A novel graph spectral method for mixed categorical and numerical data.
problem Feature learning for mixed data types (numerical and categorical).
method Graph spectral decomposition of the graph Laplacian to model probabilistic dependence structure.
result Increased separability and clusterability of observations in the transformed feature space.
StructureBoost improves gradient boosting for complex categorical variables efficiently.
problem Efficiently handling complex categorical variables with known structure.
method Two methods to overcome computational obstacles in SCDT enumeration for structured categorical variables.
result StructureBoost outperforms existing packages on complex categorical problems.
Spectral clustering adapted for mixed data types without preprocessing.
problem Clustering mixed data types (numerical and categorical).
method Adding extra nodes for categories, leading to a linear-time algorithm.
result Linear-time spectral clustering for categorical-only data.
Natural Language Processing models help encode categorical process inputs.
problem Encoding categorical variables in industrial process modeling.
method Using NLP models for categorical variable encoding, combined with dimensionality reduction.
result Meaningful embeddings of categorical variables improve feature importance.
A new method clusters categorical data by learning their optimal order and distance.
problem Clustering categorical data lacks a well-defined metric space.
method Order distance metric learning for categorical data.
result Superior clustering accuracy on categorical and mixed datasets.
Paper proposes embedding models to capture semantic similarities of categorical attributes in financial bonds.
problem Challenges in finding similar bonds due to overshadowing of categorical non-financial attributes.
method Embedding models to capture semantic similarities of categorical attributes.
result Improves risk modeling and curve construction via sparse-issuer augmentation.
CADM proposes a cluster-specific distance metric for categorical data clustering.
problem Inadequate distance metrics for categorical data, especially varying within clusters.
method Cluster-customized adaptive distance metric for categorical data.
result Achieved competitive performance in categorical data clustering.
This paper proposes a method to reduce complexity in GLMs with categorical predictors.
problem Wasteful, hard-to-interpret, and prone to overfitting of traditional one-hot encoding for high-cardinality categorical predictors.
method Clustering categories of categorical predictors through a numerical method that preserves or improves accuracy while reducing the number of coefficients.
result Clustering categories of categorical predictors reduces complexity substantially without harming accuracy.
CPML efficiently learns new metrics for categorical data.
problem Metric learning for categorical data.
method CPML (categorical projected metric learning) using Schatten p-norms.
result CPML provides efficient metric learning with improved accuracy.
The article compares predictor importance in classification problems with categorical outcomes.
problem Comparing predictor importance in classification problems with categorical response variables.
method The approach is based on the categorical Gini correlation (CGC) and tests differences in CGCs across predictor groups.
result The proposed methodology accommodates predictors of arbitrary and unequal dimensions and allows for dependence between predictor groups.
nTreeClus clusters categorical sequences using tree-based learners and k-mers.
problem Challenges in clustering categorical and sequential data.
method nTreeClus uses Tree-based Learners, k-mers, and autoregressive models for categorical time series.
result nTreeClus outperformed baseline methods in various validation metrics.
Datasets with a mixture of numerical and categorical attributes are routinely encountered in many application domains. In this work we examine an approach to clustering such datasets using homogeneity analysis. Homogeneity analysis determines a euclidean representation of the data. This can be analyzed by leveraging th…
Researchers study the normalizing constant of a continuous categorical distribution.
problem Understanding the normalizing constant of the continuous categorical distribution.
method Characterize numerical behavior and present theoretical and methodological advances.
result The normalizing constant can be written in closed form using elementary functions.
The paper proposes a method to analyze categorical feature interactions in large datasets using graph covariance and LLMs.
problem Analyzing complex datasets with numerous categorical features and timestamps.
method Binarization of categorical features using one-hot encoding, computation of graph covariance, identifying significant feature pairs, and using LLMs to generate explanations.
result The method identifies meaningful feature pairs and potential data stories underlying categorical feature interactions.
Imputation with missing-indicators improves machine learning performance, especially for categorical attributes.
problem Missing values in datasets can be lost through imputation, potentially reducing model performance.
method Combines missing-indicator approach with imputation strategies on real datasets.
result Missing-indicators generally increase classification performance, especially for categorical attributes.
WE constructs GP kernels for mixed inputs using weighted EDMs.
problem Limitation of standard GP models in handling categorical variables.
method WEGP constructs kernel function using weighted EDMs for categorical inputs.
result WEGP improves GP model accuracy in both synthetic and real-world optimization problems.
