Survival trees exhibit end-cut preference, leading to biased splits.
problem End-cut preference in survival trees causes biased splits and poor interpretability.
method Proposed a smooth sigmoid surrogate (SSS) approach to replace hard-threshold indicator function.
result Smooth sigmoid surrogate (SSS) effectively mitigates end-cut preference in survival trees.
Paper analyzes biases in video QA datasets, showing models can answer 37-48% questions correctly without multimodal context.
problem Question answering biases in video QA datasets can lead to model overfitting and poor generalization.
method Analyzed popular video question answering datasets, conducted ablation studies on biases from annotators and question types.
result Pretrained language models can answer 37-48% questions correctly without multimodal context, far exceeding random guess baseline.
We propose a modification that corrects for split-improvement variable importance measures in Random Forests and other tree-based methods. These methods have been shown to be biased towards increasing the importance of features with more potential splits. We show that by appropriately incorporating split-improvement as…
New variance-reduction methods solve stochastic composite inclusions.
problem Solving nonmonotone stochastic composite inclusions.
method Developed unbiased and biased variance-reduced estimators for FRBS method.
result Achieved best oracle complexities for finite-sum and expectation settings.
Unified predictive uncertainty disentangled using deep split ensembles.
problem Understanding and quantifying uncertainty in NNs for real-world applications.
method Deep split ensemble approach using multivariate Gaussian mixture model.
result Inherently well-calibrated models with high flexibility to group features.
We study the convergence rate of stochastic optimization of exact (NP-hard) objectives, for which only biased estimates of the gradient are available. We motivate this problem in the context of learning the structure and parameters of Ising models. We first provide a convergence-rate analysis of deterministic errors fo…
Many machine learning algorithms are trained and evaluated by splitting data from a single source into training and test sets. While such focus on in-distribution learning scenarios has led to interesting advancement, it has not been able to tell if models are relying on dataset biases as shortcuts for successful predi…
We investigate how asymmetrizing an impurity function affects the choice of optimal node splits when growing a decision tree for binary classification. In particular, we relax the usual axioms of an impurity function and show how skewing an impurity function biases the optimal splits to isolate points of a particular c…
We present a unified invariance framework for supervised neural networks that can induce independence to nuisance factors of data without using any nuisance annotations, but can additionally use labeled information about biasing factors to force their removal from the latent embedding for making fair predictions. Invar…
Subagging improves regression tree performance, especially with many splits.
problem Improving regression tree performance with subsample aggregating.
method Formalized bias and variance dependencies, compared subagging to single trees, and analyzed optimal tree sizes.
result Subagging improves tree performance, especially with many splits.
Kernel methods are popular in clustering due to their generality and discriminating power. However, we show that many kernel clustering criteria have density biases theoretically explaining some practically significant artifacts empirically observed in the past. For example, we provide conditions and formally prove the…
Develops variance-reduced methods for solving generalized equations.
problem Solving a class of generalized equations, including minimization, minimax, and variational inequalities.
method Integrates accelerated operator splitting, fixed-point methods, and variance reduction techniques.
result Achieves both O(1/k2) and o(1/k2) convergence rates on the expected squared norm of the FBS residual. Tree-based models biased when trained on imbalanced data, requiring new calibration methods.
problem Bias in tree-based models trained on imbalanced datasets.
method Analytical calibration of random forest models, demonstrating bias in decision trees.
result Calibrating tree-based models on imbalanced data negatively impacts predictions, especially for the minority class.
We study minimax methods for off-policy evaluation (OPE) using value functions and marginalized importance weights. Despite that they hold promises of overcoming the exponential variance in traditional importance sampling, several key problems remain: (1) They require function approximation and are generally biased. Fo…
This paper explains the theoretical inductive bias of Isolation Forest.
problem Lack of theoretical foundation explaining Isolation Forest's success.
method Formulated the growth process of iForest as a random walk, derived expected depth function using transition probabilities.
result Established a theoretical understanding of iForest's effectiveness and parameter adaptability.
The asymptotic behavior of the stochastic gradient algorithm with a biased gradient estimator is analyzed. Relying on arguments based on the dynamic system theory (chain-recurrence) and the differential geometry (Yomdin theorem and Lojasiewicz inequality), tight bounds on the asymptotic bias of the iterates generated b…
A variety of machine learning tasks---e.g., matrix factorization, topic modelling, and feature allocation---can be viewed as learning the parameters of a probability distribution over bipartite graphs. Recently, a new class of models for networks, the sparse exchangeable graphs, have been introduced to resolve some imp…
FairUDT uses uplift decision trees to detect and mitigate discrimination in training data.
problem Bias in machine learning classifiers due to historical discrimination or underrepresentation of minority groups.
method Integrates uplift modeling with decision trees and introduces a modified leaf relabeling approach for fairness.
result Achieves an acceptable accuracy-discrimination tradeoff while maintaining interpretability.
