A new method tests conditional independence by transforming it into an unconditional problem using transport maps.
problem Testing conditional independence between two random vectors given a third.
method Constructing transport maps to transform conditional independence into unconditional independence, estimating these maps from data using conditional continuous normalizing flow models.
result The proposed method is validated through simulations and real-data analysis, demonstrating practical effectiveness.
Discusses MultiFIT for multivariate dependence, comparing it to HSIC tests.
problem Comparing Multiscale Fisher's Independence Test (MultiFIT) to HSIC tests for multivariate dependence.
method Compares MultiFIT to HSIC tests, highlighting exact level control and performance limitations.
result Observes performance limitations of MultiFIT in terms of test power.
This work develops a non-parametric test for relational independence in non-i.i.d. data.
problem Testing independence in relational systems where data samples are not i.i.d.
method Kernel mean embedding for relational variables, consistent non-parametric scalable kernel test.
result Empirically validated effectiveness compared to state-of-the-art tests.
Paper introduces a new test for conditional independence using weighted partial copulas.
problem Testing conditional independence between variables.
method The approach uses a weighted partial copula function and a bootstrap procedure to compute regions of rejection.
result The proposed test has competitive power compared to existing methods.
Conditional independence testing is an important problem, especially in Bayesian network learning and causal discovery. Due to the curse of dimensionality, testing for conditional independence of continuous variables is particularly challenging. We propose a Kernel-based Conditional Independence test (KCI-test), by con…
USP test improves on Pearson's chi-squared and G-test for independence.
problem Deficiencies in Pearson's chi-squared and G-test for independence. method USP test based on U-statistic estimator of population dependence measure. result USP test controls size, handles small cell counts, and detects minimal violations of independence.
New test for conditional independence using kernel embeddings.
problem Testing conditional independence in high-dimensional settings.
method Analytic kernel embeddings, asymptotic distribution.
result New test outperforms existing methods in high-dimensional settings.
A new test for conditional independence in discretized data.
problem Testing conditional independence when only discretized observations are available.
method Proposes a conditional independence test designed for discretized observations, using bridge equations to recover latent variables' information.
result Demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed test through theoretical and empirical validation.
LCIT tests conditional independence using latent representations.
problem Detecting conditional independencies in statistical and machine learning tasks.
method Generative framework for learning latent representations of target variables X and Y, then testing for remaining dependencies.
result LCIT outperforms state-of-the-art baselines consistently under different metrics and settings.
MULTIFIT tests independence between two random vectors using multiscale Fisher's test.
problem Detecting local dependence between two random vectors.
method MULTIFIT uses a resampling-free approach to test independence.
result MULTIFIT can easily handle large sample sizes and interpret dependency nature.
DIET tests conditional independence using marginal dependence measures of residual information.
problem Computational intractability of conditional randomization tests (CRTs).
method DIET avoids fitting large models by leveraging marginal independence statistics of information residuals.
result DIET achieves higher power than other tractable CRTs on synthetic and real benchmarks.
This research designs a data-driven partition to test independence between continuous variables.
problem Testing independence between continuous random variables.
method Empirical log-likelihood statistic and data-driven tree-structured partition.
result Strongly consistent test of independence over probability families.
New algorithm reduces conditional independence tests needed for causal discovery.
problem Efficiently infer causal relations from observational data.
method Established an algorithm with complexity pO(s) tests. result Achieves exponent-optimality up to a logarithmic factor in terms of conditional independence tests.
This work identifies redundant tests in conditional-independence-based discovery that can improve graphical model accuracy.
problem Reliability and sensitivity of conditional-independence-based discovery algorithms.
method Analysis of redundant tests and their impact on error detection and correction.
result Redundant tests can improve graphical model accuracy but not all are beneficial.
New test detects independence in streaming data, adapting to data complexity.
problem Independence testing in streaming data with adaptive stopping.
method Sequential kernelized independence tests using betting principles.
result Valid inference in streaming data with improved power.
Entropy regularized OT test assesses independence between samples.
problem Testing independence between two samples.
method Entropy regularized optimal transport.
result Non-asymptotic bounds for test statistic established.