Cluster analysis is one of the essential tasks in data mining and knowledge discovery. Each type of data poses unique challenges in achieving relatively efficient partitioning of the data into homogeneous groups. While the algorithms for numeric data are relatively well studied in the literature, there are still challe…
A new, efficient k-modes algorithm improves clustering of categorical data.
problem Clustering categorical data using existing methods like k-means is inefficient. method Developed a novel k-modes algorithm called OTQT, which improves on existing methods. result OTQT finds more accurate clusters per iteration and is faster overall.
Applied Data Scientists throughout various industries are commonly faced with the challenging task of encoding high-cardinality categorical features into digestible inputs for machine learning algorithms. This paper describes a Bayesian encoding technique developed for WeWork's lead scoring engine which outputs the pro…
Study examines how discretization affects anomaly detection in datasets.
problem Detecting six types of anomalies in datasets using different discretization methods.
method Conducted experiments with SECODA, a general-purpose algorithm for unsupervised anomaly detection.
result Different discretization methods favor the discovery of certain anomaly types.
Regularized target encoding beats traditional methods for high cardinality features in ML.
problem Efficiently encoding high cardinality categorical variables for ML algorithms.
method Regularized target encoding compared to traditional encodings like integer and one-hot encoding.
result Regularized target encoding consistently provided the best results in a large-scale benchmark experiment.
Novel simplex-valued distribution improves on existing models.
problem Limitations of existing simplex-valued distributions like Dirichlet.
method Introducing continuous categorical distribution.
result Continuous categorical resolves limitations of Dirichlet.
A framework for measuring differences in categorical data.
problem Measuring differences between categorical variables.
method Introduces a general framework for efficient and flexible implementation of distances for categorical variables.
result Framework allows for incorporation of existing distances and introduces new formulations.
Enhanced Bayesian target encoding uses sampling techniques to improve model performance.
problem Improving target encoding for better model performance in machine learning.
method Using sampling techniques in Bayesian target encoding to extract intra-category distribution information.
result Improves generalization and reduces target leakage in machine learning models.
ForecastGAN improves multi-horizon time series forecasting by integrating numerical and categorical features.
problem Limited performance of existing approaches in short-term and long-term forecasting.
method Decomposition, model selection, adversarial training.
result ForecastGAN consistently outperforms state-of-the-art transformer models for short-term forecasting.
New optimization algorithm for mixed-variable problems improves efficiency.
problem Optimizing functions with both continuous and categorical variables.
method Combines radial basis function and metric stochastic response surface methods with modifications for categorical variables and parallel processing.
result Numerical experiments show the effectiveness of the proposed modifications.
Paper defines XAI concepts using category theory.
problem Lack of precise mathematical definitions for XAI.
method Uses Category theory to define XAI concepts rigorously.
result Establishes a theoretical foundation for XAI.
Benchmarking AutoML for tables with text fields, achieving top performance.
problem Evaluating automated learning systems for tables with text fields.
method Publicly available benchmark with 18 datasets varying in size, types, and feature composition.
result Stack ensembling a multimodal Transformer with various tree models achieved top performance.
A hybrid model for Bayesian optimization handles mixed variables using MCTS for categorical and GP for continuous.
problem Optimizing functions with mixed variable types (continuous, integer, categorical).
method Merges MCTS for categorical and GP for continuous variables, integrates UCTS search strategy, and dynamically selects kernels.
result Hybrid models outperform traditional methods in Bayesian optimization.
Quasi-orthonormal encoding reduces high dimensionality for categorical data.
problem High dimensionality and low sample size issues in categorical data encoding.
method Quasi-orthonormal encoding (QOE) for categorical data.
result QOE reduces dimensionality and improves machine learning performance.
Decision trees have been a very popular class of predictive models for decades due to their interpretability and good performance on categorical features. However, they are not always robust and tend to overfit the data. Additionally, if allowed to grow large, they lose interpretability. In this paper, we present a mix…
VAIOM models financial returns using continuous input and categorical output.
problem Modeling continuous, noisy, and heterogeneous financial data.
method VAIOM is a decoder-only Transformer that separates input representation from output likelihood.
result VAIOM models outperform fixed single-bar LightGBM baseline in both Test halves.
