper we introduce ZhuSuan, a python probabilistic programming library for Bayesian deep learning, which conjoins the complimentary advantages of Bayesian methods and deep learning. ZhuSuan is built upon Tensorflow. Unlike existing deep learning libraries, which are mainly designed for deterministic neural netw…
PClean automates Bayesian data cleaning for specific datasets.
problem Bayesian inference for diverse and complex data cleaning.
method Domain-specific probabilistic programming language with custom models and inference.
result PClean programs outperform general-purpose PPLs in accuracy and runtime.
Bayesian framework for robust model discovery from noisy data.
problem Robust model discovery from noisy, sparse and irregular observations of nonlinear systems.
method Bayesian differential programming using Hamiltonian Monte Carlo and sparsity-promoting priors.
result Efficient inference of posterior distributions over plausible models with quantified uncertainty.
The idea of computer vision as the Bayesian inverse problem to computer graphics has a long history and an appealing elegance, but it has proved difficult to directly implement. Instead, most vision tasks are approached via complex bottom-up processing pipelines. Here we show that it is possible to write short, simple …
Bayesian optimization tackles non-convex, two-stage stochastic problems efficiently.
problem Solving non-convex, two-stage stochastic optimization problems with expensive, black-box evaluations.
method Knowledge-gradient-based acquisition function for joint optimization of first- and second-stage variables.
result Comparable and superior empirical results compared to alternatives.
Automates model comparison in probabilistic programming.
problem Manual derivations for model comparison are error-prone and time-consuming.
method Message passing on a Forney-style factor graph with a custom mixture node.
result Automates Bayesian model averaging, selection, and combination.
Bayesian approach infers signaling pathways from data.
problem Accurately understand cellular regulation processes.
method Dynamic Bayesian Network structure estimation using Markov Chain Monte Carlo.
result Efficient sampling of sparse graphs improves inference.
Unified approach to DP problems using Gumbel distribution and variational Bayesian inference.
problem Solving classical optimal path problems in a probabilistic framework.
method Gumbel distribution and variational Bayesian inference for latent optimal paths.
result Unified approach transforms DP problems into directed acyclic graphs with Gibbs distribution.
Exact Bayesian inference for discrete models using probability generating functions.
problem Discrete statistical models with infinite support and continuous priors.
method Probabilistic programming language with automatic differentiation and probability generating functions.
result Genfer tool provides exact solutions for a wide range of inference problems.
We describe Bayesian Layers, a module designed for fast experimentation with neural network uncertainty. It extends neural network libraries with drop-in replacements for common layers. This enables composition via a unified abstraction over deterministic and stochastic functions and allows for scalability via the unde…
DMVI uses diffusion models for efficient probabilistic inference in PPLs.
problem Efficient probabilistic inference in complex probabilistic programming languages.
method DMVI employs diffusion models as variational approximations to the posterior distribution, optimizing a bound on the marginal likelihood.
result DMVI produces more accurate posterior inferences than existing methods in PPLs with similar computational cost and less manual tuning.
We present the first general purpose framework for marginal maximum a posteriori estimation of probabilistic program variables. By using a series of code transformations, the evidence of any probabilistic program, and therefore of any graphical model, can be optimized with respect to an arbitrary subset of its sampled …
Enhances Bayesian learning with rule-based evolutionary techniques.
problem Improving Bayesian inference with expert knowledge and data patterns.
method Combines Bayesian inference with rule-based systems and grammatical evolution.
result Automatically derives rules from data, improving point predictions and uncertainty quantification.
ExDBN learns dynamic Bayesian networks using mixed-integer programming.
problem Learning dynamic causal relationships from time series data.
method Score-based learning algorithm using mixed-integer quadratic programming with branch-and-cut method.
result The proposed method produces more accurate results than state-of-the-art approaches.
d3p package enables efficient Bayesian inference with differential privacy.
problem Efficiently performing Bayesian inference under differential privacy constraints.
method Differentially private variational inference for flexible probabilistic models.
result Achieves significant speed-up in runtime for complex models.
