Study minimax-optimal rates for offline decision-making with function approximation.
problem Statistical complexity of offline decision-making with function approximation.
method Near minimax-optimal rates for stochastic contextual bandits and Markov decision processes, using pseudo-dimension and behavior policy.
result Established performance limits and new characterization of behavior policy.
New algorithms achieve decision calibration without sample complexity dependent on feature dimension.
problem Achieving decision calibration for nonlinear loss functions with polynomial sample complexity.
method Developed smooth relaxation of decision calibration, enabling dimension-free algorithms.
result Efficient algorithms post-process predictors to satisfy decision calibration without worsening accuracy.
We model human decision-making behaviors in a risk-taking task using inverse reinforcement learning (IRL) for the purposes of understanding real human decision making under risk. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first work applying IRL to reveal the implicit reward function in human risk-taking decision making…
qEUBO optimizes decision-making with noisy feedback.
problem Optimizing decision-making with noisy preference feedback.
method Introduces qEUBO as a novel acquisition function for preferential Bayesian optimization.
result qEUBO is one-step Bayes optimal and enjoys an approximation guarantee under noise.
Empirical model tackles decision problems without specifying states of the world.
problem Decision problems under uncertainty with inaccessible states of the world.
method Empirical approach using observed act--consequence pairs as model primitives.
result Optimality in empirical decision problems addressed using protocol-based empirical choice functions.
Enhances interpretability of functional survival models.
problem Lack of interpretability in functional survival models limits practical use.
method Introduces novel methods to enhance interpretability of FST and explainability of FRSF.
result Proposed methods yield efficient, easy-to-understand decision trees.
New algorithm improves knowledge transfer in dynamic decision-making.
problem Utilizing data from existing ventures to improve decision-making in new ventures.
method Proposes Transferred Fitted Q-Iteration algorithm for estimating optimal action-state function Q∗. result Significantly improved final learning error of Q∗ function. A new approach for specifying and synthesizing subroutines for optimizing metrics.
problem Specifying and optimizing subroutines for various metrics.
method Formalizing programming by rewards (PBR), using continuous-optimization techniques to synthesize decision functions as if-then-else programs.
result Synthesized decision functions are optimal in cases when rewards have nice properties.
A novel gradient-based method optimizes decision trees for complex tasks.
problem Training decision trees with arbitrary differentiable loss functions.
method Gradient-based optimization using first and second derivatives of loss functions.
result Improves accuracy and flexibility in decision tree optimization.
This paper proposes a method for solving optimization problems in which the decision-maker cannot evaluate the objective function, but rather can only express a preference such as "this is better than that" between two candidate decision vectors. The algorithm described in this paper aims at reaching the global optimiz…
The paper explores how different loss functions impact reinforcement learning algorithms.
problem Improving reinforcement learning algorithms by optimizing loss functions.
method Comprehensive survey on loss functions in reinforcement learning, proving the benefits of specific loss functions.
result Binary cross-entropy loss leads to first-order bounds and is more efficient than squared loss.
Improved model-free reinforcement learning with decision-estimation coefficient.
problem Interactive decision making, including structured bandits and reinforcement learning.
method Combining Estimation-to-Decisions with optimistic estimation to achieve better regret bounds.
result Regret bounds for model-free reinforcement learning with value function approximation.
With an eye towards human-centered automation, we contribute to the development of a systematic means to infer features of human decision-making from behavioral data. Motivated by the common use of softmax selection in models of human decision-making, we study the maximum likelihood parameter estimation problem for sof…
We show that for neural network functions that have width less or equal to the input dimension all connected components of decision regions are unbounded. The result holds for continuous and strictly monotonic activation functions as well as for the ReLU activation function. This complements recent results on approxima…
Novel loss functions improve decision tree learning from noisy data.
problem Training decision trees with noisy labels.
method Introducing distribution losses and a new negative exponential loss.
result The negative exponential loss leads to efficient and robust decision tree learning.
Bounded rationality, that is, decision-making and planning under resource limitations, is widely regarded as an important open problem in artificial intelligence, reinforcement learning, computational neuroscience and economics. This paper offers a consolidated presentation of a theory of bounded rationality based on i…
Bayesian framework for learning optimal action-value function in MDPs.
problem Uncertainty quantification in MDPs for optimal decision-making strategies.
method Full Bayesian framework including modelling, inference, and decision-making.
result Demonstrates exploration benefits of posterior sampling in MDPs.