MSTREAM detects anomalies in multi-aspect data streams.
problem Detecting unusual group anomalies in dynamic multi-aspect data.
method Online streaming multi-aspect anomaly detection framework.
result MSTREAM outperforms state-of-the-art baselines.
Decision forests learn to model text by evaluating categorical-set conditions.
problem Decision forests cannot directly model text features.
method Defined and learned conditions for categorical-set features, enabling efficient text modeling.
result Decision forests can now directly model text features.
Categorical bundles provide a natural framework for gauge theories involving multiple gauge groups. Unlike the case of traditional bundles there are distinct notions of triviality, and hence also of local triviality, for categorical bundles. We study categorical principal bundles that are product bundles in the categor…
Proposes a novel Out-of-Bag anomaly detection method for ML systems.
problem Challenges of detecting data anomalies in real-world datasets.
method Model-based approach decomposing unsupervised problem into ensemble models using Out-of-Bag estimates.
result Demonstrates state-of-the-art performance and improved accuracy in ML systems.
DPERC efficiently estimates covariance matrices for mixed data with missing values.
problem Estimating covariance matrices for datasets with missing values and mixed features.
method Direct Parameter Estimation for Randomly Missing Data with Categorical Features (DPERC).
result DPERC outperforms other methods in estimating covariance matrices for mixed data with missing values.
Mixed datasets consist of both numeric and categorical attributes. Various k-means-based clustering algorithms have been developed for these datasets. Generally, these algorithms use random partition as a starting point, which tends to produce different clustering results for different runs. In this paper, we propose, …
AdOBEst-LDP improves privacy-preserving frequency estimation for categorical data.
problem Estimating categorical distributions online while preserving privacy.
method AdOBEst-LDP uses adaptive randomized response mechanism to enhance future data utility.
result AdOBEst-LDP selects optimal subset for LDP mechanism with high probability.
Bayesian model improves categorization of explosions from sparse data.
problem Challenges in categorizing explosions from limited data.
method Bayesian update to Event Categorization Matrix model with Bayesian Decision Theory.
result Consistent gains in overall accuracy and lower false negative rates.
Nowadays processing of Big Security Data, such as log messages, is commonly used for intrusion detection purposed. Its heterogeneous nature, as well as combination of numerical and categorical attributes does not allow to apply the existing data mining methods directly on the data without feature preprocessing. Therefo…
UNTIE learns representations of coupled categorical data.
problem Challenges in learning from unlabeled categorical data with complex couplings.
method UNTIE approach for unsupervised representation learning of heterogeneous couplings.
result UNTIE significantly improves categorical data representations on 25 diverse datasets.
Paper introduces Categorical Normalizing Flows for better handling of categorical data.
problem Limited application of normalizing flows on categorical data due to lack of intrinsic order.
method Categorical Normalizing Flows use continuous transformations to model latent relations in categorical data, optimizing both continuous representation and model likelihood.
result GraphCNF, a permutation-invariant generative model, outperforms state-of-the-art on molecule generation.
The paper shows how integrating categorical semantics can enhance unsupervised domain translation.
problem Improving unsupervised domain translation between perceptually different domains.
method Learning invariant categorical semantic features in an unsupervised manner and conditioning them on the style encoder.
result Conditioning the style encoder on learned categorical semantics improves translation and stylization.
Categorical variables are a natural choice for representing discrete structure in the world. However, stochastic neural networks rarely use categorical latent variables due to the inability to backpropagate through samples. In this work, we present an efficient gradient estimator that replaces the non-differentiable sa…
A new method generates mixed-type features in tabular data with improved realism and accuracy.
problem Generating mixed-type features combining discrete and continuous data is challenging.
method A cascaded approach: first generates low-resolution categorical and coarse numerical features, then uses these in a high-resolution flow matching model.
result The model significantly improves detection scores, generating more realistic samples and capturing distributional details.
Study categorizes mutual funds using natural language processing from unstructured data.
problem Categorizing mutual funds using unstructured data for financial analysis.
method Used natural language processing models to classify mutual funds from their investment strategy descriptions.
result High accuracy in categorizing mutual funds using NLP from unstructured data.
Develops 2-categorical methods for multi-parameter persistence.
problem Fundamental limitations of traditional persistence modules.
method 2-categorical structures to capture hierarchical interactions.
result New invariants effectively characterize multidimensional topological features.