A new decision tree variant improves linear model performance.
problem Improving decision tree performance on non-linear data.
method Extremely random tree with non-linear data transformation and linear observer.
result Outperforms linear models on benchmark dataset.
This paper introduces a Bayesian framework for optimizing online experiments to maximize profit.
problem Statistical flaws and reliance on proxy metrics in A/B tests compromise their effectiveness.
method Hierarchical Bayesian model for estimating conversion probability and monetary value, decision-theoretic stopping rule.
result The framework ensures experiments conclude when no variant offers a significant profit improvement, conserving resources.
Visualizes robustness of adversarial malware models.
problem Interpreting robustness of adversarial malware models.
method Comparing loss behavior of hardened models with adversarial variants generated during training and other sources, using self-organizing maps.
result Generalization observed in naturally trained models extends to adversarially hardened models.
ID3 generates near-optimal decision trees for DNFs under product distributions.
problem Understanding the optimality of decision trees generated by ID3.
method Introducing a new metric (MIC) to measure the optimality of ID3-generated trees and comparing it with other algorithms.
result The TopDown variant of ID3 is near-optimal in learning read-once DNFs under product distributions, while another variant is not.
Random Hinge Forests are a new decision forest method that can be integrated into neural networks.
problem Training and optimizing neural networks efficiently and effectively.
method Random Hinge Forests are a novel variant of decision forests that can be integrated into neural networks and optimized end-to-end.
result Random Hinge Forests can be efficiently optimized end-to-end with stochastic gradient descent.
In many healthcare settings, intuitive decision rules for risk stratification can help effective hospital resource allocation. This paper introduces a novel variant of decision tree algorithms that produces a chain of decisions, not a general tree. Our algorithm, α α α -Carving Decision Chain (ACDC), sequentially carves o…
Graph Neural Networks solve the decision variant of TSP with high accuracy.
problem Decision variant of the Traveling Salesperson Problem (TSP).
method Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) learn to solve TSP with minimal supervision.
result Graph Neural Networks achieve 80% accuracy in solving TSP with small cost deviations.
Lower bounds for PI on multi-action MDPs are established, showing complexity grows with action count.
problem Establishing the minimum number of iterations for PI to converge on MDPs with multiple actions.
method Developed lower bounds for a specific PI variant on multi-action MDPs, scaling with action count.
result A particular PI variant can take Ω ( k n / 2 ) Ω(k^{n/2}) Ω ( k n /2 ) iterations to terminate, scaling with action count. New DEC variant improves sample complexity bounds in decision making.
problem Understanding sample-efficient learning guarantees in decision making.
method Introducing a new Constrained Decision-Estimation Coefficient (DEC) and using it to derive improved lower bounds.
result New lower bounds improve upon prior work in three aspects: expectation, global applicability, and improper reference models.
Framework for robust decision making in changing environments with privacy constraints.
problem Interactive decision making in changing environments with constraints.
method Hybrid Decision Making with Structured Observations (hybrid DMSO) framework, local differentially private decision making, query-based learning, robust and smooth decision making.
result Strong connections and bounds derived for DEC, SQ dimension, local minimax complexity, learnability, and joint differential privacy.
Algorithm for online decision making with unknown dynamics and aggregate feedback.
problem Online decision making with unknown dynamics and aggregate bandit feedback.
method Developed an algorithm based on online mirror descent with a self-concordant barrier regularization and an increasing learning rate schedule.
result Achieved O ( K ) O(\sqrt{K}) O ( K ) regret for the online Markov Decision Process with K K K episodes. AlphaZero assesses new chess variants for balance and dynamics.
problem Designing engaging and balanced game rules, especially for chess variants.
method Used AlphaZero to learn near-optimal strategies for nine chess variants.
result AlphaZero reveals novel strategic and tactical patterns in chess variants.
Optimistic PPO variant solves linear MDPs with improved regret bound.
problem Understanding theoretical limits of PPO in linear MDPs.
method Proposes an optimistic variant of PPO for episodic adversarial linear MDPs with full-information feedback.
result Establishes a i l d e O ( d 3 / 4 H 2 K 3 / 4 ) ilde{\mathcal{O}}(d^{3/4}H^2K^{3/4}) i l d e O ( d 3/4 H 2 K 3/4 ) regret bound. Decision makers, such as doctors and judges, make crucial decisions such as recommending treatments to patients, and granting bails to defendants on a daily basis. Such decisions typically involve weighting the potential benefits of taking an action against the costs involved. In this work, we aim to automate this task…
Neural parser learns to decompose objects into segments without ground truth.
problem Learning to decompose spatial tasks into segments for robots.
method Formulated as parsing approach, learned to imitate expert using DRAG policy gradient.
result Neural parser generalizes to natural images without ground truth.
