Inference models are a key component in scaling variational inference to deep latent variable models, most notably as encoder networks in variational auto-encoders (VAEs). By replacing conventional optimization-based inference with a learned model, inference is amortized over data examples and therefore more computatio…
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48 results for “inference”
Approximate probabilistic inference algorithms are central to many fields. Examples include sequential Monte Carlo inference in robotics, variational inference in machine learning, and Markov chain Monte Carlo inference in statistics. A key problem faced by practitioners is measuring the accuracy of an approximate infe…
This work frames active inference through control as inference, offering robust control algorithms.
problem Active inference framework lacks practical sensorimotor control algorithms.
method Frame active inference through control as inference, presenting trajectory optimization as inference.
result AI may be framed as partially-observed CaI when the cost function is defined in observation states.
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.
Improved Bayesian inference for neuronal ensemble inference reduces computational cost.
problem Efficient inference of neuronal ensembles from activity data.
method Modified MCMC algorithm with simulated annealing for hyperparameter control.
result Our method reduces computational cost while maintaining or improving inference accuracy.
Adding metadata abruptly changes network inference outcomes.
problem Understanding the impact of metadata on network inference.
method Investigated the effect of metadata on network inference problems.
result Metadata causes abrupt transitions in inference outcomes.
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.
An Easy to Interpret Diagnostic for Approximate Inference: Symmetric Divergence Over Simulationscs.LG
Paper introduces a diagnostic for approximate inference methods.
problem Estimating errors in probabilistic inference algorithms, especially for approximate methods.
method Repeatedly simulate datasets from the prior and perform inference on each, estimating a symmetric KL-divergence.
result A diagnostic for approximate inference methods can be estimated using symmetric KL-divergence.
Probabilistic inference procedures are usually coded painstakingly from scratch, for each target model and each inference algorithm. We reduce this effort by generating inference procedures from models automatically. We make this code generation modular by decomposing inference algorithms into reusable program-to-progr…
Recent efforts on combining deep models with probabilistic graphical models are promising in providing flexible models that are also easy to interpret. We propose a variational message-passing algorithm for variational inference in such models. We make three contributions. First, we propose structured inference network…
A new method for safer statistical inference after predictions.
problem Statistical inference with pseudo-outcomes from machine learning predictions.
method Prediction De-Correlated Inference (PDC) framework.
result PDC consistently outperforms supervised methods and can adapt to any model.
Bayesian interpolants explain neural network inferences concisely.
problem Understanding neural network inferences.
method Adapting Craig interpolants for neural networks.
result Produces precise, understandable explanations.
Variational inference provides a powerful tool for approximate probabilistic in- ference on complex, structured models. Typical variational inference methods, however, require to use inference networks with computationally tractable proba- bility density functions. This largely limits the design and implementation of v…
New comparison shows differences in how value is incorporated in AIF and CAI.
problem Clarifying the relationship between Active Inference and Control-as-Inference.
method Formal comparison of AIF and CAI frameworks.
result Primary difference is how value is incorporated into generative models.
Paper shows how to infer hidden states in neural networks analytically.
problem Intractability of Bayesian inference for neural networks.
method Leverage tractable approximate Gaussian inference (TAGI) for hidden states inference.
result Demonstrates inference of hidden states through constraints for various applications.
Variational Inference shows promise for Bayesian GARCH model estimation.
problem Bayesian estimation of GARCH-family models using Monte Carlo sampling.
method Variational Inference as an alternative to Monte Carlo sampling.
result Variational Inference is a reliable and competitive method for Bayesian learning in GARCH-like models.
Post-ADC inference corrects bias in statistical inference after active data collection.
problem Bias in inference after active data collection.
method Post-ADC inference framework that corrects bias from both ADC process and data-driven target construction.
result Valid inference for data collected by SMBO methods like GP-UCB and TPE.
A new particle algorithm improves mean-field variational inference.
problem Efficiently approximating nonparametric posterior distributions in machine learning.
method Introduces PArticle VI (PAVI), a novel particle-based algorithm for nonparametric mean-field approximation.
result Obtains non-asymptotic error bounds for PArticle VI, providing the first end-to-end guarantee for particle-based MFVI.
