SADCBO optimizes contextual variables by balancing relevance and cost.
problem Optimizing contextual variables with varying costs and unknown relevance.
method Adaptive selection of relevant contextual variables using sensitivity analysis and early stopping.
result Consistent improvement in optimization across various examples.
Faster algorithm reduces contextual bandit regret with fewer offline regression calls.
problem Optimizing reward in contextual bandits with unknown functions.
method Designing a simple algorithm with O ( log T ) {O}(\log T) O ( log T ) offline regression calls. result Achieves statistically optimal regret with minimal offline calls.
We consider the stochastic linear (multi-armed) contextual bandit problem with the possibility of hidden simple multi-armed bandit structure in which the rewards are independent of the contextual information. Algorithms that are designed solely for one of the regimes are known to be sub-optimal for the alternate regime…
New algorithm reduces contextual bandits to efficient regression.
problem Developing efficient algorithms for contextual bandits with general function classes.
method Reduction from contextual bandits to online regression with oracle.
result First universal and optimal reduction with no overhead.
This paper improves offline contextual bandits using distributional robustness.
problem Improving offline contextual bandits with robustness.
method Extends Distributionally Robust Optimization (DRO) for offline contextual bandits, introducing a convex reformulation of Counterfactual Risk Minimization.
result Automatic calibration of asymptotic confidence intervals for policy optimization.
Study nonparametric contextual bandits with batched updates, achieving optimal regret.
problem Optimal regret in nonparametric contextual bandits with batch constraints.
method Dynamic binning of covariate space, optimal regret achieved.
result Achieves optimal regret (up to logarithmic factors) for nonparametric contextual bandits.
CO-BED optimizes experiments using Bayesian methods and information theory.
problem Optimizing experiments in a context-dependent manner.
method Formalizes contextual optimization with Bayesian experimental design, employing information-theoretic principles and black-box variational methods.
result CO-BED provides a general solution for contextual optimization problems.
The paper tackles minimax optimality in continuum contextual bandits with Hölder continuity.
problem Minimizing regret in a continuum of contexts with Hölder continuity.
method Proves a static-to-contextual regret conversion theorem and analyzes various dependency cases.
result Achieves minimax optimal contextual regret for convex and strongly convex bandits.
Transformers model contextual relations using probabilistic measures, revealing their expressive power.
problem Lack of clear understanding of Transformer's ability to model contextual relations.
method Introduced a measure-theoretic framework connecting softmax attention and entropy-regularized optimal transport.
result Transformer architectures can approximate arbitrary contextual relations, and the choice of normalization affects how these relations are represented.
New algorithm learns optimal exploration parameters for contextual bandits.
problem Learning optimal exploration in contextual bandits.
method Proposes two algorithms that learn optimal exploration parameters online based on context and reward.
result Demonstrates improved performance in learning optimal exploration compared to traditional methods.
Paper proposes a network framework for prosumers to manage peak loads in Iran.
problem Balancing renewable prosumers' self-sufficiency with grid integration under uncertainty.
method Distributed contextual stochastic optimization (DCSO) framework with consensus-based sharing.
result Integration of prediction and optimization reduces peak loads and costs.
New method for estimating and optimizing MDPs without stationarity.
problem Challenges in offline contextual MDP estimation without stationarity.
method Introduces a new adaptive estimation and cost optimization approach for contextual MDPs.
result First robust, theoretically backed method for offline contextual MDP estimation.
New algorithm reduces contextual bandit identification to argmax calls.
problem Best-arm identification in stochastic contextual bandits.
method Instance-optimal PAC algorithm using argmax oracle calls.
result First instance-dependent PAC sample complexity for contextual bandits.
We improve optimization for data with varying variance.
problem Optimizing data with varying variance.
method Generalized learning and optimization frameworks for data-driven optimization.
result Asymptotic and finite sample guarantees for stochastic programs.
IDS improves reinforcement learning with contextual information.
problem Optimizing IDS for contextual reinforcement learning.
method Investigated contextual bandit problems and proposed a computationally-efficient IDS.
result Contextual IDS outperforms conditional IDS by considering future contexts.
Two algorithms for linear contextual bandits with rare updates achieve optimal regret and efficiency.
problem Linear contextual bandits with infrequent parameter updates.
method Two practical algorithms with O ( log log T ) O(\log\log T) O ( log log T ) updates, BLCE-G and BLCE. result Minimax-optimal regret with low computational complexity.
Bayesian framework reduces online optimization regret.
problem Sequential optimization in dynamic environments with bounded losses.
method PAC-Bayes theory and Bayesian updating principles.
result Achieves O ( T ) \mathcal{O}(\sqrt{T}) O ( T ) regret for bounded losses. Study on adaptivity constraints in linear contextual bandits with optimal design.
problem Impact of adaptivity constraints on linear contextual bandits.
method Two models of limited adaptivity: batch learning and rare policy switches. Proposed distributional optimal design.
result Achieves minimax-optimal regret with optimal number of policy switches and batches.