Testing (conditional) independence of multivariate random variables is a task central to statistical inference and modelling in general - though unfortunately one for which to date there does not exist a practicable workflow. State-of-art workflows suffer from the need for heuristic or subjective manual choices, high c…
The paper develops robust tests for detecting independence in synchronous stochastic systems with finite sample guarantees.
problem Detecting independence in synchronous stochastic systems with finite sample guarantees.
method Combines confidence region estimates with permutation tests and dependence measures to detect nonlinear dependence.
result Consistent hypothesis tests for detecting independence under mild assumptions.
Sequential Kernel-based Conditional Independence Testing via Adaptive Betting
problem Testing conditional independence
method Testing-by-betting on an adaptively optimized Kernel Conditional Independence statistic
result Significantly reduces Type I error inflation while preserving high power
Model-X test detects conditional independence in streaming data.
problem Detecting conditional independence in data streams with arbitrary dependency.
method Sequential testing inspired by model-X and testing by betting.
result Significantly reduces type-I error rate and enhances data efficiency.
Unified framework for structure learning via conditional independence testing.
problem Optimal structure learning and conditional independence testing.
method Established a fundamental connection and reduction between structure learning and conditional independence testing.
result Optimal rates for structure learning are determined by conditional independence testing rates.
Sequential tests for two-sample and independence testing using betting strategies.
problem Testing sequential data for two-sample and independence without kernel selection issues.
method Prediction-based betting strategies that adaptively determine distribution and joint distribution.
result Prediction-based tests outperform kernel-based approaches in high-dimensional or structured data settings.
Fast nonparametric conditional independence testing via two-stage regression
problem Fast nonparametric conditional independence testing
method BLITZ (Broad-to-Local Independence Testing via residualiZation)
result Better null calibration than fast kernel, random-feature, and regression-based competitors
Testing independence is of significant interest in many important areas of large-scale inference. Using extreme-value form statistics to test against sparse alternatives and using quadratic form statistics to test against dense alternatives are two important testing procedures for high-dimensional independence. However…
Constraint-based causal discovery (CCD) algorithms require fast and accurate conditional independence (CI) testing. The Kernel Conditional Independence Test (KCIT) is currently one of the most popular CI tests in the non-parametric setting, but many investigators cannot use KCIT with large datasets because the test sca…
New algorithms test independence with fewer samples by using predictive information.
problem Testing independence of distributions with limited samples.
method Augmented distribution testing framework that incorporates predictive information.
result Optimal sample complexity achieved, matching lower bounds.
New method tests causal relationships from data without needing to learn the entire graph.
problem Testing if a causal graph belongs to a specific Markov equivalence class from observational data.
method Established bounds on the number of independence tests required and provided an algorithm that matches these bounds.
result Testing requires exponentially less independence tests compared to learning, especially in graphs with high in-degrees and small clique sizes.
Conditional independence tests (CI tests) have received special attention lately in Machine Learning and Computational Intelligence related literature as an important indicator of the relationship among the variables used by their models. In the field of Probabilistic Graphical Models (PGM)--which includes Bayesian Net…
Private CI tests for continuous Z with privacy constraints.
problem Testing conditional independence under differential privacy constraints.
method Developed two private CI testing procedures based on generalized covariance and conditional randomization tests.
result First private CI tests with rigorous theoretical guarantees for continuous Z.
FastKCI speeds up KCI tests for causal inference on large datasets.
problem Cubic computational complexity of kernel-based conditional independence tests.
method Mixture-of-experts approach with parallel Gaussian process inference.
result Substantial computational speedups with maintained statistical power.
This work improves independence tests for high-dimensional data.
problem Detecting subtle dependencies between high-dimensional random variables with complex distributions.
method Develops two approaches to learn powerful independence tests using variational mutual information and HSIC.
result Optimized HSIC tests generally outperform other approaches on detecting structured dependence.
GaussDetect-LiNGAM eliminates Gaussianity tests for causal discovery.
problem Causal direction identification without Gaussianity assumptions.
method Leverages the equivalence between noise Gaussianity and residual independence in reverse regression.
result Gaussianity tests replaced with robust kernel-based independence tests.
