The paper tackles policy learning in dynamic environments using causal methods.
problem Existing reinforcement learning algorithms assume static mechanisms, but real-world systems often have changing mechanisms.
method The paper introduces multi-environment contextual bandits and policy invariance to handle environmental shifts.
result An optimal invariant policy is guaranteed to generalize across environments under suitable assumptions.
New approach improves cross-domain recommendation for sparse target domains.
problem Cross-domain recommendation challenges with sparse target domains.
method Guided neural collaborative filtering with domain-invariant components across dense and sparse domains.
result Effective and scalable approach demonstrated on public and Visa datasets.
New findings on universal learning in contextual bandits with adversarial rewards.
problem Learning in contextual bandits with time-varying, adversarial rewards.
method Characterization of learnable processes and necessary/sufficient conditions for universal learning.
result Optimistic universal learning for contextual bandits with adversarial rewards is impossible in general.
Method learns evolving policies in healthcare contexts.
problem Understanding non-stationary behavior in evolving decision-making processes.
method Inverse Contextual Bandits (ICB) approach for learning interpretable representations of non-stationary behavior.
result Demonstrated applicability and accuracy of ICB method in liver transplantation policies.
Contextualized ML learns context-dependent effects using deep learning.
problem Learning heterogeneous and context-dependent effects in data.
method Applying deep learning to the meta-relationship between contextual information and context-specific parametric models.
result Unified framework for cluster analysis and cohort modeling.
IDS improves reinforcement learning with contextual information.
problem Optimizing IDS for contextual reinforcement learning.
method Investigated contextual bandit problems and proposed a computationally-efficient IDS.
result Contextual IDS outperforms conditional IDS by considering future contexts.
SADCBO optimizes contextual variables by balancing relevance and cost.
problem Optimizing contextual variables with varying costs and unknown relevance.
method Adaptive selection of relevant contextual variables using sensitivity analysis and early stopping.
result Consistent improvement in optimization across various examples.
The bundle approach and n-contextuality reveal quantum model contextuality.
problem Understanding contextuality in quantum models using topology.
method Using the bundle approach, we describe contextuality as the non-existence of global sections in the measure bundle. We introduce n-contextuality to explore model dependence on scenario topology.
result Quantum theory and GHZ models exhibit all levels of n-contextuality, showing contextuality is related to holonomy group non-triviality.
Proposes a neural network for contextual regression.
problem Improving model efficiency and interpretability in regression with contextual features.
method Simple contextual neural network (SCtxtNN) that separates context identification from context-specific regression.
result SCtxtNN achieves lower excess mean squared error and more stable performance than feed-forward neural networks.
Paper tackles domain adaptation for contextual bandits with sub-linear regret.
problem Adapting contextual bandit algorithms across domains with distribution shift.
method Learn a bandit model for the target domain using feedback from the source domain.
result Sub-linear regret bound maintained across domains.
Transformers model contextual relations using probabilistic measures, revealing their expressive power.
problem Lack of clear understanding of Transformer's ability to model contextual relations.
method Introduced a measure-theoretic framework connecting softmax attention and entropy-regularized optimal transport.
result Transformer architectures can approximate arbitrary contextual relations, and the choice of normalization affects how these relations are represented.
Paper solves stochastic contextual linear bandits using linear bandit algorithms.
problem Stochastic contextual linear bandits with unknown context distribution.
method Establishes a reduction framework to convert to linear bandit problems.
result Achieves nearly optimal regret bound of O ( d T log T ) O(d\sqrt{T\log T}) O ( d T log T ) . The study explores whether model selection guarantees apply to contextual bandits.
problem Applying model selection guarantees to contextual bandits.
method Investigates whether similar guarantees for model selection in statistical learning can be extended to contextual bandit learning.
result Initial findings suggest that model selection guarantees may not directly apply to contextual bandits.
Faster algorithm reduces contextual bandit regret with fewer offline regression calls.
problem Optimizing reward in contextual bandits with unknown functions.
method Designing a simple algorithm with O ( log T ) {O}(\log T) O ( log T ) offline regression calls. result Achieves statistically optimal regret with minimal offline calls.
Efficiently handles contextual bandits with diffusion models.
problem Challenges in online decision-making with contextual bandits.
method Leverage pre-trained diffusion models as priors to capture action dependencies.
result Developed an algorithm for efficient posterior approximation.
This study analyzes how RNNs process context in sentiment analysis.
problem Understanding how recurrent neural networks process context in sentiment analysis.
method Developed methods to reverse engineer RNNs, identifying contextual effects and quantifying their strength and timescale.
result Identified inputs that induce contextual effects and quantified their properties.