Meta-learn Bayesian inference for task-specific BNNs using amortised inference.
problem Efficiently learning Bayesian inference for small-scale probabilistic meta-learning.
method Replace global inducing points with actual data to create a set of approximate likelihoods, train a meta-model to learn these parameters across related datasets.
result Meta-learned inference can be applied to task-specific BNNs, improving efficiency and scalability.
Posterior inference in directed graphical models is commonly done using a probabilistic encoder (a.k.a inference model) conditioned on the input. Often this inference model is trained jointly with the probabilistic decoder (a.k.a generator model). If probabilistic encoder encounters complexities during training (e.g. s…
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.
Exact selective inference with randomization for Gaussian regression models.
problem Exact selective inference in Gaussian regression models.
method Introduces a pivot for exact selective inference with randomization, reducing the problem to a bivariate truncated Gaussian distribution.
result Our pivot leads to exact inference and produces narrower confidence intervals than related methods.
Recent work used importance sampling ideas for better variational bounds on likelihoods. We clarify the applicability of these ideas to pure probabilistic inference, by showing the resulting Importance Weighted Variational Inference (IWVI) technique is an instance of augmented variational inference, thus identifying th…
BOED improves SBI by optimizing experimental designs and inference functions.
problem Efficiently use experimental resources for better inference on complex models.
method Link mutual information bounds between SBI and BOED, optimizing both design and inference.
result BOED improves inference in real-world simulators in epidemiology and biology.
Prediction-Powered Inferencestat.ML
Valid inference from data and predictions.
problem Valid statistical inference with machine learning predictions.
method Framework for valid inference using machine learning predictions.
result Valid confidence intervals without assumptions on predictions.
EFI automates statistical inference for big data.
problem Statistical inference for model parameters based on observations.
method EFI uses stochastic gradient Markov chain Monte Carlo and sparse deep neural networks.
result EFI provides higher fidelity in parameter estimation and automates the inference process.
Derives time-averaged active inference from control principles.
problem Finite-horizon or discounted-surprise problems in active inference.
method Derives infinite-horizon, average-surprise active inference from optimal control principles.
result Unified objective functional for sensorimotor control.
Uncertainty-Aware Surrogate-based Amortized Bayesian Inference for Computationally Expensive Modelsstat.ML
UA-SABI uses surrogates to speed up Bayesian inference for expensive models.
problem Inference for computationally expensive models is slow and uncertain.
method Combines surrogate modeling with Amortized Bayesian Inference (ABI) to propagate uncertainties.
result Reliable, fast, and repeated Bayesian inference for expensive models is achieved.
Adversarial robustness of amortized Bayesian inference is studied, showing it can be improved.
problem Adversarial robustness of amortized Bayesian inference.
method Simulation-based estimation, regularization scheme based on Fisher information.
result Adversarial robustness can be improved with a regularization scheme.
Probabilistic models can handle causal inference without special tools.
problem Confusion over necessary tools for causal inference.
method Demonstrated through concrete examples that causal questions can be answered using standard probabilistic models.
result Causal questions can be addressed using standard probabilistic modelling and inference.
New method uses EKI for efficient Bayesian inference in high-dimensional problems.
problem Efficient inference for high-dimensional posterior distributions in physics-informed neural networks.
method Ensemble Kalman Inversion (EKI) for high-dimensional posterior inference.
result EKI-based inference provides comparable uncertainty estimates to HMC-based methods but with reduced computational cost.
VISA improves inference efficiency for complex models.
problem Efficient approximate inference in computationally intensive models.
method Sequential sample-average approximations within a trust region.
result VISA achieves comparable accuracy with computational savings.
Prediction-Powered E-Valuesstat.ML
Predictive e-values enhance statistical inference across various tasks.
problem Insufficient data limits traditional statistical inference.
method Apply prediction-powered inference to e-values.
result Every e-value-based inference has a prediction-powered counterpart.