Study optimal investment with herd behavior using rational decision decomposition.
problem Optimal investment problem considering herd behavior between two agents.
method Introduce average deviation term, use variational method, rational decision decomposition, investment opinion.
result Quantitative analysis of herd behavior impact on investment decisions.
Improved decision tree learning guarantees for complex functions.
problem Achieving provable guarantees for decision tree induction with complex target functions.
method Introduces a new splitting criterion that considers correlations between target function and subsets of attributes.
result Proves provable guarantees for all target functions with respect to the uniform distribution, circumventing previous impossibility results.
The paper tackles optimal policy learning with asymmetric counterfactual utilities in healthcare decisions.
problem Learning optimal policies from observed data with asymmetric counterfactual utilities.
method The approach involves identifying and minimizing the maximum expected utility loss using statistical decision theory and solving intermediate classification problems.
result One can learn minimax loss decision rules from observed data.
Study uses FDA to analyze discount functions of different temperaments.
problem Traditional finance models fail to capture individual differences in investment choices.
method Functional Data Analysis (FDA) to investigate temporal discounting behaviors.
result Heterogeneity within each temperament revealed, suggesting diverse investor profiles.
Decision trees improve decision-making by optimizing predictions of unknown parameters.
problem Optimizing decisions based on predicted unknown parameters.
method SPO Trees (SPOTs) for training decision trees under the SPO loss function.
result SPOTs provide higher quality decisions and significantly lower model complexity compared to other machine learning approaches.
The study analyzes decision trees on real and categorical features, deriving bounds on their VC dimension and proposing improved pruning algorithms.
problem Understanding the generalization properties of decision trees on different types of features.
method Introducing partitioning functions, relating them to growth functions and VC dimension, and deriving bounds for decision stumps and trees of various structures.
result Exact VC dimension of decision stumps and improved pruning algorithms for binary trees.
Proposes a new decision rule for continuous treatments.
problem Developing personalized treatment recommendations for continuous treatments.
method Jump interval-learning method to estimate conditional mean of outcomes.
result Optimal interval-valued decision rule (I2DR) for continuous treatments.
This paper generalizes BO uncertainty measures using decision-theoretic entropies.
problem Efficiently inferring optima of expensive black-box functions.
method Introduces a generalized entropy measure from statistical decision theory to optimize Bayesian optimization.
result Demonstrates strong empirical performance across various sequential decision-making tasks.
Study uses property elicitation to understand how fairness regularizers affect optimal decisions.
problem Understanding how fairness regularizers change the optimal decision in predictive algorithms.
method Property elicitation to analyze the relationship between loss, regularization, and optimal decision.
result Necessary and sufficient condition for when a property changes with the addition of a regularizer.
New online algorithms tackle dynamic decision-focused learning.
problem Dynamic decision-focused learning in evolving environments.
method Regularization and perturbation techniques for non-convex optimization.
result First provable guarantees for online decision-focused learning.
Develops an actor-critic algorithm for risk-sensitive Markov decision processes.
problem Risk-sensitive cost criterion in Markov decision processes.
method Actor-critic algorithm with function approximation.
result Asymptotic convergence of the actor-critic algorithm.
We propose a time value related decision function to treat a classical option pricing problem raised by Hutchinson-Lo-Poggio. In numerical experiments, the new decision function significantly improves the original model of Hutchinson-Lo-Poggio with faster convergence and better generalization performance. By proving a …
An algorithmic decision-maker incentivizes people to act in certain ways to receive better decisions. These incentives can dramatically influence subjects' behaviors and lives, and it is important that both decision-makers and decision-recipients have clarity on which actions are incentivized by the chosen model. While…
This paper optimizes slate decision systems for large action spaces.
problem Optimizing large-scale decision systems with arbitrary reward functions.
method A policy optimization framework with a novel relaxation of decision functions.
result Demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed method on large action spaces.
New algorithms improve on consistency and robustness in convex function chasing with black-box advice.
problem Minimizing cost in normed vector space with black-box advice for convex function chasing.
method Two novel algorithms: INTERP and BDINTERP, exploiting convexity to achieve improved consistency and robustness.
result BDINTERP achieves near-optimal consistency-robustness trade-off for α-polyhedral cost functions.
