Specifying utility functions is a key step towards applying the discrete choice framework for understanding the behaviour processes that govern user choices. However, identifying the utility function specifications that best model and explain the observed choices can be a very challenging and time-consuming task. This …
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48 results for “utility specification”
A new model uses neural networks for consistent discrete choice analysis.
problem Difficulties in specifying utility functions in RUM models.
method Alternative-Specific and Shared weights Neural Network (ASS-NN) model.
result ASS-NN provides consistent outcomes without specifying utility form.
In a market with stochastic investment opportunities, we study an optimal consumption investment problem for an agent with recursive utility of Epstein-Zin type. Focusing on the empirically relevant specification where both risk aversion and elasticity of intertemporal substitution are in excess of one, we characterize…
RUMBoost combines RUMs and deep learning for better choice modelling.
problem Creating interpretable and robust discrete choice models.
method Gradient Boosted Regression Trees for utility functions, with constraints for interpretability and monotonicity.
result RUMBoost outperforms ML and RUM benchmarks in predictive performance and interpretability.
New framework for evaluating multiclass classifier calibration.
problem Ensuring classifiers are well-calibrated for trustworthy predictions.
method Utility Calibration framework that measures calibration error relative to a utility function.
result Unified and robust interpretation of existing calibration metrics.
CEFOL uses deep learning for dynamic programming with recursive utility.
problem Challenges in solving dynamic programming problems with recursive utility.
method Introduces a separate neural network for certainty equivalent, uses first-order optimality conditions to learn value and policy functions.
result CEFOL achieves high accuracy in learning value and policy functions, matching VFI benchmarks.
A framework for eliciting utility functions from investor preferences.
problem Hard elicitation of specific utility functions in portfolio selection.
method Preference-fitting method using probability-wealth pairs and PHARA approximation.
result Fitted utility function converges to the optimal one as more data is used.
Designs a DNN with alternative-specific utility functions for improved choice analysis.
problem Challenges in reconciling domain-specific knowledge with generic DNN.
method Integrates prior behavioral knowledge into DNN architecture with alternative-specific utility functions.
result 2-3% higher prediction accuracy than fully connected DNN over hyperparameter space.
Menger 1934 revisitedq-fin.RM
Karl Menger's 1934 paper on the St. Petersburg paradox contains mathematical errors that invalidate his conclusion that unbounded utility functions, specifically Bernoulli's logarithmic utility, fail to resolve modified versions of the St. Petersburg paradox.
Optimal portfolios are found for a wide range of utility functions under hyperbolic returns.
problem Portfolio optimization under expected utility criterion for large portfolios.
method Analytical expressions for optimal portfolios under hyperbolic return distributions and various utility functions.
result The two-fund separation holds true for a broad class of utility functions.
This paper introduces a dual problem to study a continuous-time consumption and investment problem with incomplete markets and stochastic differential utility. For Epstein-Zin utility, duality between the primal and dual problems is established. Consequently the optimal strategy of the consumption and investment proble…
Bayesian decision theory outlines a rigorous framework for making optimal decisions based on maximizing expected utility over a model posterior. However, practitioners often do not have access to the full posterior and resort to approximate inference strategies. In such cases, taking the eventual decision-making task i…
FairDTD improves fairness in GNNs by distilling dual teacher knowledge, balancing utility and bias.
problem Bias in GNN predictions due to sensitive attributes.
method Dual-Teacher Distillation with a causal graph model, feature and structure teachers, and graph-level distillation.
result Achieves optimal fairness while preserving high model utility.
This paper analyzes popular time-nonseparable utility functions that describe "habit formation" consumer preferences comparing current consumption with the time averaged past consumption of the same individual and "catching up with the Joneses" (CuJ) models comparing individual consumption with a cross-sectional averag…
Study adds investment gains and losses to recursive utility model, proving existence and uniqueness of utility process.
problem Existence and uniqueness of utility process in a recursive utility model with investment gains and losses.
method Generalized recursive utility model with constant elasticity of intertemporal substitution and relative risk aversion degree. Proved existence and uniqueness in a specific, finite-state Markovian setting.
result Utility process exists and is unique when agent derives nonnegative gain-loss utility, and non-existent or non-unique otherwise.
We demonstrate a limitation of discounted expected utility, a standard approach for representing the preference to risk when future cost is discounted. Specifically, we provide an example of the preference of a decision maker that appears to be rational but cannot be represented with any discounted expected utility. A …
New risk measures for financial and ESG risks using utility functions.
problem Assessing financial and ESG risks using traditional risk measures.
method Developed new risk measures based on utility functions.
result Properties of utility functions translate into properties of risk measures.