New algorithms adapt to model misspecification in contextual bandits.
problem Design efficient algorithms for contextual bandits that handle model misspecification gracefully.
method Oracle-efficient algorithms for ε-misspecified contextual bandits using square loss regression.
result First algorithm achieving optimal regret bound for unknown misspecification level in linear contextual bandits.
Study wSAA for contextual decisions, improving uncertainty quantification under computational constraints.
problem Uncertainty quantification limitations in wSAA for contextual stochastic optimization.
method Establish central limit theorems and asymptotic-normality-based confidence intervals for optimal costs.
result Over-optimizing can mitigate misspecification and preserve asymptotic normality, albeit at a slower convergence rate.
Algorithm reduces regret in misspecified linear contextual bandits.
problem Misspecified linear contextual bandits with bounded misspecification.
method Data selection scheme for online regression, leveraging uncertainty.
result Regret bound of O ~ ( d 2 / Δ ) \tilde O(d^2/Δ) O ~ ( d 2 /Δ ) when ζ ≤ O ~ ( Δ / d ) ζ \leq \tilde O(Δ/\sqrt{d}) ζ ≤ O ~ ( Δ/ d ) . The paper addresses contextual optimization problems with feedback, aiming to minimize regret.
problem Contextual optimization with feedback information.
method Characterizing the optimal minimax policy in offline setting and leveraging geometric characterization in online setting to optimize cumulative regret.
result Developed an algorithm yielding logarithmic regret bound in the online setting.
New algorithm for contextual dueling bandits achieves nearly optimal regret.
problem Contextual dueling bandits with feedback on preferred options.
method Proposes FGTS.CDB, a Thompson sampling algorithm for linear contextual dueling bandits.
result Achieves nearly minimax-optimal regret of i l d e O ( d T ) ilde{\mathcal{O}}(d\sqrt T) i l d e O ( d T ) . Optimal algorithm for maximizing rewards in contextual bandits with resource constraints.
problem Maximizing rewards in contextual bandits with resource constraints.
method Proposed a universal and optimal algorithmic framework for CBwK by reducing it to online regression.
result Established the optimality of the proposed algorithm for various function classes.
A simple algorithm reduces federated contextual linear bandits' regret efficiently.
problem Solving federated contextual linear bandits with asynchronous agents.
method Proposed a simple algorithm exttt{FedLinUCB} based on optimism principle.
result Proved exttt{FedLinUCB} has bounded regret i l d e O ( d ∑ m = 1 M T m ) ilde{O}(d\sqrt{\sum_{m=1}^M T_m}) i l d e O ( d ∑ m = 1 M T m ) and communication complexity i l d e O ( d M 2 ) ilde{O}(dM^2) i l d e O ( d M 2 ) . We study a nonparametric contextual bandit problem where the expected reward functions belong to a Hölder class with smoothness parameter β β β . We show how this interpolates between two extremes that were previously studied in isolation: non-differentiable bandits ( β ≤ 1 β\leq1 β ≤ 1 ), where rate-optimal regret is achieved by run…
This paper achieves optimal regret bounds for locally private linear contextual bandit.
problem Designing locally private linear contextual bandit algorithms with optimal regret bounds.
method New algorithmic and analytical ideas, including mean absolute deviation analysis and layered principal component regression.
result Achieves an i l d e O ( T ) ilde O(\sqrt{T}) i l d e O ( T ) regret upper bound for locally private linear contextual bandit. New loss function handles uncertain constraints in CSLO problems.
problem Handling uncertain inequality constraints in CSLO with machine learning predictions.
method Introduces SPO-RC loss and SPO-RC+ surrogate, trains on truncated datasets, corrects bias.
result SPO-RC+ effectively manages constraint uncertainty and improves performance.
GPE algorithm optimizes nonparametric contextual bandits with efficient regret bounds.
problem Optimizing nonparametric contextual bandits with efficient regret bounds.
method Inspired by Policy Elimination, GPE uses oracle-efficient techniques for nonparametric classes with infinite VC-dimension.
result GPE is regret-optimal for policy classes with integrable entropy, and for larger entropy, it provides an ε \varepsilon ε -greedy algorithm with matching regret bounds. A framework for auto-tuning hyper-parameters in contextual bandit algorithms.
problem Auto-tuning hyper-parameters in real-time for contextual bandit algorithms.
method Proposes a Syndicated Bandits framework to learn multiple hyper-parameters dynamically.
result Achieves optimal regret bounds under certain scenarios and handles multiple contextual bandit algorithms.
Paper improves Thompson Sampling for linear contextual bandits.
problem Empirical Thompson Sampling does not achieve optimal regret bounds.
method Develops a novel estimator with adaptive data augmentation and coupling.
result Achieves nearly minimax optimal performance.
