Proposes stabilized weights for causal inference using isotonic calibration.
problem Stability and bias issues in inverse propensity weighting.
method Post-hoc isotonic calibration of inverse propensity weights.
result Improves performance of doubly robust estimators of average treatment effect.
New method improves causal effect estimation by addressing imbalance in training data.
problem Imbalance between treatment and control groups in training data.
method Combines distributionally robust optimization and weight regularization.
result Consistent improvements over existing methods in experiments.
The paper resolves the paradox of using unlabeled data for treatment effect estimation.
problem Using unlabeled data to estimate propensity scores for treatment effect estimation.
method Proposes a simple procedure to reconcile the use of estimated propensity scores with the advice to use true propensity scores.
result Direct regression may be preferable to inverse-propensity weighting in many circumstances.
Observational cohort studies with oversampled exposed subjects are typically implemented to understand the causal effect of a rare exposure. Because the distribution of exposed subjects in the sample differs from the source population, estimation of a propensity score function (i.e., probability of exposure given basel…
Improves robustness of propensity score estimators in challenging settings.
problem Limited overlap, small sample sizes, or unbalanced data.
method Extends calibration techniques for propensity score models, focusing on sample-splitting schemes.
result Calibration reduces variance and bias in inverse probability weighting and double/debiased machine learning frameworks.
FIDDLE uses deep learning to estimate ATE from complex data.
problem Estimating ATE from high-dimensional, correlated covariates with sparse nonlinear effects.
method Factor-augmented deep learning for propensity and outcome models.
result FIDDLE consistently estimates ATE under model misspecification and is semiparametrically efficient.
In most real-world recommender systems, the observed rating data are subject to selection bias, and the data are thus missing-not-at-random. Developing a method to facilitate the learning of a recommender with biased feedback is one of the most challenging problems, as it is widely known that naive approaches under sel…
New method reduces confidence interval sizes for causal inference.
problem Inaccurate propensity scores and extreme scores cause large confidence intervals.
method Data-dependent Coarse IPW (CIPW) estimators.
result Robust CIPW estimators reduce confidence interval sizes to ε+1/√n.
Paper proposes CounterSample to improve convergence in LTR models.
problem Large variance in IPS weights slows convergence in LTR models.
method Introduces CounterSample algorithm with provably better convergence.
result CounterSample converges faster than standard IPS-weighted methods.
Unified causal inference framework using distribution adaptation.
problem Estimating Average Treatment Effects (ATE) under uncertainty in propensity scores.
method Reframed as domain adaptation problem, using machine learning techniques.
result Joint Robust Estimator (JRE) achieves up to 15% reduction in MSE.
The paper addresses statistical inference for online decision-making in a contextual bandit setting.
problem Understanding the performance of reward models in online decision-making with contextual information.
method The paper uses the contextual bandit framework with a linear reward model and the ε-greedy policy to address the exploration-exploitation dilemma. It employs the martingale central limit theorem and inverse propensity score weighting to establish asymptotic normality of parameter estimators. result The online ordinary least squares estimator and the online weighted least squares estimator are asymptotically normal, providing insights into the performance of the reward model.
New method estimates consumer surplus from randomized pricing data.
problem Estimating consumer surplus from observational data, especially in AI-driven pricing.
method Cumulative Propensity Weights (CPW) and Augmented CPW (ACPW) estimators.
result Validated methods for estimating consumer surplus from randomized pricing data.
Study designs for estimating treatment effects in adaptive experiments.
problem Estimating treatment effects under adaptive treatment assignment.
method Propose and analyze IPW and AIPW estimators, establish CLTs under design stability.
result Central limit theorems for IPW and AIPW estimators under design stability.
We study optimal covariate balance for causal inferences from observational data when rich covariates and complex relationships necessitate flexible modeling with neural networks. Standard approaches such as propensity weighting and matching/balancing fail in such settings due to miscalibrated propensity nets and inapp…
Improves causal inference with observational data by balancing features and weights.
problem Achieving balance in predictive features for causal inference with observational data.
method Integrates balancing weights into representation learning for causal learning.
result Developed an algorithm for accurate estimation of causal effects.
Proposes a new method to handle data heterogeneity in causal inference.
problem Challenges of collaborating between different data centers due to heterogeneity.
method Collaborative inverse propensity score weighting estimator to adjust for distribution shift.
result Significant improvements over traditional meta-analysis methods when dealing with increased heterogeneity.
