New algorithm reduces best-in-class regret in contextual bandits.
problem Compete with the best policy in a class without model restrictions.
method Proposes an algorithm that updates policies by minimizing a pessimistic objective, including a clipped inverse-propensity estimate and variance penalty.
result Achieves fast best-in-class regret rates, including polylogarithmic rates in the parametric case.
Deep learning (DL) is transforming industry as decision-making processes are being automated by deep neural networks (DNNs) trained on real-world data. Driven partly by rapidly-expanding literature on DNN approximation theory showing they can approximate a rich variety of functions, such tools are increasingly being co…
Strategic Workforce Planning is a company process providing best in class, economically sound, workforce management policies and goals. Despite the abundance of literature on the subject, this is a notorious challenge in terms of implementation. Reasons span from the youth of the field itself to broader data integratio…
PASHA optimizes model tuning for large datasets with limited resources.
problem Expensive HPO and NAS for large datasets.
method Dynamic resource allocation approach.
result Significantly reduces computational resources while maintaining performance.
Stochastic RNNs classify biological neural network paths with robust error bounds.
problem Classifying biological neural network paths.
method Modelled as a continuous-time stochastic recurrent neural network (RNN) with identity activation function, analysed in the robust regime.
result Generalisation error bound holds with high probability, showing the empirical risk minimiser is the best-in-class hypothesis.
Improved score-based models generate high-quality images up to 256x256.
problem Training score-based models for high-resolution images is unstable and limited.
method Theoretical analysis, exponential moving average of model weights.
result Score-based models can generate high-fidelity images up to 256x256.
Paper reduces neural network complexity for image classification.
problem High computational complexity in deep neural networks.
method Proposes a two-step classification process: coarse-grain and fine-grain.
result Achieves similar accuracy with less computational complexity.
POUnets combine partitions of unity and monomials for efficient deep learning.
problem Efficiently approximating functions with deep neural networks in high dimensions.
method Integrates partitions of unity and monomials into neural network architecture.
result POUnets achieve hp-convergence for smooth functions and outperform MLPs for discontinuous functions.
New PG losses improve decision optimization in misspecified models.
problem Improving decision optimization in models that are not perfectly specified.
method Introducing Perturbation Gradient (PG) losses to connect decision loss with directional derivatives and optimizing using gradient techniques.
result PG losses yield best-in-class policies asymptotically, even in misspecified settings.
New framework for PMD convergence in non-tabular environments.
problem Applying PMD to general policy classes with weak closure conditions.
method Develops a theoretical framework with a novel smoothness notion.
result Obtains upper bounds on convergence rate for non-tabular environments.
We designed a machine learning algorithm that identifies patterns between ESG profiles and financial performances for companies in a large investment universe. The algorithm consists of regularly updated sets of rules that map regions into the high-dimensional space of ESG features to excess return predictions. The fin…
New method estimates optimal dose intervals for personalized treatment.
problem Learning optimal dose intervals from observational data.
method Probability dose interval (PDI) method using DC algorithm.
result Consistent policy with risk converging to best-in-class at root-n rate.
Improved heteroscedastic regression using neural networks with provably accurate mean estimates and calibrated variance.
problem Optimizing neural network parameters for heteroscedastic regression leads to suboptimal mean and variance estimates.
method Two simple modifications to optimization to retain accuracy of mean-only models and offer best-in-class variance calibration.
result Mean estimates from the proposed method are provably as accurate as those from a homoscedastic model.
Medical research is risky and expensive. Drug discovery, as an example, requires that researchers efficiently winnow thousands of potential targets to a small candidate set for more thorough evaluation. However, research groups spend significant time and money to perform the experiments necessary to determine this cand…
New algorithms achieve better regret bounds for online classification with relaxed benchmarks.
problem Competing with worst-case optimal binary loss in online classification.
method Comparing against predictors robust to small input perturbations, performing well under Gaussian smoothing, or maintaining a prescribed output margin.
result Regret guarantees depend only on VC dimension and instance space complexity, with an O(log(1/γ)) dependence on the generalized margin. We study the problem of policy evaluation and learning from batched contextual bandit data when treatments are continuous, going beyond previous work on discrete treatments. Previous work for discrete treatment/action spaces focuses on inverse probability weighting (IPW) and doubly robust (DR) methods that use a reject…
High-dimensional data acquired from biological experiments such as next generation sequencing are subject to a number of confounding effects. These effects include both technical effects, such as variation across batches from instrument noise or sample processing, or institution-specific differences in sample acquisiti…
New algorithm offers costless model selection in contextual bandits.
problem Minimizing cumulative regret in stochastic contextual bandits.
method Gradually increasing class complexity and adapting to the simplest class with dominant estimation variance.
result Costless model selection is feasible under certain conditions, providing improved regret guarantees.
New RL algorithms learn policies competitive with best in class without assuming optimal policy.
problem Agnostic RL where best policy not necessarily optimal.
method First-order optimization in non-Euclidean space, reducing to policy learning.
result Sample complexity upper bounds for three algorithms under VGD condition.
Paper combines RL with policy regularization for inventory policies.
problem Optimizing inventory policies using RL and dynamic programming.
method Hybrid approach combining RL with policy regularization.
result Generalization guarantees for inventory policies using VC theory.
Consistency models accelerate generation with theoretical guarantees.
problem Empirical success of consistency models without theoretical justification.
method Theoretical analysis of consistency models mapping inputs to arbitrary points.
result Achieve KL divergence of order O(ε2) with $ O\left(\log\left(\frac{d}{\varepsilon}
ight)
ight) $ iterations. Neuron-specific dropout reduces overfitting and data needs for neural networks.
problem Overfitting and insufficient training data for deep neural networks.
method Compares training and validation passes of a layer, drops targeted neurons based on feature analysis.
result Achieves similar or better testing accuracy with less data, reducing overfitting.
New method for robustly estimating treatment effects across different risk levels.
problem Missing risks and tail events in CATE, especially in aggregate analyses.
method Constructing a pseudo-outcome and regressing it on covariates using any regression learner.
result Robust and model-agnostic learning of conditional distributional treatment effects (CDTE).
Improved accuracy in neural networks using CTF memory with RPU.
problem Challenges in achieving high accuracy in neural networks using in-memory computing.
method Exploring the trade-off between conductance change range and linearity in CTF memory for RPU-based matrix operations.
result Achieved accuracy of 97.9% on MNIST dataset, 89.1% and 70.5% on CIFAR-10 and CIFAR-100 datasets.
Neural networks plateau during training, identified and quantified.
problem Plateau phenomenon in gradient descent training of ReLU networks.
method Identification and quantification of plateau phenomenon; new iterative training method ANLS.
result Plateaux correspond to periods of constant activation patterns; quantification of gradient flow dynamics; characterization of stationary points.