ForestPrune optimizes tree ensemble pruning for compactness and speed.
problem Large tree ensembles in predictive models consume excessive memory and reduce interpretability.
method Developed a specialized optimization algorithm to efficiently prune tree ensembles by depth layers.
result ForestPrune produces compact, high-performing models that outperform existing post-processing methods.
Paper studies ensemble probabilistic regression trees for smooth approximations.
problem Smooth approximations of regression functions.
method Ensemble versions of probabilistic regression trees.
result Ensemble probabilistic regression trees are consistent and perform well.
Optimal survival trees ensemble reduces tree count and improves predictive performance.
problem Improving predictive performance in survival analysis.
method Grows a forest of optimal survival trees by ranking and selecting the best trees based on out-of-bag error.
result Reduces the number of trees in the ensemble while improving predictive performance.
Flexible tree ensemble learning framework supports arbitrary loss functions and multi-task learning.
problem Limited modeling capabilities of existing tree ensemble learning toolkits.
method Differentiable tree ensembles with tensor-based formulation for efficient training.
result Our framework leads to 100x more compact and 23% more expressive tree ensembles.
Tree ensembles, such as random forest and boosted trees, are renowned for their high prediction performance, whereas their interpretability is critically limited. In this paper, we propose a post processing method that improves the model interpretability of tree ensembles. After learning a complex tree ensembles in a s…
Boosting meta-trees improve decision tree performance.
problem Overfitting in decision trees.
method Boosting approach to construct multiple meta-trees.
result Ensembles of meta-trees prevent overfitting.
Tree ensembles such as random forests and boosted trees are accurate but difficult to understand, debug and deploy. In this work, we provide the inTrees (interpretable trees) framework that extracts, measures, prunes and selects rules from a tree ensemble, and calculates frequent variable interactions. An rule-based le…
Tree ensembles, such as random forests and boosted trees, are renowned for their high prediction performance. However, their interpretability is critically limited due to the enormous complexity. In this study, we present a method to make a complex tree ensemble interpretable by simplifying the model. Specifically, we …
This paper introduces TNTK to study infinite soft tree ensembles.
problem Understanding the behavior of infinite soft tree ensembles.
method Introduced Tree Neural Tangent Kernel (TNTK) to analyze infinite soft tree ensembles.
result Identified several non-trivial properties of infinite soft tree ensembles.
Tree ensembles like RF and GBT can be seen as kernels, improving regression and classification performance.
problem Improving kernel methods for tree ensemble based models.
method Investigation of RF and GBT kernels in simulation and real data.
result RF and GBT kernels are competitive to their respective ensembles in higher dimensions, particularly with noisy features.
TREX explains tree ensembles by identifying key training examples.
problem Identifying which training examples most influence tree ensemble predictions.
method TREX builds a surrogate model using a kernel that captures tree ensemble structure, approximating the original model.
result TREX provides accurate and effective explanations for tree ensembles.
A new method creates simpler, more interpretable decision trees from complex ensembles.
problem Complex tree ensembles reduce interpretability and control over machine learning models.
method Dynamic-programming based algorithm for finding a minimum-size decision tree.
result Optimal born-again trees are simpler and more interpretable than original ensembles.
New framework uses tree ensembles for contextual bandits.
problem Optimizing decisions in dynamic environments with contextual information.
method Adapts Upper Confidence Bound and Thompson Sampling to tree ensemble methods.
result Tree ensemble methods outperform traditional methods in regret minimization and runtime.
HATT improves online decision tree ensembles by using a more eager splitting strategy.
problem Improving the efficiency of online decision tree ensembles.
method Replacing Hoeffding Tree's split strategy with HATT, which uses the Hoeffding Test for candidate splits.
result HATT outperforms Hoeffding Tree in online bagging and boosting ensembles, as shown by significant performance improvements in various testbenches.
Ensembles of decision trees perform well on many problems, but are not interpretable. In contrast to existing approaches in interpretability that focus on explaining relationships between features and predictions, we propose an alternative approach to interpret tree ensemble classifiers by surfacing representative poin…
Shallow trees in ensemble models make models more interpretable and sometimes better.
problem Lack of transparency in high-performing tree ensemble models.
method Developed an interpretation algorithm to convert tree ensembles into functional ANOVA representations. Proposed strategies to enhance interpretability.
result Shallow trees in ensemble models can lead to better generalization performance and improved interpretability.
