3,516 research outputs found
Probabilistic Models over Ordered Partitions with Application in Learning to Rank
This paper addresses the general problem of modelling and learning rank data
with ties. We propose a probabilistic generative model, that models the process
as permutations over partitions. This results in super-exponential
combinatorial state space with unknown numbers of partitions and unknown
ordering among them. We approach the problem from the discrete choice theory,
where subsets are chosen in a stagewise manner, reducing the state space per
each stage significantly. Further, we show that with suitable parameterisation,
we can still learn the models in linear time. We evaluate the proposed models
on the problem of learning to rank with the data from the recently held Yahoo!
challenge, and demonstrate that the models are competitive against well-known
rivals.Comment: 19 pages, 2 figure
Just Sort It! A Simple and Effective Approach to Active Preference Learning
We address the problem of learning a ranking by using adaptively chosen
pairwise comparisons. Our goal is to recover the ranking accurately but to
sample the comparisons sparingly. If all comparison outcomes are consistent
with the ranking, the optimal solution is to use an efficient sorting
algorithm, such as Quicksort. But how do sorting algorithms behave if some
comparison outcomes are inconsistent with the ranking? We give favorable
guarantees for Quicksort for the popular Bradley-Terry model, under natural
assumptions on the parameters. Furthermore, we empirically demonstrate that
sorting algorithms lead to a very simple and effective active learning
strategy: repeatedly sort the items. This strategy performs as well as
state-of-the-art methods (and much better than random sampling) at a minuscule
fraction of the computational cost.Comment: Accepted at ICML 201
Behavioural decisions & welfare
If decision-makers (DMs) do not always do what is in their best interest, what do choices reveal about welfare? This paper shows how observed choices can reveal whether the DM is acting in her own best interest. We study a framework that relaxes rationality in a way that is common across a variety of seemingly disconnected positive behavioral models and admits the standard rational choice model as a special case. We model
a behavioral DM (boundedly rational) who, in contrast to a standard DM (rational), does not fully internalize all the consequences of her own actions on herself. We provide
an axiomatic characterization of choice correspondences consistent with behavioral and standard DMs, propose a choice experiment to infer the divergence between choice and
welfare, state an existence result for incomplete preferences and show that the choices of behavioral DMs are, typically, sub-optimal
Characterizing behavioral decisions with choice data
This paper provides an axiomatic characterization of choices in a setting where a
decision-maker may not fully internalize all the consequences of her choices on herself.
Such a departure from rationality, it turns out, is common across a variety of positive
behavioral models and admits the standard rational choice model as a special case. We
show that choice data satisfying (a) SenĂs axioms if and
fully characterize behavioral
decisions, and (b) SenĂs axiom if and if fully characterize standard decision-making. In
addition, we show that (a) it is possible to identify a minimal and a maximal set of
psychological states using choice data alone, and (b) under specific choice scenarios,
"revealed mistakes" can be inferred directly from choice data
Behavioural Decisions and Welfare
What are the normative implications of behavioral economics? We study a model where the decisions a person makes, consciously or unconsciously, affect her psychological state (reference point, beliefs, expectations, self-image) which, in turn, impacts on her ranking over available decisions in the first place. We distinguish between standard decisions where the decision-maker internalizes the feedback from her actions to her psychological state, and behavioural decisions where the psychological state is taken as given (although a decision outcome requires that action and psychological state are mutually consistent). In a behavioural decision, the individual imposes an externality on herself. We provide an axiomatic characterization of behavioral decisions. We show that the testable implications of behavioral and standard decisions are different and the outcomes of the two decision problems are, typically, distinguishable. We discuss the consequences for public policy of our formal analysis and over normative grounds for subsidized psychological therapiesBehavioural Decisions; Indistinguishabilty; revealed preferences; normative preferences; welfare; paternalism; autonomy; existence
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