Optimizes choice sets to influence group decisions.
problem Maximizing agreement or disagreement in group decisions.
method Discrete choice modeling to develop optimization framework.
result Promoting a choice can be easier than encouraging consensus or discord.
The paper proposes a new method to learn choice functions using Pareto-embeddings.
problem Learning subset choices from feature vectors.
method Embedding choice alternatives into a higher-dimensional utility space and identifying choice sets with Pareto-optimal points. Minimizing a differentiable loss function.
result The feasibility of learning a Pareto-embedding demonstrated on benchmark datasets.
Many applications in preference learning assume that decisions come from the maximization of a stable utility function. Yet a large experimental literature shows that individual choices and judgements can be affected by "irrelevant" aspects of the context in which they are made. An important class of such contexts is t…
Optimal payoff choice constrained by Bregman-Wasserstein divergence.
problem Maximizing utility under a deviation constraint from a benchmark.
method Solving the problem using Bregman-Wasserstein divergence with a convex function φ.
result Provided the optimal payoff choice in this setting.
Proposes new methods for Markov chain choice models with panel data.
problem Dependence among transactions for the same customer in historical data.
method Expectation-maximization (EM) algorithms incorporating partial-ordering preference information.
result EM algorithms outperform traditional methods on synthetic and real datasets.
Paper characterizes MDM for consumer choice modeling and prediction.
problem Modeling consumer choice behavior with parsimonious models.
method Establishes necessary and sufficient conditions for MDM consistency.
result Characterization leads to exact set of representable choice probabilities.
RCPO uses ranked choice modeling for better LLM alignment.
problem Pairwise preference optimization limits LLM alignment.
method Unified framework combining preference optimization and ranked choice modeling.
result RCPO outperforms competitive baselines in LLM alignment.
Optimal portfolio yields a digital option payoff.
problem Portfolio optimization under generalized dual theory of choice.
method Characterized optimal solution and derived it in closed form.
result Payoff is a digital option that yields in-the-money payoff in good market scenarios.
CROQ optimizes LLM decision-making by narrowing down choices and improving accuracy.
problem Uncertainty in LLM outputs poses risks in high-stakes domains.
method Conformal prediction (CP) and optimization (CP-OPT) to minimize prediction set sizes.
result CROQ improves LLM accuracy, especially with CP-OPT.
This survey reviews portfolio choice in settings where investment opportunities are stochastic due to, e.g., stochastic volatility or return predictability. It is explained how to heuristically compute candidate optimal portfolios using tools from stochastic control, and how to rigorously verify their optimality by mea…
Develops deep learning models for choice modeling.
problem Computational intractability and sample inefficiency in existing choice model learning methods.
method Deep learning-based choice models in two settings: feature-free and feature-based.
result Demonstrates improved recovery of existing choice models and reduced sample complexity.
Decision maker's preferences are often captured by some choice functions which are used to rank prospects. In this paper, we consider ambiguity in choice functions over a multi-attribute prospect space. Our main result is a robust preference model where the optimal decision is based on the worst-case choice function fr…
We consider optimal consumption and portfolio choice in the presence of Knightian uncertainty in continuous-time. We embed the problem into the new framework of stochastic calculus for such settings, dealing in particular with the issue of non-equivalent multiple priors. We solve the problem completely by identifying t…
The paper suggests using derivatives instead of stocks for better utility and risk management.
problem The use of stocks in portfolio construction is challenged.
method The study uses the Black--Scholes--Merton setting to demonstrate the benefits of derivatives for maximizing utility and minimizing risk.
result Two derivatives are sufficient to maximize utility and minimize risk exposure in a two-asset portfolio.
This paper solves optimal consumption-investment choices with wealth-driven risk aversion using neural networks.
problem Optimal consumption-investment choices under wealth-driven risk aversion.
method Neural network LSTM trained on jump-diffusion model data to optimize investment rate and consumption.
result Neural network approach shows promising results in solving the investment problem.
Proposes robust assortment optimization from observational data.
problem Real-world scenarios often violate assumptions of stable customer preferences and correct choice models.
method Develops a robust framework that accounts for potential distributional shifts in customer choice behavior.
result Uncovered the notion of ``robust item-wise coverage'' as the minimal data requirement for sample-efficient robust assortment learning.