Study optimal investment decisions for diverse risk-tolerant agents.
problem Optimizing investment choices for agents with varying risk preferences.
method Characterizes optimal behavior using certainty equivalents and lognormal risks.
result Derives optimal decision menus under known and uncertain preference distributions.
New learning process for neural classifiers simplifies decision weights.
problem Training decision layer weights in neural classifiers.
method Choosing appropriate loss functions and solving constrained optimization problems.
result A new learning process for pre-decision weights that is simple and effective.
Study of bandit problem with Poisson decision times and Lévy processes.
problem Continuous-time multi-armed bandit problem with Poisson decision times.
method Gittins index policy applied to spectrally one-sided Lévy processes.
result Gittins index converges to classical Lévy bandit index.
Consider an agent taking two successive decisions to maximize his expected utility under uncertainty. After his first decision, a signal is revealed that provides information about the state of nature. The observation of the signal allows the decision-maker to revise his prior and the second decision is taken according…
Previous work has questioned the conditions under which the decision regions of a neural network are connected and further showed the implications of the corresponding theory to the problem of adversarial manipulation of classifiers. It has been proven that for a class of activation functions including leaky ReLU, neur…
Study optimal investment under imitation of decision-changing rates.
problem Optimal investment under imitation of decision-changing rates.
method Proposed integral disparity to quantify imitation, derived general solution using variational method, analyzed asymptotic properties, validated with real data.
result Investor's optimal decisions under imitation of decision-changing rates.
Develops robust MDPs for unknown disturbances with performance guarantees.
problem Unknown disturbance distribution in MDPs.
method Empirical distribution, sublevel set of distance function, weak convergence, concentration inequality.
result Robust optimal value function converges to true optimal value function with increasing sample sizes.
We characterize value functions in partially observable MDPs as semi-algebraic sets.
problem Understanding feasible value functions in partially observable Markov decision processes.
method Characterization of feasible value functions as semi-algebraic sets defined by polynomial inequalities.
result The feasible set of value functions in POMDPs is a semi-algebraic set, not a polytope as in MDPs.
We consider the problem of learning a forest of nonlinear decision rules with general loss functions. The standard methods employ boosted decision trees such as Adaboost for exponential loss and Friedman's gradient boosting for general loss. In contrast to these traditional boosting algorithms that treat a tree learner…
New decision-theoretic characterization separates belief and decision posteriors.
problem Understanding the conditions under which loss-based updating coincides with Bayesian updating.
method Decision-theoretic approach to distinguish belief and decision posteriors.
result Generalized Bayes coincides with ordinary Bayesian updating only if the loss is proportional to negative log-likelihood.
In this paper we propose a synergistic melting of neural networks and decision trees (DT) we call neural decision trees (NDT). NDT is an architecture a la decision tree where each splitting node is an independent multilayer perceptron allowing oblique decision functions or arbritrary nonlinear decision function if more…
We tackle the problem of building explainable recommendation systems that are based on a per-user decision tree, with decision rules that are based on single attribute values. We build the trees by applying learned regression functions to obtain the decision rules as well as the values at the leaf nodes. The regression…
This paper tackles noisy multi-objective optimization with adaptive resampling using bootstrapping.
problem Challenges in optimizing noisy multi-objective problems, especially trade-offs between exploration and exploitation.
method Adaptive resampling with bootstrapping to estimate probability of dominance and improve precision.
result Demonstrates the efficiency of the resampling approach in NSGA-II algorithm under multiple noise variations.
A set of introductory notes on the subject of data classification using a linear classifier and least-squares cost function, and the negative effect of the presence of outliers on the decision boundary of the linear discriminant. We also show how a simple scaling could make the outlier less significant, thereby obtaini…
Lecture notes on reinforcement learning using statistical methods.
problem Addressing the exploration-exploitation dilemma in decision making.
method Frequentist and Bayesian approaches, function approximation, neural networks.
result Unified framework for decision making and estimation.
New algorithm learns safe policies in unknown environments.
problem Learning safe policies in unknown, potentially unsafe environments.
method C-UCRL: Upper Confidence Reinforcement Learning for constrained MDPs.
result Achieves sub-linear regret while satisfying constraints.