Proposes ENVAR for causal discovery in structural VAR models with equal noise variance.
problem Challenges in causal discovery from multivariate time series with contemporaneous effects.
method Introduces observational equivalence and the observational alignment discrepancy for structural VAR models with equal noise variance.
result Shows that multiple structural VAR parameterizations can induce the same stationary observed process law.
The paper analyzes continuous optimization for DAG structure learning and its limitations.
problem The performance of continuous structure learning approaches is not consistent after data standardization.
method Analysis of continuous optimization for DAG structure learning, focusing on equal and non-equal noise variances.
result Continuous structure learning approaches may not perform well after data standardization, especially with non-equal noise variances.
In this work, we study robust deep learning against abnormal training data from the perspective of example weighting built in empirical loss functions, i.e., gradient magnitude with respect to logits, an angle that is not thoroughly studied so far. Consequently, we have two key findings: (1) Mean Absolute Error (MAE) D…
In this paper, we prove that some Gaussian structural equation models with dependent errors having equal variances are identifiable from their corresponding Gaussian distributions. Specifically, we prove identifiability for the Gaussian structural equation models that can be represented as Andersson-Madigan-Perlman cha…
We consider structural equation models in which variables can be written as a function of their parents and noise terms, which are assumed to be jointly independent. Corresponding to each structural equation model, there is a directed acyclic graph describing the relationships between the variables. In Gaussian structu…
New findings show optimal noise in contrastive learning is not the same as data distribution.
problem The optimal noise distribution in contrastive learning is not the same as the data distribution.
method Empirical and theoretical analysis of contrastive learning methods.
result Deviation from the assumption of equal noise and data distribution leads to better statistical estimators.
New insights into noise distribution for self-supervised learning.
problem Challenges the assumption that optimal noise should match data distribution.
method Turns to Noise-Contrastive Estimation (NCE) to define optimality of noise distribution.
result Optimal noise distribution is different from data distribution, challenging GANs assumption.
Optimizer memory affects learning rate sensitivity in shuffle order, impacting fine-tuning noise.
problem Optimizer memory affects the learning rate sensitivity in shuffle order, leading to fine-tuning noise.
method Isolated the mechanism of fixed-clock optimizer memory affecting the learning rate sensitivity in shuffle order, deriving a fit-free way to size the noise.
result Fixed-clock optimizers like AdamW produce a larger first-order noise channel compared to memoryless optimizers, affecting fine-tuning comparisons.
Polynomial-time algorithm learns causal graphs without parametric assumptions.
problem Learning causal graphs from data without assuming linearity or parametric forms.
method Model-free polynomial-time algorithm with finite-sample guarantees.
result Algorithm achieves linear cost in dimension and samples compared to optimal.
The performance of the Lasso is well understood under the assumptions of the standard linear model with homoscedastic noise. However, in several applications, the standard model does not describe the important features of the data. This paper examines how the Lasso performs on a non-standard model that is motivated by …
Volatility estimation based on high-frequency data is key to accurately measure and control the risk of financial assets. A Lévy process with infinite jump activity and microstructure noise is considered one of the simplest, yet accurate enough, models for financial data at high-frequency. Utilizing this model, we prop…
Novel criterion identifies heteroscedastic noise in causal discovery.
problem Heteroscedastic noise violates equal-variance assumption in causal discovery.
method Skewness-based criterion for identifying HSNMs.
result Skewness-based criterion distinguishes causal from anticausal directions.
Improved heteroscedastic regression using neural networks with provably accurate mean estimates and calibrated variance.
problem Optimizing neural network parameters for heteroscedastic regression leads to suboptimal mean and variance estimates.
method Two simple modifications to optimization to retain accuracy of mean-only models and offer best-in-class variance calibration.
result Mean estimates from the proposed method are provably as accurate as those from a homoscedastic model.
This paper analyzes bias-variance trade-off for clipped SFOMs, improving complexity guarantees for heavy-tailed noise.
problem Improving complexity guarantees for stochastic optimization methods with heavy-tailed noise.
method Novel analysis of bias-variance trade-off in gradient clipping for clipped SFOMs.
result Improved complexity guarantees for clipped SFOMs across various tail indices, including infinite mean noise.
Improves diffusion models by controlling total variance and signal-to-noise-ratio.
problem Long sampling time in diffusion models.
method Total-Variance/Signal-to-Noise-Ratio (TV/SNR) disentangled framework.
result Improves generation performance by controlling TV and SNR independently.
Bayesian method recovers causal structure in SEMs with equal error variances.
problem Recovering causal structure in SEMs with equal error variances.
method Bayesian DAG selection method using g-priors and the key property of minimum expected squared errors.
result The method consistently recovers the true graph without additional distributional assumptions.
