Related papers: Risk-Aware Submodular Optimization for Multi-Robot…
In high-stakes machine learning applications, it is crucial to not only perform well on average, but also when restricted to difficult examples. To address this, we consider the problem of training models in a risk-averse manner. We propose…
Mean field inference in probabilistic models is generally a highly nonconvex problem. Existing optimization methods, e.g., coordinate ascent algorithms, can only generate local optima. In this work we propose provable mean filed methods for…
Stochastic optimization of continuous objectives is at the heart of modern machine learning. However, many important problems are of discrete nature and often involve submodular objectives. We seek to unleash the power of stochastic…
In this paper, we study risk-sensitive Reinforcement Learning (RL), focusing on the objective of Conditional Value at Risk (CVaR) with risk tolerance $\tau$. Starting with multi-arm bandits (MABs), we show the minimax CVaR regret rate is…
We consider the problem of maximizing weighted sum rate in a multiple-input single-output (MISO) downlink wireless network with emphasis on user rate reliability. We introduce a novel risk-aggregated formulation of the complex WSR…
It is known that greedy methods perform well for maximizing monotone submodular functions. At the same time, such methods perform poorly in the face of non-monotonicity. In this paper, we show - arguably, surprisingly - that invoking the…
This paper considers an optimization problem for a dynamical system whose evolution depends on a collection of binary decision variables. We develop scalable approximation algorithms with provable suboptimality bounds to provide…
Robust optimization is becoming increasingly important in machine learning applications. In this paper, we study a unified framework of robust submodular optimization. We study this problem both from a minimization and maximization…
We introduce the \emph{submodular objectives chasing problem}, which generalizes many natural and previously-studied problems: a sequence of constrained submodular maximization problems is revealed over time, with both the objective and…
In real-world scenarios, risk-averse learning is valuable for mitigating potential adverse outcomes. However, the delayed feedback makes it challenging to assess and manage risk effectively. In this paper, we investigate risk-averse…
We consider the problem of maximizing a monotone nondecreasing set function under multiple constraints, where the constraints are also characterized by monotone nondecreasing set functions. We propose two greedy algorithms to solve the…
Online portfolio selection research has so far focused mainly on minimizing regret defined in terms of wealth growth. Practical financial decision making, however, is deeply concerned with both wealth and risk. We consider online learning…
Many practical applications of robotics require systems that can operate safely despite uncertainty. In the context of motion planning, two types of uncertainty are particularly important when planning safe robot trajectories. The first is…
We study the matroid secretary problems with submodular valuation functions. In these problems, the elements arrive in random order. When one element arrives, we have to make an immediate and irrevocable decision on whether to accept it or…
We study the problem of causal structure learning when the experimenter is limited to perform at most $k$ non-adaptive experiments of size $1$. We formulate the problem of finding the best intervention target set as an optimization problem,…
Risk-sensitive reinforcement learning (RL) aims to optimize policies that balance the expected reward and risk. In this paper, we present a novel risk-sensitive RL framework that employs an Iterated Conditional Value-at-Risk (CVaR)…
Motivated by the need for, and growing interest in, modeling uncertainty in data, we introduce and study {\em stochastic minimum-norm optimization}. We have an underlying combinatorial optimization problem where the costs involved are {\em…
Causal structure learning is a key problem in many domains. Causal structures can be learnt by performing experiments on the system of interest. We address the largely unexplored problem of designing a batch of experiments that each…
We study the problem of selecting most informative subset of a large observation set to enable accurate estimation of unknown parameters. This problem arises in a variety of settings in machine learning and signal processing including…
Utilizing the capabilities of configurable sensing systems requires addressing difficult information gathering problems. Near-optimal approaches exist for sensing systems without internal states. However, when it comes to optimizing the…