We consider a novel setting of zeroth order non-convex optimization, where in addition to querying the function value at a given point, we can also duel two points and get the point with the larger function value. We refer to this setting as optimization with dueling-choice bandits since both direct queries and duels a…
Assuming that agents' preferences satisfy first-order stochastic dominance, we show how the Expected Utility paradigm can rationalize all optimal investment choices: the optimal investment strategy in any behavioral law-invariant (state-independent) setting corresponds to the optimum for an expected utility maximizer w…
Paper analyzes GP-EI for Bayesian optimization with no regret and provides guidance on choosing incumbents.
problem Analyzing cumulative regret of GP-EI with different incumbents in noisy Bayesian optimization.
method Analyzes GP-EI with three incumbents (BPMI, BSPMI, BOI) in both SE and Matérn kernels, proving no-regret for BPMI and BSPMI.
result GP-EI with BPMI and BSPMI is a no-regret algorithm for both SE and Matérn kernels, providing theoretical guidance for choosing incumbents.
Many investment models in discrete or continuous-time settings boil down to maximizing an objective of the quantile function of the decision variable. This quantile optimization problem is known as the quantile formulation of the original investment problem. Under certain monotonicity assumptions, several schemes to so…
PASTA optimizes assortment selection using pessimism principle.
problem Optimizing assortment selection with limited data coverage.
method Pessimistic Assortment Optimization (PASTA) based on the principle of pessimism.
result PASTA correctly identifies optimal assortment with minimal data coverage.
Paper tackles RLHF with DCPPO method, proving near-optimal suboptimality.
problem Challenges in offline RLHF with limited human feedback and bounded rationality.
method DCPPO method involving three stages: MLE, reward function recovery, and pessimistic value iteration.
result DCPPO's suboptimality almost matches classical pessimistic offline RL in terms of distribution shift and dimension.
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.
Study on Spanish households' investment choices in housing, deposits, and stocks.
problem Investment decisions of Spanish households in housing, deposits, and stocks.
method Theoretical model considering indivisible and illiquid housing assets, financial constraints, and actual choices compared.
result Households underinvest in stocks and deposits compared to optimal choices, but mortgage investments are efficient.
Optimizes assortment decisions with a new OFU scheme for online choice problems.
problem Online assortment optimization under stochastic choice with revenue performance and inference quality considerations.
method Forced-exploration OFU scheme combining regularized estimators for decision making and inference.
result Explicit regret bound and error bounds for approximate optimistic actions, showing Pareto optimality.
Study optimizes crowdfunding platform offerings based on customer behavior.
problem Maximizing crowdfunding platform revenue through optimal product assortment.
method Multinomial logit model and machine learning methods (multivariate regression, classification) for revenue prediction.
result Optimal assortments can significantly increase platform revenue.
Discrete choice models are commonly used by applied statisticians in numerous fields, such as marketing, economics, finance, and operations research. When agents in discrete choice models are assumed to have differing preferences, exact inference is often intractable. Markov chain Monte Carlo techniques make approximat…
While a user's preference is directly reflected in the interactive choice process between her and the recommender, this wealth of information was not fully exploited for learning recommender models. In particular, existing collaborative filtering (CF) approaches take into account only the binary events of user actions …
Algorithm finds optimal regularizers for online linear optimization.
problem Finding optimal regularizers to minimize regret in online linear optimization.
method Algorithm takes input sets and outputs an optimal regularizer for FTRL.
result Algorithm guarantees regret within a constant factor of the best possible learning algorithm.
Optimal kernel in KR can be data-dependent, improving model performance.
problem Fixed kernel in KR limits model performance.
method Considered data-dependent kernels for KR, using posterior covariance.
result Data-dependent kernel choice leads to optimal performance.
In the multiple changepoint setting, various search methods have been proposed which involve optimising either a constrained or penalised cost function over possible numbers and locations of changepoints using dynamic programming. Such methods are typically computationally intensive. Recent work in the penalised optimi…
Specifying utility functions is a key step towards applying the discrete choice framework for understanding the behaviour processes that govern user choices. However, identifying the utility function specifications that best model and explain the observed choices can be a very challenging and time-consuming task. This …
Assortment optimization is an important problem that arises in many industries such as retailing and online advertising where the goal is to find a subset of products from a universe of substitutable products which maximize seller's expected revenue. One of the key challenges in this problem is to model the customer su…
Revisits PPO design choices, exposing failure modes and proposing alternatives.
problem Failure modes of standard PPO in new environments.
method Revisits standard PPO design choices, exposes failure modes, and proposes alternative approaches.
result Alternative design choices prevent failure modes in new environments.