Thompson Sampling bounds for contextual bandits with sub-Gaussian rewards.
problem Improving the performance of Thompson Sampling in contextual bandits with sub-Gaussian rewards.
method Proved comprehensive bounds on Thompson Sampling expected cumulative regret based on mutual information and lifted information ratio for sub-Gaussian rewards.
result Explicit regret bounds for various contextual bandit scenarios.
CADR estimator improves inference for contextual bandit data.
problem Valid inference on contextual bandit data.
method CADR estimator for policy value, addressing adaptive data collection challenges.
result CADR provides correct coverage of confidence intervals.
New algorithm learns optimal exploration parameters for contextual bandits.
problem Learning optimal exploration in contextual bandits.
method Proposes two algorithms that learn optimal exploration parameters online based on context and reward.
result Demonstrates improved performance in learning optimal exploration compared to traditional methods.
The paper tackles learning varying DAG structures based on contextual features.
problem Learning a single DAG for the entire population from observational data.
method A neural network that maps contextual features to a weighted adjacency matrix of a DAG, with a projection layer to ensure acyclicity.
result The new approach can recover context-specific DAGs where existing methods fail.
A method for unsupervised contextual anomaly detection is proposed using a cross-linked pair of Variational Auto-Encoders for assigning a normality score to an observation. The method enables a distinct separation of contextual from behavioral attributes and is robust to the presence of anomalous or novel contextual at…
A framework for auto-tuning hyper-parameters in contextual bandit algorithms.
problem Auto-tuning hyper-parameters in real-time for contextual bandit algorithms.
method Proposes a Syndicated Bandits framework to learn multiple hyper-parameters dynamically.
result Achieves optimal regret bounds under certain scenarios and handles multiple contextual bandit algorithms.
New algorithm improves learning efficiency in multi-task contextual bandits.
problem Improving learning efficiency in multi-task contextual bandits.
method Alternating projected gradient descent (GD) and minimization estimator for low-rank feature matrix recovery.
result Proved regret bound for multi-task learning algorithm.
We consider the stochastic linear (multi-armed) contextual bandit problem with the possibility of hidden simple multi-armed bandit structure in which the rewards are independent of the contextual information. Algorithms that are designed solely for one of the regimes are known to be sub-optimal for the alternate regime…
New algorithm for contextual dueling bandits achieves nearly optimal regret.
problem Contextual dueling bandits with feedback on preferred options.
method Proposes FGTS.CDB, a Thompson sampling algorithm for linear contextual dueling bandits.
result Achieves nearly minimax-optimal regret of i l d e O ( d T ) ilde{\mathcal{O}}(d\sqrt T) i l d e O ( d T ) . New method for contextual bandit with missing rewards.
problem Contextual bandit with missing rewards in online settings.
method Combining contextual bandit approach with unsupervised learning (clustering) to estimate missing rewards.
result Promising empirical results on real-life datasets.
The paper tackles minimax optimality in continuum contextual bandits with Hölder continuity.
problem Minimizing regret in a continuum of contexts with Hölder continuity.
method Proves a static-to-contextual regret conversion theorem and analyzes various dependency cases.
result Achieves minimax optimal contextual regret for convex and strongly convex bandits.
LMC-TS uses MCMC for efficient posterior sampling in contextual bandits.
problem Efficiency of Thompson sampling for high-dimensional contextual bandits.
method Langevin Monte Carlo for direct posterior sampling.
result LMC-TS achieves sublinear regret bound for linear contextual bandits.
New method for contextual bandits with corrupted context.
problem Contextual bandits with corrupted context in online settings.
method Combining contextual bandit and multi-armed bandit approaches.
result Improved learning from all iterations, including corrupted ones.
Proposes a new algorithm for graph-based semi-parametric contextual bandits.
problem Non-stationarity in human behavior and social interaction.
method SemiGraphTS algorithm for graph-based semi-parametric reward model.
result Derives an upper bound of cumulative regret for graph-based semi-parametric model.
Contextual bandit algorithms provide principled online learning solutions to balance the exploitation-exploration trade-off in various applications such as recommender systems. However, the learning speed of the traditional contextual bandit algorithms is often slow due to the need for extensive exploration. This poses…
New algorithm estimates treatment effects for more efficient contextual bandits.
problem Contextual bandits struggle with action-independent reward redundancies.
method Reduces contextual bandits to heterogeneous treatment effect estimation.
result Heterogeneous treatment effect estimation leads to more efficient model estimation.