Decision makers, such as doctors and judges, make crucial decisions such as recommending treatments to patients, and granting bails to defendants on a daily basis. Such decisions typically involve weighting the potential benefits of taking an action against the costs involved. In this work, we aim to automate this task…
VIPER learns verifiable decision tree policies from deep reinforcement learning.
problem Ensuring safety of learned reinforcement learning policies.
method VIPER combines model compression and imitation learning to train decision tree policies.
result VIPER learns decision tree policies that are provably robust and stable.
Proposes mGBDTs for learning hierarchical representations in gradient boosting decision trees.
problem Inability of gradient boosting decision trees to learn hierarchical representations.
method Introduces multi-layered GBDT forest (mGBDTs) with explicit emphasis on hierarchical learning.
result Jointly trained mGBDTs can learn hierarchical representations effectively without backpropagation.
New bounds show complexity of adversarial decision making.
problem Understanding sample efficiency in adversarial decision making.
method New upper and lower bounds on Decision-Estimation Coefficient.
result Decision-Estimation Coefficient is necessary and sufficient for low regret in adversarial decision making.
Deep Bayesian neural networks improve somatic variant calling accuracy.
problem Improving accuracy in pinpointing somatic variants from next-gen sequencing data.
method Deep Bayesian Recurrent Neural Networks (RNNs) for somatic variant calling.
result Deep Bayesian RNNs provide more reliable confidence intervals for variant calls.
We study a generalization of the multi-armed bandit problem with multiple plays where there is a cost associated with pulling each arm and the agent has a budget at each time that dictates how much she can expect to spend. We derive an asymptotic regret lower bound for any uniformly efficient algorithm in our setting. …
Timber targets decision trees, outperforming existing attacks.
problem Poisoning decision trees to manipulate model predictions.
method Greedy attack strategy using sub-tree retraining for efficiency.
result Timber outperforms existing attacks in effectiveness and efficiency.
TS-Insight visualizes Thompson Sampling for better debugging and trust.
problem Thompson Sampling's black box nature hinders debugging and trust.
method TS-Insight is a visual analytics tool that traces evolving posteriors and evidence counts.
result Visualizations help in verifying, diagnosing, and explaining Thompson Sampling dynamics.
Paper presents algorithm for optimal job selection with dynamic scoring.
problem Optimal job assignment in a sequential selection process with dynamic scores.
method Developed using dynamic programming, with extensions for partial and no-information cases.
result Algorithm allows for optimal job assignment with limited information.
We analyze the consistency of decision trees and random forests in regression.
problem Consistency of decision trees and random forests in regression.
method Elementary proofs following classical arguments for smoothing methods.
result Establish weak and almost sure convergence of honest trees and forest averages to the true regression function.
DVA framework attributes value of predictive models to features, configurations, and interactions.
problem Lack of explanation for how predictive models influence operational decisions.
method Shapley-based cooperative game theory applied to predict-then-optimize systems.
result DVA can guide targeted interventions to align model beliefs with operational performance.
New method uses nested optimal transport for financial time series evaluation.
problem Lack of consensus metric for evaluating generative models in finance.
method Nested optimal transport distance for time-causal tasks, with a parallelizable algorithm.
result Substantial speedups and robustness to financial tasks.
Enhances multi-class classification using neural networks and decision trees.
problem Improving multi-class classification accuracy.
method Combines neural networks, decision trees, and random vector functional link networks with oblique decision surfaces.
result Superior performance on multi-class datasets compared to state-of-the-art classifiers.
Study noisy rewards in online decision-making with unknown distributions.
problem Learning optimal decisions in online settings with noisy and unknown reward distributions.
method Proposes algorithms integrating learning and decision-making via LCB thresholding.
result Achieves competitive ratios of 1 - 1/e and 1/2 in various settings.
A two-stream reinforcement learning model improves decision-making across human and neuropsychiatric studies.
problem Improving reinforcement learning models to better simulate human decision-making and neuropsychiatric conditions.
method Proposes a two-stream reinforcement learning model that processes positive and negative rewards and incorporates reward-processing biases.
result The two-stream model outperforms standard Q-learning and SARSA methods on various tasks and datasets.
Graph classification improved using spectral features and wavelet filters.
problem Categorizing graphs based on their structure and node attributes.
method Derived spectral features from graph signal processing, designed two Gaussian process models: one simple and one sophisticated.
result Simple and sophisticated Gaussian process models yield competitive performance, including well-calibrated uncertainty estimates.