The study investigates kernel-target alignment in tree ensemble kernels.
problem The degree of kernel-target alignment affects the performance of tree ensemble kernels in kernel learning.
method Eigenanalysis of the kernel matrix and sensitivity analysis via landmark learning.
result Good performance of tree ensemble kernels is associated with strong kernel-target alignment.
Paper explains how tree ensembles improve predictions by smoothing and regulating smoothness.
problem Understanding why tree ensembles perform well despite their complexity.
method Interpreting tree ensembles as adaptive and self-regularizing smoothers.
result Ensemble trees make more smooth predictions than individual trees and adjust smoothness based on input dissimilarity.
Paper analyzes soft tree ensembles using NTK, finding only leaf count matters.
problem Understanding impact of various tree architectures in ensemble learning.
method Formulated and analyzed Neural Tangent Kernel (NTK) for soft tree ensembles.
result Only the number of leaves at each depth is relevant for tree architecture in ensemble learning.
New approach verifies tree ensembles efficiently, making them more robust.
problem Verifying robustness of decision tree ensembles against evasion attacks is NP-hard.
method Identified large-spread ensembles, proposed verifiable learning, designed training algorithm.
result Large-spread ensembles can be verified in polynomial time and are more robust.
This paper tackles robustness of ensemble stumps and trees under general ℓ_p norm perturbations.
problem The vulnerability of ensemble stumps and trees to small input perturbations under the ℓ_∞ norm.
method Developed dynamic programming algorithms for robustness verification and certified defense under general ℓ_p norm perturbations.
result First certified defense method for ensemble stumps and trees under ℓ_p norm perturbations.
We propose a novel "tree-averaging" model that utilizes the ensemble of classification and regression trees (CART). Each constituent tree is estimated with a subset of similar data. We treat this grouping of subsets as Bayesian ensemble trees (BET) and model them as an infinite mixture Dirichlet process. We show that B…
New method tests tree models without causing computational pressure.
problem Incompatibility of adversarial robustness testing with tree ensembles.
method Smooths tree ensembles with sigmoid functions and uses gradient descent.
result Successfully reveals adversarial vulnerability of tree ensemble models.
Develops RKHS framework for analyzing tree ensembles.
problem Analyzing the theoretical properties of tree ensembles.
method Reproducing Kernel Hilbert Spaces (RKHS) for tree ensembles.
result Characterizes Random Forest predictor as minimizer of a penalized empirical risk functional in RKHS.
New framework detects model weaknesses in decision tree ensembles.
problem Detecting feature sensitivity in decision tree ensembles.
method Data-aware sensitivity framework using MILP and SMT.
result Realistic and interpretable examples of model weaknesses.
This study extends verifiable learning to boosted tree ensembles, enabling efficient security verification.
problem Efficiently verifying the robustness of boosted tree ensembles against norm-based attackers.
method Formal verification of robustness for large-spread boosted tree ensembles, considering L∞-norm and pseudo-polynomial time for Lp-norm verification. result Polynomial time verification for L∞-norm attackers, NP-hard for other norms, and pseudo-polynomial time for Lp-norm verification. In machine learning ensemble methods have demonstrated high accuracy for the variety of problems in different areas. Two notable ensemble methods widely used in practice are gradient boosting and random forests. In this paper we present InfiniteBoost - a novel algorithm, which combines important properties of these two…
Models obtained by decision tree induction techniques excel in being interpretable.However, they can be prone to overfitting, which results in a low predictive performance. Ensemble techniques are able to achieve a higher accuracy. However, this comes at a cost of losing interpretability of the resulting model. This ma…
Study reviews tree-based methods and introduces new ensemble strategies.
problem Improving the efficiency and performance of tree-based machine learning models.
method Review of tree-based methods, introduction of ISLE framework, ARM model combination strategy, and modified ISLEs.
result Performance evaluation of modified ISLEs on real data sets.
This work proposes a robust ensemble method for decision trees that resists adversarial attacks.
problem Adversarial attacks on machine learning models, especially decision trees.
method Feature partitioning to train robust ensembles and approximate certification methods.
result The proposed ensemble method can resist evasion attacks by a majority of its models.
Variable selection for high-dimensional linear models has received a lot of attention lately, mostly in the context of l1-regularization. Part of the attraction is the variable selection effect: parsimonious models are obtained, which are very suitable for interpretation. In terms of predictive power, however, these re…
New methods improve tree ensemble models by compressing them while maintaining accuracy.
problem Theoretical understanding and practical compression of tree ensembles like random forests and gradient boosting machines.
method Spectral perspective on tree ensembles, deriving minimax rates and developing compression schemes.
result Leading eigenfunctions/singular vectors capture dominant predictive directions, leading to smaller, competitive models.
