English

Identifying Causal Effects with Computer Algebra

Statistics Theory 2010-07-23 v1 Commutative Algebra Statistics Theory

Abstract

The long-standing identification problem for causal effects in graphical models has many partial results but lacks a systematic study. We show how computer algebra can be used to either prove that a causal effect can be identified, generically identified, or show that the effect is not generically identifiable. We report on the results of our computations for linear structural equation models, where we determine precisely which causal effects are generically identifiable for all graphs on three and four vertices.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.1007.3784,
  title  = {Identifying Causal Effects with Computer Algebra},
  author = {Luis David García-Puente and Sarah Spielvogel and Seth Sullivant},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1007.3784},
  year   = {2010}
}

Comments

8 pages, 3 figures, companion website: http://graphicalmodels.info

R2 v1 2026-06-21T15:51:17.141Z