Simformer uses transformer models to perform flexible Bayesian inference.
problem Current simulation-based inference methods are inflexible and require fixed priors.
method Trains a probabilistic diffusion model with transformer architectures.
result Outperforms state-of-the-art methods on various benchmarks.
TM-VI uses flexible transformation models to approximate complex posteriors in Bayesian models.
problem Approximating complex posteriors in Bayesian models with limited flexibility.
method Transformation models for variational inference (TM-VI).
result TM-VI allows accurate approximation of complex posteriors in models with one parameter and works in a mean-field fashion for multi-parameter models.
Flexible Hawkes model with Gaussian process self-effects for time-dependent data.
problem Modeling time-dependent point processes with history dependence and self-effects.
method Extended Hawkes process with Gaussian process self-effects for both excitatory and inhibitory types, using Bayesian inference and mean-field variational approximation.
result Efficient approximate Bayesian inference achieved via data augmentation and mean-field variational approach.
Variational inference relies on flexible approximate posterior distributions. Normalizing flows provide a general recipe to construct flexible variational posteriors. We introduce Sylvester normalizing flows, which can be seen as a generalization of planar flows. Sylvester normalizing flows remove the well-known single…
The paper provides theoretical guarantees for transformation-based models in variational inference.
problem Theoretical justification for transformation-based models in variational inference.
method Theoretical analysis of non-linear latent variable models and Gaussian process priors.
result Theoretical guarantees for implicit variational inference, achieving optimal risk bounds and approximating the true posterior.
Frengression models causal data flexibly and faithfully.
problem Challenges in robust benchmarking and evaluation of causal inference with real-world data.
method Introduces frengression, a deep generative model for joint distribution of covariates, treatments, and outcomes.
result Frengression provides accurate estimation and flexible simulation of multivariate, time-varying data.
DeepRV accelerates spatiotemporal inference using neural priors.
problem Intractable scaling of Gaussian Processes for large datasets.
method Neural-network surrogate replacing GP prior sampling with O(N2) complexity. result DeepRV achieves highest fidelity to exact GPs while significantly speeding up inference.
A new method for deep Wishart processes improves kernel-based models.
problem Inference in deep Wishart processes is challenging due to the need for flexible distributions over positive semi-definite matrices.
method Developed a novel approach to flexible distributions over positive semi-definite matrices using the Bartlett decomposition of the Wishart probability density. Used this to create an approximate posterior for the DWP.
result Improved performance of inference in the DWP compared to DGP with equivalent prior.
This work improves Gaussian process inference using mixtures of experts and nested SMC samplers.
problem High computational and memory costs of Gaussian processes.
method Mixtures of Gaussian process experts with nested SMC samplers.
result Significantly improved inference compared to importance sampling.
PMM uses Bayesian inference to generate data from noisy approximations.
problem Creating flexible generative models for various data types.
method Bayesian inference and conjugate pairs of distributions.
result PMM achieves performance competitive with existing generative models.
The Pachinko Allocation Machine (PAM) is a deep topic model that allows representing rich correlation structures among topics by a directed acyclic graph over topics. Because of the flexibility of the model, however, approximate inference is very difficult. Perhaps for this reason, only a small number of potential PAM …
Proposes a new method to improve Bayesian computation accuracy using flexible classification.
problem Bayesian computations accuracy check using rank-based simulation-based calibration has limitations.
method Replaces marginal rank test with a flexible classification approach that learns from data.
result Improves statistical power and provides an interpretable divergence measure of miscalibration.
This work improves variational inference by reducing gradient variance.
problem Hard optimization of flexible variational distributions.
method Control variate based on quadratic approximation of the model's mean and covariance.
result Significant improvement in gradient variance and optimization convergence.
Diffusion models enhance SBI with flexible parameter and observation learning.
problem Efficient and accurate estimation of latent parameters from simulations and real data.
method Score-based diffusion models, guidance, score composition, flow matching, consistency models, joint modeling.
result Flexibility and versatility in modeling various problems.
Flexible selective inference using flow-based transport maps.
problem Selective inference with complex selection events.
method Flow-based generative modeling for conditional distribution approximation.
result Valid p-values and confidence sets for adaptively selected hypotheses and parameters.
SNVI combines likelihood estimation with variational inference for efficient Bayesian inference.
problem Bayesian inference in models with intractable likelihoods.
method Sequential Neural Variational Inference (SNVI) that combines likelihood-estimation with variational inference.
result SNVI is more computationally efficient than previous algorithms without sacrificing accuracy.