Most decision tree induction algorithms are based on a greedy top-down recursive partitioning strategy for tree growth. In this paper, we propose several methods for induction of decision trees and their ensembles based on evolutionary algorithms. The main difference of our approach is using real-valued vector represen…
Tree ensemble kernels improve Bayesian optimization for mixed features and constraints.
problem Optimizing over mixed-feature spaces with known constraints.
method Kernel interpretation of tree ensembles as Gaussian Process prior, compatible optimization formulation for acquisition function, integration of known constraints.
result Framework outperforms state-of-the-art methods for mixed-feature spaces and constraints.
HRF enhances tree diversity in random forests to improve performance.
problem Selection bias and lack of diversity in random forests.
method Introducing heterogeneity during tree construction by assigning lower weights to features used in previous trees.
result HRF outperforms other ensemble methods in accuracy across 52 datasets.
Tree ensembles are flexible predictive models that can capture relevant variables and to some extent their interactions in a compact and interpretable manner. Most algorithms for obtaining tree ensembles are based on versions of boosting or Random Forest. Previous work showed that boosting algorithms exhibit a cyclic b…
In this paper we propose a method to build a neural network that is similar to an ensemble of decision trees. We first illustrate how to convert a learned ensemble of decision trees to a single neural network with one hidden layer and an input transformation. We then relax some properties of this network such as thresh…
ControlBurn selects few features from tree ensembles for better model interpretability.
problem Improving model interpretability in machine learning models.
method Sparse tree ensembles with lasso optimization.
result ControlBurn selects feature-sparse subsets for better model interpretability.
We consider the problem of learning decision rules for prediction with feature budget constraint. In particular, we are interested in pruning an ensemble of decision trees to reduce expected feature cost while maintaining high prediction accuracy for any test example. We propose a novel 0-1 integer program formulation …
Neural networks and tree ensembles are state-of-the-art learners, each with its unique statistical and computational advantages. We aim to combine these advantages by introducing a new layer for neural networks, composed of an ensemble of differentiable decision trees (a.k.a. soft trees). While differentiable trees dem…
TreeHFD algorithm explains tree ensemble models through hierarchical orthogonality.
problem Difficulty in explaining black-box tree ensemble models.
method TreeHFD algorithm using hierarchical orthogonality constraints.
result TreeHFD estimates Hoeffding decomposition from data samples.
Bayesian tree ensemble model for estimating treatment effects in high-dimensional survival data.
problem Estimating heterogeneous treatment effects in censored survival data with many covariates.
method Developed a Bayesian tree ensemble model with a horseshoe prior for adaptive shrinkage.
result Accurately estimates treatment effects in high-dimensional covariate spaces and non-linear functions.
Optimizes feature shifts for tree ensemble reclassification.
problem Improving tree ensemble reclassification accuracy through feature perturbation.
method Mathematical optimization of feature shifts to maximize reclassification probability.
result Effective feature ranking and optimization for tree ensemble reclassification.
Recent advances in machine learning and artificial intelligence are now being considered in safety-critical autonomous systems where software defects may cause severe harm to humans and the environment. Design organizations in these domains are currently unable to provide convincing arguments that their systems are saf…
Classifier evasion consists in finding for a given instance x the nearest instance x′ such that the classifier predictions of x and x′ are different. We present two novel algorithms for systematically computing evasions for tree ensembles such as boosted trees and random forests. Our first algorithm uses a Mixe…
We study the robustness verification problem for tree-based models, including decision trees, random forests (RFs) and gradient boosted decision trees (GBDTs). Formal robustness verification of decision tree ensembles involves finding the exact minimal adversarial perturbation or a guaranteed lower bound of it. Existin…
Ensemble of regression trees have become popular statistical tools for the estimation of conditional mean given a set of predictors. However, quantile regression trees and their ensembles have not yet garnered much attention despite the increasing popularity of the linear quantile regression model. This work proposes a…
A new tree-based model improves uncertainty estimation in sequential optimization.
problem Improving uncertainty estimation in sequential model-based optimization.
method Proposed a new ensemble of randomized trees (BwO forest) with bagging and oversampling.
result BwO forest outperforms existing tree-based models in various optimization scenarios.