Asymptotically optimal algorithm for contextual linear bandits.
problem Contextual linear bandits with suboptimal algorithms.
method Decoupling context distribution and exploration policy, incremental primal-dual approach, confidence intervals.
result Asymptotic optimality and scalability of the algorithm.
Paper solves nonparametric contextual bandit with unbounded contexts.
problem Sequential decision making with unbounded context distributions.
method Two nearest neighbor methods combined with UCB exploration.
result Achieves minimax optimal regret under weak margin condition and light-tailed distributions.
The paper achieves nearly optimal regret bounds for contextual multinomial logit bandits.
problem The contextual multinomial logit (MNL) bandit problem with varying rewards.
method Established lower bounds and proposed OFU-MNL+ algorithm with matching upper bounds.
result Achieved minimax optimal regret bounds for both uniform and non-uniform reward settings.
The paper proposes a method to learn and leverage contextual preference distributions for better decision-making.
problem Heterogeneous and context-dependent human preferences in decision-making problems.
method A sequential learning-and-optimization pipeline using a bounded-variance score function gradient estimator to train a predictive model mapping contextual features to preference distributions.
result The approach reduces average post-decision surprise by up to 25 times compared to risk-averse baselines in a ridesharing environment.
Contextual linear optimization shows naive plug-in methods can outperform direct optimization.
problem Optimizing decisions with side observations to reduce uncertainty.
method Using off-the-shelf machine learning methods to learn a predictive model and plug it in for optimization.
result The naive plug-in approach achieves faster regret convergence rates than direct optimization methods.
A collaborative algorithm reduces regret in federated linear contextual bandits.
problem Optimizing decision-making in federated learning with heterogeneous data.
method Fed-PE algorithm, leveraging geometric structure of rewards, multi-client G-optimal design.
result Achieves near-optimal regrets with logarithmic communication costs.
Contextual bandit algorithms are essential for solving many real-world interactive machine learning problems. Despite multiple recent successes on statistically and computationally efficient methods, the practical behavior of these algorithms is still poorly understood. We leverage the availability of large numbers of …
New algorithms minimize simple and cumulative regret in contextual bandits.
problem Minimizing simple and cumulative regret in contextual bandit settings.
method Proposed new algorithms using conformal arm sets (CASs).
result Near-optimal minimax guarantees for simple regret and state-of-the-art guarantees for cumulative regret.
A new algorithm for cryo-EM data collection that balances reward and latency.
problem Optimizing data collection in cryo-EM experiments with action delays.
method Latency-aware contextual bandit framework and COAF algorithm.
result The COAF algorithm efficiently maximizes reward over time in cryo-EM experiments.
New algorithm optimally clusters networks with side information.
problem Improving network clustering with side information.
method Iterative clustering algorithm for Contextual Stochastic Block Model.
result Optimal performance under Contextual Symmetric Stochastic Block Model.
New algorithms reduce sample complexity for multiclass contextual bandits.
problem Designing efficient algorithms for multiclass contextual bandits with sparse rewards.
method Two complementary approaches: decision-estimation coefficient analysis and low-variance exploration.
result Achieved optimal sample complexity bounds for multiclass contextual bandits.
Contextual policy search allows adapting robotic movement primitives to different situations. For instance, a locomotion primitive might be adapted to different terrain inclinations or desired walking speeds. Such an adaptation is often achievable by modifying a small number of hyperparameters. However, learning, when …
Unified framework for risk-aware policy learning in contextual bandits.
problem Optimizing decision rules in high-stakes domains with adverse outcomes.
method Distributional framework for Lipschitz-continuous risk functionals, with novel empirical concentration inequalities.
result Data-dependent suboptimality bounds with an i l d e O ( 1 / n ) ilde{\mathcal{O}}(1/\sqrt{n}) i l d e O ( 1/ n ) rate, matching risk-neutral offline policy optimization. Scarce data is a major challenge to scaling robot learning to truly complex tasks, as we need to generalize locally learned policies over different task contexts. Contextual policy search offers data-efficient learning and generalization by explicitly conditioning the policy on a parametric context space. In this paper…
New method for sequential probability assignment reduces regret using contextual Shtarkov sums.
problem Minimizing regret in sequential probability assignment with arbitrary hypothesis classes.
method Introducing contextual Shtarkov sum and contextual Normalized Maximum Likelihood (cNML) algorithm.
result The contextual Shtarkov sum characterizes minimax regret and provides a minimax optimal strategy.
A new framework tunes hyperparameters in real-time for contextual bandits.
problem Optimizing hyperparameters for contextual bandits in real-time.
method CDT (Continuous Dynamic Tuning) framework using Zooming TS algorithm.
result Achieves sublinear regret and performs better than existing methods.
Algorithm learns optimal arm selection in unsupervised sequential selection with contextual information.
problem Learning optimal arm selection in unsupervised sequential selection with contextual information.
method Proposes an algorithm for the contextual USS problem under the CWD property, demonstrating sub-linear regret.
result Demonstrates sub-linear regret for the proposed algorithm.