Bayesian methods detect significant IIA violations in similarity choice data.
problem Detecting IIA violations in similarity choice data complicates classical models.
method Proposed two statistical methods: classical goodness-of-fit test and Bayesian PPC.
result Significant IIA violations confirmed in both datasets, driven by context effects.
New research shows testing IIA in discrete choice is nearly impossible with current sample sizes.
problem Testing the Independence of Irrelevant Alternatives (IIA) in discrete choice models is challenging.
method Combinatorial analysis of Eulerian orientations of cycle decompositions of a bipartite graph.
result Any general test for IIA with low worst-case error requires an exponential number of samples in the number of alternatives.
Simple algorithms identify best items or full rankings from choice-based feedback.
problem Learning to identify the best item or full ranking from choice-based feedback.
method Nested Elimination (NE) and Nested Partition (NP) algorithms.
result NE is worst-case asymptotically optimal, NP is optimal up to a constant factor.
Incremental methods for structure learning of pairwise Markov random fields (MRFs), such as grafting, improve scalability by avoiding inference over the entire feature space in each optimization step. Instead, inference is performed over an incrementally grown active set of features. In this paper, we address key compu…
Optimal portfolio choice with cross-impact propagators, solving complex equations.
problem Maximizing revenue-risk in a continuous-time portfolio choice problem with cross-impact.
method Formulated as a maximization problem, solved explicitly using operator resolvents and stochastic Fredholm equations.
result Sufficient conditions for the absence of price manipulation, providing financial insights.
Optimizes control of hybrid systems with multiple switching processes.
problem Optimal control of hybrid systems with multiple Markov switching processes.
method Combines two separate Markov chains into one synthetic chain, derives HJB equations, and solves the portfolio choice problem.
result Derives explicit solutions and value functions for the optimal control problem.
New model improves website ranking by considering user choices as a whole.
problem Optimizing content ordering for user clicks in website design.
method Introduced multinomial logit (MNL) choice model to LTR framework, proposing UCB algorithms.
result Proved theoretical bounds on regret for UCB algorithms in both known and unknown position parameter settings.
Study optimal portfolio choice with risk control for log-returns.
problem Optimal portfolio choice with risk management in continuous-time markets.
method Characterized optimal terminal wealth using concave envelope, derived analytical expressions for optimal wealth and policy, found efficient frontier.
result Efficient frontier is concave curve connecting minimum-risk to growth-optimal portfolios, not a vertical line.
I discuss some theoretical results with a view to motivate some practical choices in portfolio optimization. Even though the setting is not completely general (for example, the covariance matrix is assumed to be non-singular), I attempt to highlight the features that have practical relevance. The mathematical setting i…
Different optimizer choices lead to different financial model predictions.
problem The impact of optimizer choice on neural network models in financial time series.
method Analysis of large-scale volatility forecasting for S&P 500 stocks using various model-training-pipeline pairs.
result Optimizer choice reshapes non-linear response profiles and temporal dependence in financial models, leading to different functional outcomes.
We introduce a semi-supervised discrete choice model to calibrate discrete choice models when relatively few requests have both choice sets and stated preferences but the majority only have the choice sets. Two classic semi-supervised learning algorithms, the expectation maximization algorithm and the cluster-and-label…
New method discovers context effects in choice data.
problem Identifying context effects from choice data is challenging.
method Automatic discovery of context effects from observed choices.
result Automatic discovery of context effects from observed choices.
Two approaches integrate qualitative views into portfolio optimization, showing aggregation methods outperform robust optimization.
problem Incorporating qualitative views into portfolio optimization models.
method Robust optimization and order aggregation methods.
result Aggregation methods outperform robust optimization in portfolio performance analysis.
A new method reduces high-dimensional state space for dynamic choice models.
problem Estimation of dynamic discrete choice models is computationally intensive and infeasible in high-dimensional settings.
method Recursive partitioning algorithm to reduce dimensionality of high-dimensional state space.
result Our method reduces estimation bias and makes estimation feasible.