Trading multiple mean reversionq-fin.MF
Solves optimal control for trading multiple mean-reverting assets.
problem How to construct a portfolio from mean-reverting assets.
method Optimal control problem for power utility agent.
result Nearly explicit solution with properties of optimal solution.
New approach for learning with unknown utilities without explicit specification.
problem Learning with unknown and context-dependent utility functions.
method Agnostic learning with unknown utilities, using k-comparison oracle.
result Learning a decision function with small excess risk using sampled data and k-comparison oracle.
This paper proposes a systematic framework to design a classification model that yields a classifier which optimizes a utility function based on prior knowledge. Specifically, as the data size grows, we prove that the produced classifier asymptotically converges to the optimal classifier, an extended version of the Bay…
Kramkov and Sirbu (2006, 2007) have shown that first-order approximations of power utility-based prices and hedging strategies can be computed by solving a mean-variance hedging problem under a specific equivalent martingale measure and relative to a suitable numeraire. In order to avoid the introduction of an addition…
The effectiveness of utility-maximization techniques for portfolio management relies on our ability to estimate correctly the parameters of the dynamics of the underlying financial assets. In the setting of complete or incomplete financial markets, we investigate whether small perturbations of the market coefficient pr…
Study on equilibrium with non-convex preferences.
problem Existence of equilibrium in non-convex preference settings.
method Provided a necessary and sufficient condition for equilibrium existence.
result Standard equilibrium theory cannot be applied to non-convex preferences.
Study finds 'happiness' search data predicts stock returns, suggesting utility needs impact firm performance.
problem Investing in firms that meet societal utility needs.
method Used Google Trends data on 'happiness' search volume to predict stock returns.
result Happiness search exposure (HSE) explains future stock returns, particularly for big and value firms.
This paper discusses the sensitivity of the long-term expected utility of optimal portfolios for an investor with constant relative risk aversion. Under an incomplete market given by a factor model, we consider the utility maximization problem with long-time horizon. The main purpose is to find the long-term sensitivit…
Rationalizing Investors Choiceq-fin.PM
Assuming that agents' preferences satisfy first-order stochastic dominance, we show how the Expected Utility paradigm can rationalize all optimal investment choices: the optimal investment strategy in any behavioral law-invariant (state-independent) setting corresponds to the optimum for an expected utility maximizer w…
Singular recursive utilitymath.OC
We introduce the concept of singular recursive utility. This leads to a kind of singular BSDE which, to the best of our knowledge, has not been studied before. We show conditions for existence and uniqueness of a solution for this kind of singular BSDE. Furthermore, we analyze the problem of maximizing the singular rec…
SMOTE-DP enhances synthetic data privacy without sacrificing utility.
problem Balancing privacy and utility in synthetic data generation.
method Integrating SMOTE with differential privacy mechanisms.
result SMOTE-DP produces synthetic data that is both private and useful.
Optimal reinsurance contracts for multiple dependent risks are derived without specific dependency assumptions.
problem Finding optimal reinsurance contracts for multiple dependent risks without assuming their dependency structure.
method Assumes maximal expected utility criterion and independent negotiation of reinsurance for each risk. Derives optimality conditions and shows that under mild assumptions, optimal contracts are classical (non-randomized) type.
result Optimal reinsurance contracts exist and can be classical (non-randomized) type under mild assumptions.
Portfolio Construction with Gaussian Mixture Returns and Exponential Utility via Convex Optimizationmath.OC
Optimizes portfolios with GM returns using convex optimization.
problem Maximizing expected exponential utility with GM asset returns.
method Formulated as a convex optimization problem.
result Optimal solutions found without sampling or scenarios.
Data-driven anomaly detection methods suffer from the drawback of detecting all instances that are statistically rare, irrespective of whether the detected instances have real-world significance or not. In this paper, we are interested in the problem of specifically detecting anomalous instances that are known to have …
In this paper, we consider the classical problem of utility maximization in a financial market allowing jumps. Assuming that the constraint set is a compact set, rather than a convex one, we use a dynamic method from which we derive a specific BSDE. We then aim at showing existence and uniqueness results for the introd…
Generative model learns investment strategies without explicit utility specification.
problem Challenges in modeling complex, multi-objective fund optimization.
method Generative adversarial network (GAN) framework that learns latent strategy representations.
result Framework captures diverse investment styles and realizations of optimization parameters.