Improves neural relational inference for dynamic multi-agent trajectories.
problem Limited accuracy of NRI in short output sequences for relational inference in multi-agent trajectories.
method Proposes DYnamic multi-AgentRelational Inference (DYARI) model to handle changing interactions over time.
result DYARI model outperforms NRI in dynamic relational inference tasks.
Approximate inference algorithm is one of the fundamental research fields in machine learning. The two dominant theoretical inference frameworks in machine learning are variational inference (VI) and Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC). However, because of the fundamental limitation in the theory, it is very challenging to…
Noise-aware DP inference improves accuracy for complex models.
problem Inaccurate results and biases in DP inference for complex models.
method Noise-aware stochastic gradient variational inference.
result Accurate coverages and predictive probabilities for complex models.
Enhances robustness in experimental design through Generalised Bayesian inference.
problem Poor inference and estimates of information gain when statistical model is incorrectly specified.
method Generalised Bayesian (Gibbs) inference framework applied to experimental design.
result GBOED enhances robustness to outliers and incorrect assumptions about noise distribution.
Distribution Transformers: Fast Approximate Bayesian Inference With On-The-Fly Prior Adaptationstat.ML
Fast Bayesian inference with adaptable priors for real-time applications.
problem Intractable exact posterior computation limits Bayesian inference's adoption.
method Distribution Transformer architecture that learns mappings between priors and posteriors.
result Significant reduction in computation time from minutes to milliseconds.
ParKCa combines multiple causal inference methods to infer new causes from known and unknown factors.
problem Causal inference from observational data when randomized experiments are not feasible.
method ParKCa uses a stacking approach to combine results from multiple causal inference methods.
result ParKCa infers more causes than existing methods in real-world and simulated datasets.
BLISS detects and separates astronomical sources quickly and accurately.
problem Detecting and separating overlapping astronomical sources in large images.
method Bayesian Light Source Separator (BLISS) using deep generative models and variational inference.
result BLISS can process megapixel images in seconds and produce highly accurate catalogs.
Enhances multi-modular models by directing information flow between components.
problem Improving predictive performance in multi-modular models with misspecification.
method Introduces Semi-Modular Inference (SMI) with an influence parameter to control information flow between modules.
result SMI allows for tunable and directed information flow, improving prediction in some settings.
SING improves state inference in latent SDE models for better drift function estimation.
problem Intractable posterior inference in latent SDE models.
method Natural gradient variational inference.
result SING provides faster and more reliable inference in latent SDE models.
Neural networks speed up statistical inference.
problem Efficient statistical inference for complex models.
method Neural networks for learning complex mappings.
result Amortized inference speeds up inference processes.
Inference-aware meta-alignment of LLMs reduces computational cost.
problem Aligning LLMs to diverse human preferences is challenging due to conflicting criteria.
method IAMA trains a base model to be aligned to multiple tasks via different inference-time alignment algorithms, using non-linear GRPO for optimization.
result IAMA enables effective alignment of LLMs to multiple criteria with limited computational budget.
NVGD uses neural networks to infer distributions without kernel choices.
problem Challenges in choosing kernel functions for SVGD.
method NVGD parameterizes the witness function of the Stein discrepancy with a neural network.
result NVGD achieves good performance on various inference problems.
The paper improves Lasso inference methods for survey data.
problem Improving inference methods for survey data.
method Extends Lasso inferential methods to survey data.
result Establishes asymptotic validity of inference procedures in survey environments.
Private Causal Inferencestat.ML
Causal inference deals with identifying which random variables "cause" or control other random variables. Recent advances on the topic of causal inference based on tools from statistical estimation and machine learning have resulted in practical algorithms for causal inference. Causal inference has the potential to hav…
FPPI selectively uses predictions to improve inference efficiency.
problem Improving statistical inference with limited labeled data and heterogeneous prediction quality.
method Filtered Prediction-Powered Inference (FPPI) framework.
result FPPI achieves strictly improved asymptotic efficiency compared to existing methods.