Machine learning finds knots that bound ribbon disks.
problem Detecting ribbon knots in topology.
method Bayesian optimization and reinforcement learning.
result Successfully detected many ribbon knots up to 70 crossings.
BNN-DP improves robustness analysis of Bayesian Neural Networks.
problem Ensuring robustness of Bayesian Neural Networks against adversarial attacks.
method Dynamic Programming applied to Bayesian Neural Networks as stochastic dynamical systems.
result BNN-DP provides tighter and more efficient bounds on prediction ranges compared to existing methods.
Improves sampling efficiency for complex Bayesian models.
problem Inference challenges in hierarchical Gaussian-process models.
method Optimised Riemannian-manifold Hamiltonian Monte Carlo (RMHMC) with dynamic programming.
result Significant improvement in sampling efficiency and model evidence calculation.
Exact causal network discovery is polynomial for sparse networks.
problem Finding the optimal causal Bayesian network from data is computationally hard.
method Pruning the search space using network properties, combined with dynamic programming and shortest-path searches.
result Exact discovery is polynomial for sparse causal Bayesian networks.
New method learns BN structures from data efficiently.
problem Learning sparse DAG structure of BN from continuous data.
method Consistent second-order conic integer programming with early stopping criterion.
result Near-optimal solutions to medium-size problems within reasonable time.
Improves scalability of Bayesian optimization for combinatorial spaces.
problem Optimizing expensive functions over large combinatorial spaces.
method Parametrized Submodular Relaxation (PSR) to solve AFO problems for BOCS.
result Significant improvements in scalability and accuracy for BOCS model.
It is time-consuming and error-prone to implement inference procedures for each new probabilistic model. Probabilistic programming addresses this problem by allowing a user to specify the model and having a compiler automatically generate an inference procedure for it. For this approach to be practical, it is important…
Efficiently updates beliefs with virtual observations.
problem Incremental belief updates in Bayesian models.
method Constructs weighted virtual observations to match posterior.
result Reconstructed posterior matches original posterior closely.
Two main obstacles preventing the widespread adoption of variational Bayesian neural networks are the high parameter overhead that makes them infeasible on large networks, and the difficulty of implementation, which can be thought of as "programming overhead." MC dropout [Gal and Ghahramani, 2016] is popular because it…
We introduce and demonstrate a new approach to inference in expressive probabilistic programming languages based on particle Markov chain Monte Carlo. Our approach is simple to implement and easy to parallelize. It applies to Turing-complete probabilistic programming languages and supports accurate inference in models …
We introduce an approximate search algorithm for fast maximum a posteriori probability estimation in probabilistic programs, which we call Bayesian ascent Monte Carlo (BaMC). Probabilistic programs represent probabilistic models with varying number of mutually dependent finite, countable, and continuous random variable…
This paper optimizes sampling policies for Bayesian optimization to improve exploration and exploitation.
problem Improving the balance between exploration and exploitation in Bayesian optimization.
method Developed efficient methods to estimate and optimize non-myopic acquisition functions using rollout policies and stochastic gradient optimization.
result Efficient optimization of sampling policies leads to better performance in Bayesian optimization.
This paper introduces a new technique for quantifying the approximation error of a broad class of probabilistic inference programs, including ones based on both variational and Monte Carlo approaches. The key idea is to derive a subjective bound on the symmetrized KL divergence between the distribution achieved by an a…
A scalable Bayesian linear regression framework for spatial data.
problem Scalable methodologies for analyzing large spatial datasets.
method Conjugate Bayesian linear regression framework.
result Exact sampling from joint posterior distribution without iterative algorithms.
MEC-IP uses IP to efficiently find MECs in BNs from observational data.
problem Discovering Markov Equivalent Classes (MECs) in Bayesian Networks (BNs) efficiently.
method Clique-focusing strategy and EMSG for MEC discovery via Integer Programming.
result Significant reduction in computational time and improved accuracy.