The paper proposes a new method for covariate balancing using IPM to improve causal inference.
problem Covariate imbalance in causal inference weighting methods, especially when models are not correctly specified.
method The integral probability metric (IPM) is used to determine optimal weights for treated and control groups.
result The proposed method can be consistent without specifying either the propensity score or outcome regression model.
Quantum neural networks improve causal inference in biomedical studies, especially for small samples.
problem Addressing selection bias in comparing surgical techniques using observational data.
method Developed QNN-based propensity score models focusing on four key covariates (Age, Sex, Stage, BMI). Employed a linear ZFeatureMap for data encoding, SummedPaulis for predictions, and CMA-ES for optimization. Integrated noise modeling to enhance predictive stability.
result QNNs, particularly with noise-aware strategies, outperformed classical models in small samples, achieving AUC up to 0.750 for n=100.
In this paper, we propose a robust method to estimate the average treatment effects in observational studies when the number of potential confounders is possibly much greater than the sample size. We first use a class of penalized M-estimators for the propensity score and outcome models. We then calibrate the initial e…
GEAR uses auxiliary data to estimate optimal decisions in studies with limited primary outcomes.
problem Estimating optimal decisions when primary outcomes are not available in experimental samples.
method GEAR uses augmented inverse propensity weighting to estimate optimal decisions based on auxiliary data.
result GEAR estimators and value estimators have established asymptotic properties and are validated in simulations and a real application.
Adaptive experiment designs can dramatically improve statistical efficiency in randomized trials, but they also complicate statistical inference. For example, it is now well known that the sample mean is biased in adaptive trials. Inferential challenges are exacerbated when our parameter of interest differs from the pa…
Estimating average causal effect (ACE) is useful whenever we want to know the effect of an intervention on a given outcome. In the absence of a randomized experiment, many methods such as stratification and inverse propensity weighting have been proposed to estimate ACE. However, it is hard to know which method is opti…
Algorithm identifies best arm with biased proxy and selective ground truth audits.
problem Fixed-confidence best-arm identification with biased proxy and selective ground truth.
method Propensity-weighted estimator and adaptive auditing algorithm.
result Plug-in Neyman rule achieves near-oracle audit efficiency.
When learning from a batch of logged bandit feedback, the discrepancy between the policy to be learned and the off-policy training data imposes statistical and computational challenges. Unlike classical supervised learning and online learning settings, in batch contextual bandit learning, one only has access to a colle…
We propose a novel approach for inferring the individualized causal effects of a treatment (intervention) from observational data. Our approach conceptualizes causal inference as a multitask learning problem; we model a subject's potential outcomes using a deep multitask network with a set of shared layers among the fa…
Inverse classification uses an induced classifier as a queryable oracle to guide test instances towards a preferred posterior class label. The result produced from the process is a set of instance-specific feature perturbations, or recommendations, that optimally improve the probability of the class label. In this work…
The paper develops methods to handle missing data using regularized M-estimation in reproducing kernel Hilbert space.
problem Handling missing data in statistical analysis.
method Kernel ridge regression for imputation and maximum entropy method for propensity score estimation.
result The proposed methods achieve statistical consistency and asymptotic equivalence.
DOPE efficiently estimates ATE with complex covariates.
problem Efficient estimation of ATE from complex covariates.
method Proposed DOPE framework for efficient adjustment.
result DOPE retains efficiency even with highly predictive covariates.
Paper tackles informative labels in semi-supervised learning, proposing debiasing methods.
problem Informative labels can bias semi-supervised learning models, especially when some classes are more likely to be labeled.
method Estimates missing-data mechanism and uses inverse propensity weighting to debias SSL algorithms.
result Proposed methods improve SSL performance, demonstrated on various datasets including medical ones.
Proposes a method to improve learning when training data is not representative.
problem Improving supervised learning when training data is not representative (covariate shift).
method Conditioning on propensity scores to balance covariates within strata.
result Significantly improved target prediction and AUC (0.958) on supernovae classification challenge.
Novel LSE estimator improves off-policy learning and evaluation.
problem High variance and poor performance with low-quality propensity scores and heavy-tailed reward distributions.
method Introduces a novel estimator based on the log-sum-exponential (LSE) operator.
result Achieves convergence rate of O(n−ε/(1+ε)) for regret bounds. Two new methods generate probabilistic forecasts of individual treatment effects.
problem Generating probabilistic forecasts of individual treatment effects for risk-aware decision-making.
method Proposes CCT and CMC meta-learners combining conformal predictive systems with analytic convolution or Monte Carlo sampling.
result Achieve probabilistically calibrated predictive distributions and performant continuous ranked probability scores.