SPADE improves demand forecasting accuracy by 4.5% for post-promotion periods.
problem Overreacting to peak events in demand forecasting leads to biased forecasts.
method SPADE splits forecasting into two tasks: one for peak events and another for post-peak events, using masked convolution filters and a specialized Peak Attention module.
result Overall PPE improvement of 4.5%, 30% improvement for most affected forecasts after promotions and holidays, and 3.9% improvement in PE accuracy.
Noisy matrix completion aims at estimating a low-rank matrix given only partial and corrupted entries. Despite substantial progress in designing efficient estimation algorithms, it remains largely unclear how to assess the uncertainty of the obtained estimates and how to perform statistical inference on the unknown mat…
Paper addresses eigenvector perturbation in small eigen-gap scenarios.
problem Fine-grained behavior of eigenvectors in the presence of small eigen-gaps.
method Develops de-biased estimators for linear functions of an unknown eigenvector.
result Achieves minimax lower bounds for a family of scenarios, even with small eigen-gaps.
The paper introduces a privacy-preserving method for estimating treatment effects that maintains accuracy.
problem Estimating heterogeneous treatment effects in sensitive data while protecting privacy.
method A general meta-algorithm for CATE estimation with differential privacy guarantees, using sample splitting and parallel composition.
result The meta-algorithm maintains accuracy even with differential privacy, showing that most accuracy loss is due to variance increase.
Develops methods to simulate rare transitions in molecular systems.
problem Rare transitions between metastable states in molecular systems are difficult to study due to limited data.
method Two novel methods: chain-based and midpoint-based approaches.
result Demonstrates effectiveness of methods in both data-rich and data-scarce scenarios.
Drawing an inspiration from behavioral studies of human decision making, we propose here a general parametric framework for a reinforcement learning problem, which extends the standard Q-learning approach to incorporate a two-stream framework of reward processing with biases biologically associated with several neurolo…
Previous algorithms for constructing regression tree models for longitudinal and multiresponse data have mostly followed the CART approach. Consequently, they inherit the same selection biases and computational difficulties as CART. We propose an alternative, based on the GUIDE approach, that treats each longitudinal d…
A new algorithm reduces communication in graph-structured VFL.
problem Training GNNs in VFL with interrelated samples.
method Model splitting and lazy aggregation.
result GLASU trains GNNs with reduced communication, matching centralized performance.
Memristors have recently received significant attention as ubiquitous device-level components for building a novel generation of computing systems. These devices have many promising features, such as non-volatility, low power consumption, high density, and excellent scalability. The ability to control and modify biasin…
ICP improves prediction intervals for continuous outcomes at lower computational cost.
problem Systematic bias in point predictions that undermines their use in decision-making.
method Develops Isotonic Conformal Prediction (ICP) framework to decouple calibration from prediction-set construction.
result SICP and TICP procedures match SC-CP coverage at lower computational cost.
Paper explores how knowledge distillation transfers inductive biases between models.
problem Transferring inductive biases between models for tasks with limited data.
method Knowledge distillation applied to models with different inductive biases (LSTMs vs. Transformers, CNNs vs. MLPs).
result Effect of inductive biases is transferred through knowledge distillation, impacting both performance and solution characteristics.
The paper introduces a new model to correct bias in treatment effect estimates due to sample selection.
problem Bias in treatment effect estimates due to sample selection.
method Type 2 Tobit Bayesian Additive Regression Trees (TOBART-2) with Dirichlet Process Mixture distribution and soft trees.
result Corrects bias in treatment effect estimates by accounting for nonlinearities and model uncertainty.
Analyze SGD with biased gradients, improving convergence rates and accuracy.
problem Analyzing the convergence of SGD with biased gradients.
method Derive convergence results for smooth non-convex functions and quantify the impact of bias magnitude.
result Improved rates under the Polyak-Lojasiewicz condition and insights into how bias magnitude affects accuracy and convergence.
The paper tackles bandit problems with biased offline data by using causal methods.
problem Improving bandit algorithms with biased offline data that includes confounding and selection biases.
method Formalizes the problem from a causal perspective, categorizes biases, and derives robust bounds for each arm.
result Causal bounds can guide the bandit agent to learn a nearly-optimal decision policy and consistently reduce asymptotic regret.