Novel framework for risk-sensitive reinforcement learning with robustness against uncertainty.
problem Risk-sensitive reinforcement learning with uncertainty in transition dynamics.
method Developed a risk-sensitive robust Markov decision process (RSRMDP), derived its Bellman equation, and proposed a Bayesian Dynamic Programming (Bayesian DP) algorithm.
result Demonstrated convergence to near-optimal policies and analyzed sample and computational complexities.
Probabilistic programming languages can simplify the development of machine learning techniques, but only if inference is sufficiently scalable. Unfortunately, Bayesian parameter estimation for highly coupled models such as regressions and state-space models still scales poorly; each MCMC transition takes linear time i…
Bayesian rating system for large competitions improves prediction and efficiency.
problem Rating systems for large, competitive events like online programming contests.
method Developed a Bayesian rating system for many participants, proving robustness and runtime.
result The system outperforms existing systems in accuracy and computation speed.
Probabilistic programming languages (PPLs) are a powerful modeling tool, able to represent any computable probability distribution. Unfortunately, probabilistic program inference is often intractable, and existing PPLs mostly rely on expensive, approximate sampling-based methods. To alleviate this problem, one could tr…
ParaMonte simplifies Monte Carlo simulations for various scientific fields.
problem Efficiently performing Monte Carlo simulations for complex models.
method Unified, high-performance, parallelized library for C, C++, Fortran.
result Automates and streamlines Monte Carlo sampling for arbitrary-dimensional functions.
Bayesian hybrid models fuse physics-based insights with machine learning constructs to correct for systematic bias. In this paper, we compare Bayesian hybrid models against physics-based glass-box and Gaussian process black-box surrogate models. We consider ballistic firing as an illustrative case study for a Bayesian …
Novel framework for Bayesian reinforcement learning infers value function distributions.
problem Bayesian reinforcement learning's challenges in inferring value function distributions.
method Inferential Induction framework for Bayesian reinforcement learning, developing Bayesian Backwards Induction algorithm.
result Proposed algorithm is competitive with state-of-the-art methods.
We design a new myopic strategy for a wide class of sequential design of experiment (DOE) problems, where the goal is to collect data in order to to fulfil a certain problem specific goal. Our approach, Myopic Posterior Sampling (MPS), is inspired by the classical posterior (Thompson) sampling algorithm for multi-armed…
New methods improve global optimisation for expensive functions using lookahead strategies.
problem Optimising expensive functions without gradient info in high dimensions.
method Nonmyopic acquisition strategies based on approximate dynamic programming.
result Nonmyopic methods outperform myopic approaches in various applications.
The benefits of automating design cycles for Bayesian inference-based algorithms are becoming increasingly recognized by the machine learning community. As a result, interest in probabilistic programming frameworks has much increased over the past few years. This paper explores a specific probabilistic programming para…
LIC compiles probabilistic models to generate efficient MCMC proposals.
problem Creating accurate Metropolis-Hastings proposals for Bayesian inference.
method Integrates probabilistic graphical models and neural networks in an open-source framework to optimize proposal distributions.
result LIC produces more efficient and robust MCMC proposals compared to existing methods.
Improves sampling from complex hierarchical models using HMC and automatic marginalization.
problem Sampling from complex hierarchical models is difficult for HMC.
method Proposes automatic marginalization as part of the sampling process using HMC in a graphical model extracted from a PPL.
result Significantly improves sampling from real-world hierarchical models.
Probabilistic programming allows specification of probabilistic models in a declarative manner. Recently, several new software systems and languages for probabilistic programming have been developed on the basis of newly developed and improved methods for approximate inference in probabilistic models. In this contribut…
We study system design problems stated as parameterized stochastic programs with a chance-constraint set. We adopt a Bayesian approach that requires the computation of a posterior predictive integral which is usually intractable. In addition, for the problem to be a well-defined convex program, we must retain the conve…