Unified CI test for categorical and ordinal data maintains power in high dimensions.
problem Rapid degradation of statistical power in existing CI tests for high-dimensional conditioning variables.
method Unified CI test for categorical and ordinal data, maintaining reasonable calibration and power in high dimensions.
result Our test outperforms existing baselines in model testing and structure learning for dense directed graphical models.
New method tests independence with single nonstationary time series.
problem Testing independence in nonstationary nonlinear time series.
method Time-varying nonlinear regression, local long-run covariance estimation, strong Gaussian approximation.
result First framework for conditional independence testing with a single realization of a nonstationary nonlinear process.
A new non parametric approach to the problem of testing the independence of two random process is developed. The test statistic is the Hilbert Schmidt Independence Criterion (HSIC), which was used previously in testing independence for i.i.d pairs of variables. The asymptotic behaviour of HSIC is established when compu…
ACID neural network tests conditional independence efficiently.
problem Testing conditional independence in data.
method Amortized conditional independence testing using transformer-based neural networks.
result ACID achieves state-of-the-art performance and robust generalization.
A new computationally efficient dependence measure, and an adaptive statistical test of independence, are proposed. The dependence measure is the difference between analytic embeddings of the joint distribution and the product of the marginals, evaluated at a finite set of locations (features). These features are chose…
Recently, the binary expansion testing framework was introduced to test the independence of two continuous random variables by utilizing symmetry statistics that are complete sufficient statistics for dependence. We develop a new test based on an ensemble approach that uses the sum of squared symmetry statistics and di…
New statistics improve kernel independence testing efficiency.
problem Improving efficiency in kernel independence testing.
method Adapting martingale MMD construction to joint independence problem.
result Two new statistics achieve finite-sample consistency with linear per-test cost.
ECCIT improves conditional independence tests by calibrating for miscalibration.
problem Inaccurate frequentist guarantees in CITs, especially in small samples and misspecified models.
method Empirically Calibrated Conditional Independence Tests (ECCIT) that optimize and correct for miscalibration.
result ECCIT achieves valid FDR with higher power than existing calibration strategies.
Novel tests for genetic independence in high-dimensional data.
problem Testing independence in genetics studies with many variables.
method Defining premetric structures on genetic data support spaces.
result Solid theoretical framework and computationally-efficient implementations.
Testing for conditional independence is a core aspect of constraint-based causal discovery. Although commonly used tests are perfect in theory, they often fail to reject independence in practice, especially when conditioning on multiple variables. We focus on discrete data and propose a new test based on the notion of …
New method tests causal association using noise contrastive backdoor adjustment.
problem Testing causal association in complex settings with many confounders.
method Backdoor-HSIC (bd-HSIC) using HSIC for independence testing.
result Calibrated and powerful for binary and continuous treatments with many confounders.
New test for point processes without strong model assumptions.
problem Testing local independence in point processes without strong model assumptions.
method Expansion similar to Volterra expansions to represent marginalized intensities.
result Approximation of true marginalized intensity arbitrarily well.
We investigate the problem of testing whether d random variables, which may or may not be continuous, are jointly (or mutually) independent. Our method builds on ideas of the two variable Hilbert-Schmidt independence criterion (HSIC) but allows for an arbitrary number of variables. We embed the d-dimensional joint …
Develops a test for conditional local independence of counting processes.
problem Testing the hypothesis of conditional local independence among continuous time stochastic processes.
method Introduces a new functional parameter, the Local Covariance Measure (LCM), and proposes a test called (X)-LCT using nonparametric estimators and sample splitting or cross-fitting.
result The (X)-LCT test can be controlled uniformly with modest rates, and it works well without restrictive parametric assumptions.
We present and evaluate the Fast (conditional) Independence Test (FIT) -- a nonparametric conditional independence test. The test is based on the idea that when P(X∣Y,Z)=P(X∣Y), Z is not useful as a feature to predict X, as long as Y is also a regressor. On the contrary, if $P(X \mid Y, Z) \neq P(X…
New insights into CI tests reveal key factors for practical performance.
problem Understanding and improving CI tests in practical applications.
method Investigation of the Kernel-based Conditional Independence (KCI) test and analysis of its practical behavior.
result Errors in conditional mean embedding estimates and appropriate conditioning kernel selection are crucial for CI tests.