Paper proposes a self-supervised method to denoise autoregressive signals with heavy-tailed noise.
problem Denoising autoregressive signals corrupted by heavy-tailed noise.
method Self-supervised learning approach without requiring full noise distribution knowledge.
result Strong denoising performance compared to baseline methods, especially for impulsive noise.
Improved GP bandit algorithms for noiseless, varying noise, and RKHS norms.
problem Minimizing regret in Gaussian process bandits with unknown reward functions.
method New upper bound on maximum posterior variance, refined MVR and PE algorithms.
result Optimal regret bounds for noiseless, varying noise, and RKHS norms.
GRRT recovers sparse signals without prior sparsity or noise variance knowledge.
problem Recovering sparse signals without prior sparsity or noise variance knowledge.
method Generalized residual ratio thresholding (GRRT) for SOMP and BOMP.
result Finite sample and finite SNR guarantees for exact support recovery.
Increasing variance of losses improves learning with noisy labels.
problem Learning with noisy labels and the need to penalize variance of losses.
method Designing regularizers based on the label noise transition matrix to increase variance of losses.
result Increasing variance of losses significantly improves generalization ability.
This paper presents a novel approach for approximate integration over the uncertainty of noise and signal variances in Gaussian process (GP) regression. Our efficient and straightforward approach can also be applied to integration over input dependent noise variance (heteroscedasticity) and input dependent signal varia…
We study the variance of the REINFORCE policy gradient estimator in environments with continuous state and action spaces, linear dynamics, quadratic cost, and Gaussian noise. These simple environments allow us to derive bounds on the estimator variance in terms of the environment and noise parameters. We compare the pr…
Regularization helps resolve ambiguity in mean-variance models, improving predictive uncertainty quantification.
problem Signal-to-noise ambiguity in overparameterized mean-variance models.
method Statistical field theory framework to explain phase transition.
result Regularization reduces variability and improves predictive uncertainty quantification.
Novel confidence sets improve linear bandit performance by adapting to unknown noise levels.
problem Adapting to unknown noise levels in sequential decision-making.
method Proposed semi-adaptive and variance-adaptive confidence sets.
result Improved regret bounds and better performance in Bayesian optimization tasks.
New method reduces inference variance for faster optimization.
problem High variance in black-box variational inference.
method Joint control variate addressing both data subsampling and Monte Carlo noise.
result Significantly reduced gradient variance, leading to faster optimization.
Optimal sample complexity for learning Gaussian DAG models established.
problem Learning the structure of Gaussian DAG models from observational data.
method Established minimax optimal sample complexity for two settings: equal variances without ordering knowledge and general linear models with ordering knowledge.
result Optimal sample complexity n ≍ q log ( d / q ) n\asymp q\log(d/q) n ≍ q log ( d / q ) for both settings, matching undirected graphical models under equal variances. Simplified analysis of diffusion models using discrete random variables.
problem Theoretical analysis of diffusion models is complex and requires rigorous proofs.
method Simplified framework for analyzing Euler--Maruyama discretization of VP-SDEs using Grönwall's inequality.
result Standard Gaussian noise can be replaced by discrete random variables without sacrificing convergence guarantee.
CWGD measures gradient diversity weighted by curvature, improving SGD convergence.
problem Gradient noise in high-curvature directions is underestimated by standard methods.
method CWGD weights gradient diversity by the inverse square root of the Hessian.
result CWGD-Cosine reduces optimization error by up to 20% compared to standard cosine annealing.
Noise injection before gradient steps helps in regularization for neural networks.
problem Improving generalization in overparametrized neural networks.
method Injecting small noise perturbations before computing gradient steps, especially in layer-wise fashion.
result Small noise perturbations can explicitly regularize neural networks without variance explosion.
Method estimates noise variance in Gaussian process regression.
problem Estimating noise variance in Gaussian process regression models.
method Reduces hyperparameter space, uses marginal likelihood function, derives bounds and asymptotes.
result Computational advantages and robustness compared to traditional methods.
DSM on manifolds removes singularities and computes small-noise expansions.
problem DSM on manifolds with singular noise.
method Rao-Blackwellized score matching, nearest-point projection, intrinsic Riemannian score.
result Canonical target equals intrinsic Riemannian score up to a small correction.
New algorithm reduces regret for linear bandits with unknown noise variance.
problem Finding optimal actions in linear bandits with varying noise variance.
method Adaptive algorithm with Freedman-type concentration inequality and multi-layer structure.
result Achieves i l d e O ( d ∑ k = 1 K σ k 2 + d ) ilde{O}(d \sqrt{\sum_{k = 1}^K σ_k^2} + d) i l d e O ( d ∑ k = 1 K σ k 2 + d ) regret for linear bandits. Proposes a modified Morgan-Pitman test for evaluating variances in machine learning models.
problem Limited ability to account for sampling variability in model selection.
method Enhances the classic Morgan-Pitman test for robustness in non-linear models with heavy-tailed distributions or outliers.
result Demonstrates the test's effectiveness and practical utility in model evaluation and selection.