Distributed devices such as mobile phones can produce and store large amounts of data that can enhance machine learning models; however, this data may contain private information specific to the data owner that prevents the release of the data. We wish to reduce the correlation between user-specific private information…
Information processing constraints in travel behaviour modelling: A generative learning approachecon.EM
Generative model captures how individuals process travel information under uncertainty.
problem Travel decisions are sensitive to uncertainty and information processing constraints.
method Data-driven generative learning model based on rational inattention theory.
result Generative model demonstrates strong correlation with rational inattention theory.
TVineSynth generates synthetic data to balance privacy and utility.
problem Balancing privacy and utility in synthetic data generation.
method Uses vine copula with truncation to control privacy and utility trade-off.
result Achieves superior privacy-utility balance compared to competitors.
Optimal defenses protect FL models from gradient reconstruction attacks.
problem Gradient reconstruction attacks compromise FL models by recovering original data from shared gradients.
method Derive a theoretical lower bound of reconstruction error, customize noise and pruning defenses, and achieve optimal trade-off between leakage and utility.
result Our methods outperform Gradient Noise and Pruning in protecting training data and maintaining model utility.
FCA improves fair clustering by optimizing utility and fairness.
problem Balancing fairness and utility in clustering.
method FCA alternates between aligning data and optimizing cluster centers in an aligned space.
result FCA achieves a superior trade-off between fairness and utility.
This work defines observation-specific explanations for black-box models.
problem Assigning importance to data points in black-box model predictions.
method Surrogate model construction using scattered data approximation and orthogonal matching pursuit.
result Validated approach on simulated and real-world datasets.
Paper establishes utility theory for synthetic data generation.
problem Lack of theoretical understanding in synthetic data utility.
method Statistical learning framework with two utility metrics: generalization and model ranking.
result Theoretical bounds for synthetic data utility metrics ensure comparable generalization and consistent model comparison.
Study finds cheapest possible payoff under ambiguity, linking to maxmin expected utility.
problem Finding cost-efficient payoffs in uncertain market conditions.
method Developed a new concept of robust cost-efficient payoff and linked it to maxmin expected utility.
result Solutions to maxmin robust expected utility are robust cost-efficient.
New algorithm tackles non-linear utility in MNL bandits with regret.
problem Sequential assortment selection with intricate user-item interactions.
method Upper Confidence Bound principle for non-linear parametric utility functions, including neural networks.
result Achieves regret bound for neural network-based utilities.
This paper takes a look at the Talmudic rule aka the 1/N rule aka the uniform investment strategy from the viewpoint of elementary microeconomics. Specifically, we derive the cardinal utility function for a Talmud-obeying agent which happens to have the Cobb-Douglas form. Further, we investigate individual supply and d…
This work analyzes fairness-accuracy trade-offs using causal methods.
problem Discriminatory behavior in machine learning systems based on sensitive characteristics.
method Introduces path-specific excess loss (PSEL) and causal fairness/utility ratio to quantify trade-offs.
result Shows how enforcing fairness constraints can reduce discrimination while increasing loss.
Study on utility maximization with Tsallis entropy in reinforcement learning.
problem Exploring utility maximization with Tsallis entropy in reinforcement learning.
method Introducing Tsallis entropy regularizer to induce exploration, investigating specific examples, characterizing well-posedness, designing reinforcement learning algorithm.
result Characterized well-posedness and provided semi-closed-form solutions for specific examples, found distinct optimal strategies.
Bayesian Estimation of Mixed Multinomial Logit Models: Advances and Simulation-Based Evaluationsstat.ML
Variational Bayes (VB) methods have emerged as a fast and computationally-efficient alternative to Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods for scalable Bayesian estimation of mixed multinomial logit (MMNL) models. It has been established that VB is substantially faster than MCMC at practically no compromises in predict…
Neilson's Weak vs. Strong Loss Aversion: A Characterization and a Generalized CPT-Utility Functionq-fin.MF
This paper analyzes risk perception and aversion in decision-making.
problem Understanding and quantifying risk perception and aversion in decision-making.
method Theoretical analysis and generalized CPT-utility function development.
result A generalized CPT-utility function that captures risk perception and aversion.
New method calibrates noise for attack risk, improving ML model accuracy.
problem Improving accuracy of privacy-preserving ML models while maintaining privacy.
method Directly calibrates noise scale to a desired attack risk level, bypassing the standard -calibration.
result Significantly decreases noise scale, leading to increased utility at the same risk level.