ACE models allow flexible conditioning and prediction of latent variables.
problem Lack of flexibility in conditioning and prediction of latent variables in probabilistic models.
method Introduces Amortized Conditioning Engine (ACE) that explicitly represents latent variables and allows runtime conditioning and prediction.
result ACE models outperform existing methods in diverse tasks like image completion, classification, Bayesian optimization, and simulation-based inference.
Introduces BPEL for EL, enhancing flexibility and using MCMC for inference.
problem Computational challenges in EL methods.
method Bayesian Penalized Empirical Likelihood (BPEL) framework with MCMC sampling.
result Enhanced flexibility and practicality of EL methods with MCMC.
Flexible nonlinear Hawkes processes for time-varying systems.
problem Limited expressive ability of classic Hawkes processes.
method Flexible state-switching Hawkes processes with latent variable augmentation for Bayesian inference.
result Superior performance compared to state-of-the-art competitors.
Flexible inference model for multilayer networks with heterogeneous data.
problem Complexity of heterogeneous data in networked datasets.
method Probabilistic generative model using Bayesian framework and Laplace matching.
result Effective detection of overlapping community structures and prediction tasks.
Deep Transformed Gaussian Processes extend TGPs with variational inference for scalable multi-layer modeling.
problem Flexible modeling of complex data distributions.
method DTGPs are a multi-layer model of TGPs using variational inference for scalability.
result DTGPs achieve good scalability and performance in multiple regression datasets.
Improved diffusion sampling for inverse problems with faster and more robust inference.
problem High computational cost and lack of robustness in diffusion posterior sampling.
method Amortized variational inference with explicit likelihood guidance.
result Improved trade-off between inference speed and robustness to unseen degradations.
PSI models and infers feature attributions efficiently and accurately.
problem Modeling and inferring feature attributions in flexible predictive models.
method Probabilistic Shapley inference (PSI) framework using latent random variables and a masking-based neural network architecture.
result PSI learns feature attribution distributions centered at Shapley values, revealing meaningful uncertainty.
Inference is an integral part of probabilistic topic models, but is often non-trivial to derive an efficient algorithm for a specific model. It is even much more challenging when we want to find a fast inference algorithm which always yields sparse latent representations of documents. In this article, we introduce a si…
TriTPP models enable faster and more flexible event data modeling.
problem Inflexibility and slow sampling in traditional TPP models.
method Triangular Maps and Normalizing Flows for parallel sampling and likelihood computation.
result TriTPP models achieve orders of magnitude faster sampling while maintaining flexibility.
BI-EqNO improves Bayesian inference with flexible neural operators.
problem Inaccurate estimation of marginal likelihoods in approximate Bayesian methods.
method Equivariant neural operator framework for generalized approximate Bayesian inference.
result BI-EqNO enhances both deterministic and stochastic approaches to Bayesian inference.
Paper develops fast, flexible Hawkes process inference for space-time data.
problem Capturing self-exciting, clustering spatio-temporal data.
method Finite support kernels, discretization, precomputations, ℓ2 gradient-based solver. result Statistically accurate and fast inference for space-time Hawkes processes.
Flexible model for complex relationships using Bayesian nonparametrics.
problem Complex relationships between variables not well captured by simple models.
method Hierarchical generation of nonlinear features, Bayesian inference, variable selection.
result Find interpretable models with a small set of important features.
Variational autoencoder is a powerful deep generative model with variational inference. The practice of modeling latent variables in the VAE's original formulation as normal distributions with a diagonal covariance matrix limits the flexibility to match the true posterior distribution. We propose a new transformation, …
We propose Edward, a Turing-complete probabilistic programming language. Edward defines two compositional representations---random variables and inference. By treating inference as a first class citizen, on a par with modeling, we show that probabilistic programming can be as flexible and computationally efficient as t…
Semi-implicit variational inference (SIVI) is introduced to expand the commonly used analytic variational distribution family, by mixing the variational parameter with a flexible distribution. This mixing distribution can assume any density function, explicit or not, as long as independent random samples can be generat…
New algorithm improves inference for flexible models with infinite latent features.
problem Inference for models with infinite latent features is computationally challenging and limiting.
method Adaptive slice sampling for posterior inference with general completely random measures.
result Higher effective sample size and predictive performance compared to existing methods.