New method reduces variance in stochastic optimization with high confidence.
problem Achieving high-probability guarantees in stochastic optimization with weaker noise assumptions.
method Stochastic proximal point method combining proximal subproblem solver and probability booster.
result Demonstrates convergence with low sample complexity under bounded variance assumptions.
New convergence rates for SGD under heavy-tailed noise with infinite variance.
problem Convergence analysis of SGD under heavy-tailed noise with infinite variance.
method Identifying a condition on the Hessian and providing a convergence rate for the distance to the global optimum.
result SGD can converge to the global optimum under heavy-tailed noise with infinite variance.
Large batch sizes reduce gradient variance in DP-SGD, improving privacy.
problem Understanding why large batch sizes work in DP-SGD.
method Decomposed total gradient variance into subsampling and noise-induced variances, proving batch size independence in the limit.
result Large batch sizes reduce effective total gradient variance, improving privacy in DP-SGD.
CARV reduces compute cost for downstream pipelines using diffusion models.
problem High variance in Monte Carlo estimators from diffusion models limits compute efficiency.
method CARV uses hierarchical MC estimation with amortized upstream computation and stratified-inverse-CDF.
result CARV delivers 2-3x effective compute multipliers without changing the objective.
Proposes incorporating noise sources in machine learning evaluation for more reliable conclusions.
problem Inadequate handling of nondeterminism in machine learning research leads to unreliable results.
method Uses linear mixed effects models (LMEMs) and generalized likelihood ratio tests (GLRT) to analyze performance evaluation scores and assess performance differences.
result Demonstrates how to incorporate various sources of noise and data properties into statistical significance testing and reliability analysis.
This paper analyzes M-estimators under infinite-variance noise in high dimensions.
problem High-dimensional M-estimation with infinite-variance noise.
method Study of the Fenchel conjugate domain and its impact on risk.
result Exact risk of M-estimators under infinite-variance noise is derived.
Study shows Stochastic Mirror Descent optimizes convex problems with infinite noise variance.
problem Optimizing convex problems with infinite noise variance.
method Stochastic Mirror Descent algorithm with uniformly convex mirror maps.
result Demonstrates convergence rate quantified in terms of iterations, dimensionality, and geometric parameters.
PS-IG improves feature attribution by reducing noise and variance.
problem Improving feature attribution in machine learning models.
method Path-sampled integrated gradients (PS-IG) computes expected value over sampled baselines.
result PS-IG reduces attribution variance by a factor of 1/3 under uniform sampling.
Measures three types of noise in LLM evaluations.
problem Separating signal from noise in LLM experiments.
method Defined and measured three types of noise: prediction, data, and total noise. Proposed the all-pairs paired method for statistical power.
result Total noise level is characteristic and predictable across all model pairs.
PEGR improves deep learning models' robustness against noisy data.
problem Learning signals from noisy data in deep learning models.
method Per-example gradient regularization (PEGR) to suppress noise.
result PEGR enhances test error and robustness against noise perturbations.
ALPCAH improves PCA for noisy data by estimating sample-wise noise variances.
problem Noisy data with varying noise levels in different samples.
method Sample-wise heteroscedastic PCA with tail singular value regularization.
result Improves subspace basis estimation for low-rank data.
Paper improves sparse linear bandits by accounting for noise variance.
problem Sparse linear bandits with unknown noise variance.
method Develops a general framework to convert variance-aware algorithms to sparse linear bandits.
result Achieves $\widetilde{\mathcal O}\left(\sqrt{d\sum_{t=1}^T σ_t^2} + 1
ight)$ regret, interpolating between worst-case and benign settings.
Introduces TPV to analyze model robustness without labels.
problem Analyzing post-training robustness of machine learning models.
method Parameter perturbations and test prediction variance (TPV) as a unifying framework.
result TPV connects various perturbations under a single lens, providing insights into model stability.
Paper improves confidence intervals and variance estimation for deep learning models.
problem Improving confidence intervals and variance estimation in deep learning models.
method Residual-based framework for conditional variance estimation; robust bootstrap procedure for confidence intervals.
result First non-asymptotic bounds for variance estimation using ReLU networks.
A trade-off exists between reconstruction quality and the prior regularisation in the Evidence Lower Bound (ELBO) loss that Variational Autoencoder (VAE) models use for learning. There are few satisfactory approaches to deal with a balance between the prior and reconstruction objective, with most methods dealing with t…