We study offline recommender learning from explicit rating feedback in the presence of selection bias. A current promising solution for the bias is the inverse propensity score (IPS) estimation. However, the performance of existing propensity-based methods can suffer significantly from the propensity estimation bias. I…
Improved off-policy selection and learning in contextual bandits with better guarantees.
problem Selecting or training a reward-maximizing policy using data from a fixed behavior policy.
method A betting-based confidence bound applied to an inverse propensity weight sequence for off-policy selection, and a freezing condition for off-policy learning.
result The proposed methods achieve significantly improved guarantees over prior work, especially in small-data regimes.
New algorithm improves causal effect estimation for continuous treatments.
problem Observational causal inference with continuous treatments.
method End-to-end entropy balancing for maximizing causal inference accuracy.
result Our algorithm estimates causal effect more accurately than baseline.
This study optimizes covariate density and propensity score for efficient ATE estimation.
problem Efficiently estimating average treatment effects (ATEs) with minimal variance.
method Adaptive experiment optimizing both covariate density and propensity score.
result Proposed method minimizes the semiparametric efficiency bound for ATE estimation.
Many scientific questions require estimating the effects of continuous treatments. Outcome modeling and weighted regression based on the generalized propensity score are the most commonly used methods to evaluate continuous effects. However, these techniques may be sensitive to model misspecification, extreme weights o…
R-Learning uses inverse-variance weights to estimate treatment effects more accurately.
problem Estimating heterogeneous treatment effects (CATEs) with stable and accurate methods.
method R-Learning with inverse-variance weights (IVWs) for pseudo-outcome regression.
result IVWs improve the stability and accuracy of CATE estimation.
This tutorial introduces causal modeling methods for researchers.
problem Understanding causal relationships in research studies.
method Integrates potential outcomes and graphical methods for causal modeling.
result Clear notation and practical examples for applied researchers.
A new tensor completion method handles missing data with missing not at random entries.
problem Handling missing data in tensors where the probability of observation depends on other entries.
method Estimate propensities using convex relaxation, then use higher-order SVD with inverse propensities weights.
result Finite-sample error bounds on the completed tensor are provided.
Paper proposes a new method for estimating treatment effects using interpretable deep learning models.
problem Estimating treatment effects from observational data with interpretability.
method Proposes a novel objective function using energy distance balancing score and neural additive models for improved interpretability.
result Demonstrates superior performance over state-of-the-art methods in semi-synthetic experiments.
Kernelized bandit algorithm tackles adaptive contextual bandits with single-index models.
problem Adaptive contextual bandits with single-index models and unknown link functions.
method Kernelized ε-greedy algorithm combining Stein-based index estimation and kernel ridge regression for reward functions.
result Unified framework for simultaneous learning and inference in single-index contextual bandits.
Adapting policy learning for data collected from evolving systems.
problem Challenges in learning optimal policies from adaptively collected data.
method Proposes an algorithm based on generalized augmented inverse propensity weighted (AIPW) estimators to control worst-case estimation variance.
result Achieves minimax rate optimal regret guarantees even with diminishing exploration.
Balance corrects biased survey data for more accurate insights.
problem Bias in survey data leads to inaccurate insights and underperforming models.
method Three steps: bias understanding, weight adjustment, and evaluation.
result Corrected data leads to more accurate ML model training and insights.
DTS improves robustness of bandit algorithms in nonstationary environments.
problem Brittle behavior of multi-armed bandit algorithms in nonstationary exogenous factors.
method Deconfounded Thompson Sampling (DTS) that projects population-level performance while controlling for context.
result DTS provides resilience to exogenous variation and balances exploration and exploitation.
We develop a learning principle and an efficient algorithm for batch learning from logged bandit feedback. This learning setting is ubiquitous in online systems (e.g., ad placement, web search, recommendation), where an algorithm makes a prediction (e.g., ad ranking) for a given input (e.g., query) and observes bandit …
Presentation bias is one of the key challenges when learning from implicit feedback in search engines, as it confounds the relevance signal with uninformative signals due to position in the ranking, saliency, and other presentation factors. While it was recently shown how counterfactual learning-to-rank (LTR) approache…
Recent work on policy learning from observational data has highlighted the importance of efficient policy evaluation and has proposed reductions to weighted (cost-sensitive) classification. But, efficient policy evaluation need not yield efficient estimation of policy parameters. We consider the estimation problem give…