New algorithm for contextual bandits with linear constraints using regression.
problem Contextual bandits with packing and covering constraints.
method Modular Lagrangian approach via regression.
result First vanishing-regret guarantees for CBwLC (or CBwK).
Contextual information helps identify the best arm more efficiently.
problem Best arm identification with contextual covariate information.
method Proposed a context-aware version of the 'Track-and-Stop' strategy.
result Expected number of arm draws matches lower bound asymptotically.
A simple algorithm reduces federated contextual linear bandits' regret efficiently.
problem Solving federated contextual linear bandits with asynchronous agents.
method Proposed a simple algorithm exttt{FedLinUCB} based on optimism principle.
result Proved exttt{FedLinUCB} has bounded regret i l d e O ( d ∑ m = 1 M T m ) ilde{O}(d\sqrt{\sum_{m=1}^M T_m}) i l d e O ( d ∑ m = 1 M T m ) and communication complexity i l d e O ( d M 2 ) ilde{O}(dM^2) i l d e O ( d M 2 ) . A new algorithm avoids worst-case outcomes in risky contexts.
problem Risk-averse behavior in contextual bandits is challenging.
method Developed a first risk-averse contextual bandit algorithm with online regret guarantees.
result First algorithm with an online regret guarantee for risk-averse contextual bandits.
Contextual bandit algorithms are sensitive to the estimation method of the outcome model as well as the exploration method used, particularly in the presence of rich heterogeneity or complex outcome models, which can lead to difficult estimation problems along the path of learning. We study a consideration for the expl…
New action poisoning attacks improve LinUCB's performance by changing action signals.
problem Improving understanding of adversarial attacks on contextual bandit algorithms.
method Proposed action poisoning attacks in white-box and black-box settings.
result Action poisoning attacks can force LinUCB to pull a target arm frequently with low cost.
We consider an online decision making setting known as contextual bandit problem, and propose an approach for improving contextual bandit performance by using an adaptive feature extraction (representation learning) based on online clustering. Our approach starts with an off-line pre-training on unlabeled history of co…
Bayesian method infers contextual bandit policies robustly.
problem Inference of contextual bandit policies in small sample sizes.
method Empirical likelihood for Bayesian inference.
result Accurate uncertainty measurements and policy comparison.
First robust bandit algorithm for contextual bandits with sub-linear regret.
problem Vulnerability of linear contextual bandit algorithms to adversarial attacks.
method Proposes a robust bandit algorithm for stochastic linear contextual bandits under fully adaptive and omniscient attacks.
result Sub-linear regret under various attacks without requiring attack information.
This paper achieves optimal regret bounds for locally private linear contextual bandit.
problem Designing locally private linear contextual bandit algorithms with optimal regret bounds.
method New algorithmic and analytical ideas, including mean absolute deviation analysis and layered principal component regression.
result Achieves an i l d e O ( T ) ilde O(\sqrt{T}) i l d e O ( T ) regret upper bound for locally private linear contextual bandit. Over the past decade, contextual bandit algorithms have been gaining in popularity due to their effectiveness and flexibility in solving sequential decision problems---from online advertising and finance to clinical trial design and personalized medicine. At the same time, there are, as of yet, surprisingly few options…
We study offline data poisoning attacks in contextual bandits, a class of reinforcement learning problems with important applications in online recommendation and adaptive medical treatment, among others. We provide a general attack framework based on convex optimization and show that by slightly manipulating rewards i…
Study nonparametric contextual bandits with batched updates, achieving optimal regret.
problem Optimal regret in nonparametric contextual bandits with batch constraints.
method Dynamic binning of covariate space, optimal regret achieved.
result Achieves optimal regret (up to logarithmic factors) for nonparametric contextual bandits.
Paper addresses federated contextual bandits with encryption.
problem Building contextual bandits with vertically distributed data.
method Design of O3M encryption scheme for LinUCB and LinTS.
result Proposed protocols achieve good performance and privacy.
Novel approach to contextual bandits using self-supervised learning.
problem Exploiting rich data representations in computer vision without explicit labels.
method Combining contextual bandit objective with self-supervision objective.
result Substantial gains in cumulative reward on computer vision datasets.
Proposes sampling from reverse diffusion posteriors for contextual bandits.
problem Complex distributions in contextual bandits.
method Approximate posterior sampling with a diffusion model prior using Laplace approximation.
result Empirically consistent and efficient approximations for contextual bandits.