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Related papers: Optimal Testing for Properties of Distributions

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We study the problem of testing discrete distributions with a focus on the high probability regime. Specifically, given samples from one or more discrete distributions, a property $\mathcal{P}$, and parameters $0< \epsilon, \delta <1$, we…

Data Structures and Algorithms · Computer Science 2020-09-15 Ilias Diakonikolas , Themis Gouleakis , Daniel M. Kane , John Peebles , Eric Price

We propose a new setting for testing properties of distributions while receiving samples from several distributions, but few samples per distribution. Given samples from $s$ distributions, $p_1, p_2, \ldots, p_s$, we design testers for the…

Data Structures and Algorithms · Computer Science 2019-11-19 Maryam Aliakbarpour , Sandeep Silwal

We study the question of identity testing for structured distributions. More precisely, given samples from a {\em structured} distribution $q$ over $[n]$ and an explicit distribution $p$ over $[n]$, we wish to distinguish whether $q=p$…

Data Structures and Algorithms · Computer Science 2014-10-10 Ilias Diakonikolas , Daniel M. Kane , Vladimir Nikishkin

We study the general problem of testing whether an unknown distribution belongs to a specified family of distributions. More specifically, given a distribution family $\mathcal{P}$ and sample access to an unknown discrete distribution…

Data Structures and Algorithms · Computer Science 2017-08-09 Clément L. Canonne , Ilias Diakonikolas , Alistair Stewart

We give a general unified method that can be used for $L_1$ {\em closeness testing} of a wide range of univariate structured distribution families. More specifically, we design a sample optimal and computationally efficient algorithm for…

Data Structures and Algorithms · Computer Science 2015-08-25 Ilias Diakonikolas , Daniel M. Kane , Vladimir Nikishkin

We consider the problem of hypothesis testing for discrete distributions. In the standard model, where we have sample access to an underlying distribution $p$, extensive research has established optimal bounds for uniformity testing,…

Machine Learning · Computer Science 2024-12-03 Maryam Aliakbarpour , Piotr Indyk , Ronitt Rubinfeld , Sandeep Silwal

We study the question of testing structured properties (classes) of discrete distributions. Specifically, given sample access to an arbitrary distribution $D$ over $[n]$ and a property $\mathcal{P}$, the goal is to distinguish between…

Data Structures and Algorithms · Computer Science 2016-01-22 Clément L. Canonne , Ilias Diakonikolas , Themis Gouleakis , Ronitt Rubinfeld

Given samples from an unknown multivariate distribution $p$, is it possible to distinguish whether $p$ is the product of its marginals versus $p$ being far from every product distribution? Similarly, is it possible to distinguish whether…

Data Structures and Algorithms · Computer Science 2019-07-12 Constantinos Daskalakis , Nishanth Dikkala , Gautam Kamath

We study the question of closeness testing for two discrete distributions. More precisely, given samples from two distributions $p$ and $q$ over an $n$-element set, we wish to distinguish whether $p=q$ versus $p$ is at least $\eps$-far from…

Data Structures and Algorithms · Computer Science 2013-08-20 Siu-On Chan , Ilias Diakonikolas , Gregory Valiant , Paul Valiant

We study the problem of generalized uniformity testing \cite{BC17} of a discrete probability distribution: Given samples from a probability distribution $p$ over an {\em unknown} discrete domain $\mathbf{\Omega}$, we want to distinguish,…

Data Structures and Algorithms · Computer Science 2017-09-08 Ilias Diakonikolas , Daniel M. Kane , Alistair Stewart

We study the {\em robust proper learning} of univariate log-concave distributions (over continuous and discrete domains). Given a set of samples drawn from an unknown target distribution, we want to compute a log-concave hypothesis…

Data Structures and Algorithms · Computer Science 2016-06-10 Ilias Diakonikolas , Daniel M. Kane , Alistair Stewart

A $k$-modal probability distribution over the discrete domain $\{1,...,n\}$ is one whose histogram has at most $k$ "peaks" and "valleys." Such distributions are natural generalizations of monotone ($k=0$) and unimodal ($k=1$) probability…

Data Structures and Algorithms · Computer Science 2014-09-16 Constantinos Daskalakis , Ilias Diakonikolas , Rocco A. Servedio

The classic problems of testing uniformity of and learning a discrete distribution, given access to independent samples from it, are examined under general $\ell_p$ metrics. The intuitions and results often contrast with the classic…

Data Structures and Algorithms · Computer Science 2015-03-24 Bo Waggoner

In this work, we revisit the problem of uniformity testing of discrete probability distributions. A fundamental problem in distribution testing, testing uniformity over a known domain has been addressed over a significant line of works, and…

Data Structures and Algorithms · Computer Science 2017-08-17 Tuğkan Batu , Clément L. Canonne

Given samples from an unknown distribution $p$ and a description of a distribution $q$, are $p$ and $q$ close or far? This question of "identity testing" has received significant attention in the case of testing whether $p$ and $q$ are…

Data Structures and Algorithms · Computer Science 2017-11-01 Constantinos Daskalakis , Gautam Kamath , John Wright

Consider two problems about an unknown probability distribution $p$: 1. How many samples from $p$ are required to test if $p$ is supported on $n$ elements or not? Specifically, given samples from $p$, determine whether it is supported on at…

Data Structures and Algorithms · Computer Science 2026-05-27 Renato Ferreira Pinto , Nathaniel Harms

There has been significant study on the sample complexity of testing properties of distributions over large domains. For many properties, it is known that the sample complexity can be substantially smaller than the domain size. For example,…

Statistics Theory · Mathematics 2019-07-09 Maryam Aliakbarpour , Ravi Kumar , Ronitt Rubinfeld

We give highly efficient algorithms, and almost matching lower bounds, for a range of basic statistical problems that involve testing and estimating the L_1 distance between two k-modal distributions $p$ and $q$ over the discrete domain…

Data Structures and Algorithms · Computer Science 2011-12-26 Constantinos Daskalakis , Ilias Diakonikolas , Rocco A. Servedio , Gregory Valiant , Paul Valiant

We examine the extent to which sublinear-sample property testing and estimation apply to settings where samples are independently but not identically distributed. Specifically, we consider the following distributional property testing…

Data Structures and Algorithms · Computer Science 2025-11-05 Shivam Garg , Chirag Pabbaraju , Kirankumar Shiragur , Gregory Valiant

We study the following distribution clustering problem: Given a hidden partition of $k$ distributions into two groups, such that the distributions within each group are the same, and the two distributions associated with the two clusters…

Data Structures and Algorithms · Computer Science 2025-12-10 Gunjan Kumar , Yash Pote , Jonathan Scarlett
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