Many recent advances in large scale probabilistic inference rely on variational methods. The success of variational approaches depends on (i) formulating a flexible parametric family of distributions, and (ii) optimizing the parameters to find the member of this family that most closely approximates the exact posterior…
New method combines randomization tests and flexible models for valid inference without splitting data.
problem Valid inference in randomized panel experiments with complex effect heterogeneity.
method Model-assisted randomization tests that estimate unsigned CATE from residualized outcomes.
result CATE-assisted tests control Type I error and achieve higher power than alternatives.
Proposes a new method for continual learning in neural networks.
problem Challenges in applying sequential Bayesian inference to neural networks.
method Sequential function-space variational inference.
result Neural networks trained with the proposed method achieve better predictive accuracy.
This paper explores how representation learning can improve design-based causal inference.
problem Estimating causal effects in design-based studies is challenging due to the need for optimal weights.
method The authors propose an end-to-end estimation procedure that learns a flexible representation to minimize the error in choosing a representation.
result The proposed method is competitive in various causal inference tasks and shows promise for improving design-based weights.
NoLimits.jl: Flexible and Composable Nonlinear Mixed-Effects Modeling in Julia
problem Flexible and composable nonlinear mixed-effects modeling
method Macro-based modeling language and unified interface
result Substantially expand the range of nonlinear mixed-effects models
RealCause provides a realistic benchmark for causal inference.
problem Lack of a reliable benchmark for comparing causal effect estimators.
method Flexible generative models to create a benchmark that is both ground-truth and realistic.
result Evaluation of over 1500 causal estimators provides evidence for choosing hyperparameters using predictive metrics.
New method tunes prior IP to data for flexible predictive distributions.
problem Challenges in approximate inference for large models with high parameter dependencies.
method Inducing-point representation of prior IP to approximate posterior process.
result Scalable method that tunes prior IP to data and provides accurate non-Gaussian predictive distributions.
The paper proposes an efficient method to scale Bayesian inference for mixed multinomial logit models to very large datasets.
problem Efficiency in Bayesian inference for mixed multinomial logit models on large datasets.
method Amortized Variational Inference with stochastic backpropagation, automatic differentiation, and GPU acceleration.
result The proposed method achieves significant computational speedups over traditional methods for large datasets.
Method cleans covariance matrices for better statistical inference.
problem Reducing estimation noise in covariance matrices for better statistical inference.
method Robust yet flexible hierarchical ansatz with bootstrap procedure.
result Lower realized risk in global minimum variance portfolios.
The paper improves ODE solvers by integrating diverse information types.
problem Improving accuracy and physical meaningfulness of ODE solutions.
method Leveraging probabilistic solvers to include second-order information and physical conservation laws.
result Solutions become more accurate and physically meaningful with additional information.
A new method corrects for bias in selecting the best candidate.
problem Bias in selecting the best candidate leads to invalid conclusions.
method Zoom correction, flexible for parametric and nonparametric settings.
result Valid inference on the winner is possible, even with selection bias.
Training Gaussian process-based models typically involves an O(N3) computational bottleneck due to inverting the covariance matrix. Popular methods for overcoming this matrix inversion problem cannot adequately model all types of latent functions, and are often not parallelizable. However, judicious choice of model…
Cascading flows improve variational inference in structured programs.
problem Challenges in variational inference for complex probabilistic programs.
method Integrates normalizing flows and ASVI to create cascading flows, which embed the forward-pass of probabilistic programs.
result Cascading flows outperform normalizing flows and ASVI in structured inference problems.
The paper introduces a DRM for causal inference, offering a flexible method to analyze counterfactual distributions.
problem Estimating mean causal effects is limited; a distributional perspective is needed for a more thorough understanding.
method The paper employs a semiparametric density ratio model (DRM) with an empirical likelihood (EL) approach to estimate counterfactual distribution functions.
result The DRM framework enables direct and transparent causal inference from a distributional perspective, validated by numerical studies.
Flexible DNN for survival data, avoiding proportional hazards assumption.
problem Survival analysis with complex interactions and non-proportional hazards.
method Partially linear DNN model with a flexible nonparametric component.
result FLEXI-Haz achieves optimal convergence rates and asymptotic efficiency.
Explosive growth in data and availability of cheap computing resources have sparked increasing interest in Big learning, an emerging subfield that studies scalable machine learning algorithms, systems, and applications with Big Data. Bayesian methods represent one important class of statistic methods for machine learni…