Loss-calibrated EP improves Bayesian decision-making by focusing on utility-sensitive posterior approximations.
problem Bayesian decision-making under asymmetric utility functions.
method Loss-calibrated expectation propagation (Loss-EP) that tilts the posterior towards higher utility decisions.
result Loss-EP can capture useful information for decision-making under asymmetric penalties.
Pessimistic Q-learning improves sample efficiency in offline reinforcement learning.
problem Insufficient coverage and sample scarcity in offline reinforcement learning datasets.
method Pessimistic Q-learning algorithm for offline reinforcement learning, focusing on variance reduction.
result Near-optimal sample complexity achieved with the proposed algorithm.
Efficient algorithms for online convex optimization with limited switching decisions.
problem Online convex optimization with limited switching decisions.
method Presented computationally efficient algorithms for both general and strongly convex losses.
result Regret bounds of O ( T / S ) O(T/S) O ( T / S ) for general convex losses and O ~ ( T / S 2 ) \widetilde O(T/S^2) O ( T / S 2 ) for strongly convex losses. New random forest variants achieve optimal performance in high dimensions.
problem Handling dependencies between features in high-dimensional data.
method Using oblique splits in random forests with general split directions.
result Achieved minimax optimal convergence rates in arbitrary dimension.
In this paper we extend temporal difference policy evaluation algorithms to performance criteria that include the variance of the cumulative reward. Such criteria are useful for risk management, and are important in domains such as finance and process control. We propose both TD(0) and LSTD(lambda) variants with linear…
A firm learns to efficiently screen candidates for interviews.
problem Minimizing interviews while ensuring optimal matching of candidates to departments.
method Online assignment problem with two variants: independent draws and access to a training set.
result Exponential reduction in the number of retained items with access to a training set.
Critiques binary classification evaluation methods, advocating for proper scoring rules.
problem The dominance of top-K metrics and fixed-threshold evaluations in machine learning.
method Introduces a decision-theoretic framework mapping evaluation metrics to their use cases, and implements a clipped Brier score variant.
result Demonstrates the clinical utility of proper scoring rules through a Python package, exttt{briertools}.
ARL uses queries to learn rewards, focusing on cost vs. reward value.
problem How to efficiently use queries to learn rewards in reinforcement learning.
method Proposed and evaluated heuristic approaches for ARL in multi-armed bandits and MDPs.
result Challenging aspects of ARL highlighted, including intractability of value computation.
New algorithm makes machine learning fairer by removing bias from data.
problem Reduces bias in machine learning models through orthogonal data transformation.
method Orthogonal to Bias (OB) algorithm based on structural causal models.
result Promotes counterfactual fairness without sacrificing model accuracy.
Improves decision tree performance by correcting split selection errors.
problem Invalid statistical guarantees in split selection for decision trees.
method Introduces anytime-valid inference to provide valid statistical guarantees.
result Provides anytime-valid control of false splits under arbitrary data streams.
New Q-learning method achieves optimal sample complexity for average-reward problems.
problem Challenges in achieving optimal sample complexity for average-reward Q-learning.
method Synchronous and asynchronous Q-learning with a new contraction principle.
result Optimal O ~ ( ε − 2 ) \widetilde{O}(\varepsilon^{-2}) O ( ε − 2 ) sample complexity guarantees. Paper proposes fair decision trees to avoid unfair treatment.
problem Discriminative decision-making in automated systems.
method Mixed-integer optimization framework for fair decision trees.
result Improves fairness and accuracy in decision-making.
Research in psychology and neuroscience has successfully modeled decision making as a process of noisy evidence accumulation to a decision bound. While there are several variants and implementations of this idea, the majority of these models make use of a noisy accumulation between two absorbing boundaries. A common as…
Theory unifies various reinforcement learning methods with a generalized regularized approach.
problem Improving reinforcement learning algorithms with regularization.
method Develops a theory of regularized Markov Decision Processes, extending previous approaches.
result Unified analysis of various reinforcement learning algorithms.
Improved Frank-Wolfe algorithms for large-scale optimization.
problem Efficiently solving large-scale optimization problems.
method Modifications to Frank-Wolfe algorithm using stochastic gradients, approximate solutions, and sketched variables.
result Achieves optimal convergence rate of O ( 1 k ) \mathcal{O}(\frac{1}{k}) O ( k 1 ) for large problems. TabNet learns tabular data with attention, improving performance and interpretability.
problem Efficient learning and interpretability in tabular data.
method Sequential attention to feature selection, self-supervised learning.
result Outperforms other models on tabular datasets, interpretable feature attributions.
Projective simulation converges to optimal behavior in Markov decision processes.
problem Optimizing reinforcement learning in Markov decision processes.
method Projective simulation framework applied to reinforcement learning.
result Projective simulation converges to optimal behavior in a large class of Markov decision processes.