Gradient-based methods can be biased by distributional asymmetries in bivariate categorical data.
problem Gradient-based causal discovery methods can be biased by distributional asymmetries in bivariate categorical data.
method Identified and examined two distributional biases: Marginal Distribution Asymmetry and Marginal Distribution Shift Asymmetry. Employed two simple models to demonstrate and control these biases.
result Gradient-based methods can be biased by distributional asymmetries, and these biases can be controlled.
Study shows statistical biases can mislead transformer models, impairing their generalization.
problem Statistical biases in transformers affect their ability to generalize.
method Evaluated transformer models on synthetic algorithmic tasks with varying statistical biases.
result Statistical biases lead to overestimation of transformer models' generalization capabilities.
Machine learning models learn what we teach them to learn. Machine learning is at the heart of recommender systems. If a machine learning model is trained on biased data, the resulting recommender system may reflect the biases in its recommendations. Biases arise at different stages in a recommender system, from existi…
Drawing an inspiration from behavioral studies of human decision making, we propose here a more general and flexible parametric framework for reinforcement learning that extends standard Q-learning to a two-stream model for processing positive and negative rewards, and allows to incorporate a wide range of reward-proce…
Decoding, ie prediction from brain images or signals, calls for empirical evaluation of its predictive power. Such evaluation is achieved via cross-validation, a method also used to tune decoders' hyper-parameters. This paper is a review on cross-validation procedures for decoding in neuroimaging. It includes a didacti…
New oracles improve stochastic optimization with noisy or biased measurements.
problem Optimizing functions with noisy or biased measurements.
method Introduced biased gradient oracles for stochastic optimization, analyzed RSG and SGD algorithms with these oracles.
result Derived non-asymptotic bounds for convergence rates of algorithms with biased gradient oracles.
Study identifies and measures biases in legal case data.
problem Addressing representation biases and sentencing disparities in legal case data.
method Utilizes two regression models: a baseline and a fair judge model.
result Quantifies biases across demographic groups in criminal data from Cook County (Illinois).
Study reveals biases in ImageNet models are not sufficient for generalization.
problem Understanding and improving generalization of image classification models.
method Large-scale study of 48 ImageNet models trained via various methods.
result Biases identified in ImageNet models do not fully explain generalization.
New method improves model robustness to biased data.
problem Learning unbiased models from biased datasets.
method Developed epsilon-SupInfoNCE and FairKL losses.
result Improved performance on biased datasets.
New method learns collective variables using autoencoders for molecular simulations.
problem Learning low-dimensional slow degrees of freedom (collective variables) for molecular simulations.
method Iterative method involving CV learning with autoencoders and reweighting scheme.
result Achieves convergence of learned collective variables.
The monotonic linear interpolation in deep networks often leads to plateaus, revealing biases in optimization.
problem Plateaus in the optimization landscape of deep networks during monotonic linear interpolation.
method Investigated monotonic linear interpolation on deep neural networks, focusing on biases in weights and biases.
result Interpolating weights and biases differently can lead to significant differences in loss and accuracy, revealing biases in optimization.
SPlit optimizes dataset splitting for better model performance.
problem Improving model performance through optimal dataset splitting.
method Adapting Support Points (SP) algorithm for subsampling and categorical variables in a sequential nearest neighbor approach.
result SPlit significantly improves worst-case testing performance compared to random splitting.
The paper extends keenness concept to bridge splittings and finds conditions for existence.
problem Extending keenness concept to bridge splittings and finding conditions for existence.
method Extending the concept of keenness to bridge splittings and proving existence conditions.
result Existence of strongly keen (g,b)-splitting of a link with distance n for certain integers g, b, and n. MOB-dS uses permutation to correct for dependency in discrete survival data.
problem Identifying subgroups in discrete event time data with potential spurious results.
method Model-based recursive partitioning (MOB) with modified data matrix and permutation test.
result MOB-dS controls type I error rate better than standard MOB for discrete survival data.
Non-split almost complex supermanifolds and non-split Riemannian supermanifolds are studied. The first obstacle for a splitting is parametrized by group orbits on an infinite dimensional vector space. Further it is shown that non-split structures appear in the first case as deformations of a split reduction and in the …
Study flippable Heegaard splittings in Seifert fibered spaces.
problem Identifying flippable Heegaard splittings in Seifert fibered spaces.
method Examining isotopies that interchange Heegaard splitting sides in Seifert fibered spaces.
result Characterized which Heegaard splittings are flippable in Seifert fibered spaces.