Data-Driven Upper Confidence Bounds with Near-Optimal Regret for Heavy-Tailed Bandits

Stochastic multi-armed bandits (MABs) provide a fundamental reinforcement learning model to study sequential decision making in uncertain environments. The upper confidence bounds (UCB) algorithm gave birth to the renaissance of bandit algorithms, as it achieves near-optimal regret rates under various moment assumptions. Up until recently most UCB methods relied on concentration inequalities leading to confidence bounds which depend on moment parameters, such as the variance proxy, that are usually unknown in practice. In this paper, we propose a new distribution-free, data-driven UCB algorithm for symmetric reward distributions, which needs no moment information. The key idea is to combine a refined, one-sided version of the recently developed resampled median-of-means (RMM) method with UCB. We prove a near-optimal regret bound for the proposed anytime, parameter-free RMM-UCB method, even for heavy-tailed distributions.

On rate-optimal classification from non-private and from private data

In this paper we revisit the classical problem of classification, but impose privacy constraints. Under such constraints, the raw data $(X_1,Y_1),\ldots,(X_n,Y_n)$ cannot be directly observed, and all classifiers are functions of the randomised outcome of a suitable local differential privacy mechanism. The statistician is free to choose the form of this privacy mechanism, and here we add Laplace distributed noise to a discretisation of the location of each feature vector $X_i$ and to its label $Y_i$. The classification rule is the privatized version of the well-studied partitioning classification rule. In addition to the standard Lipschitz and margin conditions, a novel characteristic is introduced, by which the exact rate of convergence of the classification error probability is calculated, both for non-private and private data.

Distribution-Free Inference for the Regression Function of Binary Classification

One of the key objects of binary classification is the regression function, i.e., the conditional expectation of the class labels given the inputs. With the regression function not only a Bayes optimal classifier can be defined, but it also encodes the corresponding misclassification probabilities. The paper presents a resampling framework to construct exact, distribution-free and non-asymptotically guaranteed confidence regions for the true regression function for any user-chosen confidence level. Then, specific algorithms are suggested to demonstrate the framework. It is proved that the constructed confidence regions are strongly consistent, that is, any false model is excluded in the long run with probability one. The exclusion is quantified with probably approximately correct type bounds, as well. Finally, the algorithms are validated via numerical experiments, and the methods are compared to approximate asymptotic confidence ellipsoids.

Robust Independence Tests with Finite Sample Guarantees for Synchronous Stochastic Linear Systems

The paper introduces robust independence tests with non-asymptotically guaranteed significance levels for stochastic linear time-invariant systems, assuming that the observed outputs are synchronous, which means that the systems are driven by jointly i.i.d. noises. Our method provides bounds for the type I error probabilities that are distribution-free, i.e., the innovations can have arbitrary distributions. The algorithm combines confidence region estimates with permutation tests and general dependence measures, such as the Hilbert-Schmidt independence criterion and the distance covariance, to detect any nonlinear dependence between the observed systems. We also prove the consistency of our hypothesis tests under mild assumptions and demonstrate the ideas through the example of autoregressive systems.

Recursive Estimation of Conditional Kernel Mean Embeddings

Kernel mean embeddings, a widely used technique in machine learning, map probability distributions to elements of a reproducing kernel Hilbert space (RKHS). For supervised learning problems, where input-output pairs are observed, the conditional distribution of outputs given the inputs is a key object. The input dependent conditional distribution of an output can be encoded with an RKHS valued function, the conditional kernel mean map. In this paper we present a new recursive algorithm to estimate the conditional kernel mean map in a Hilbert space valued $L_2$ space, that is in a Bochner space. We prove the weak and strong $L_2$ consistency of our recursive estimator under mild conditions. The idea is to generalize Stone's theorem for Hilbert space valued regression in a locally compact Polish space. We present new insights about conditional kernel mean embeddings and give strong asymptotic bounds regarding the convergence of the proposed recursive method. Finally, the results are demonstrated on three application domains: for inputs coming from Euclidean spaces, Riemannian manifolds and locally compact subsets of function spaces.

Exact Distribution-Free Hypothesis Tests for the Regression Function of Binary Classification via Conditional Kernel Mean Embeddings

In this paper we suggest two statistical hypothesis tests for the regression function of binary classification based on conditional kernel mean embeddings. The regression function is a fundamental object in classification as it determines both the Bayes optimal classifier and the misclassification probabilities. A resampling based framework is applied and combined with consistent point estimators for the conditional kernel mean map to construct distribution-free hypothesis tests. These tests are introduced in a flexible manner allowing us to control the exact probability of type I error. We also prove that both proposed techniques are consistent under weak statistical assumptions, i.e., the type II error probabilities pointwise converge to zero.

Semi-Parametric Uncertainty Bounds for Binary Classification

The paper studies binary classification and aims at estimating the underlying regression function which is the conditional expectation of the class labels given the inputs. The regression function is the key component of the Bayes optimal classifier, moreover, besides providing optimal predictions, it can also assess the risk of misclassification. We aim at building non-asymptotic confidence regions for the regression function and suggest three kernel-based semi-parametric resampling methods. We prove that all of them guarantee regions with exact coverage probabilities and they are strongly consistent.