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We study the classical problem of prediction with expert advice in the adversarial setting with a geometric stopping time. In 1965, Cover gave the optimal algorithm for the case of 2 experts. In this paper, we design the optimal algorithm,…

Machine Learning · Computer Science 2016-07-12 Nick Gravin , Yuval Peres , Balasubramanian Sivan

The marginal maximum a posteriori probability (MAP) estimation problem, which calculates the mode of the marginal posterior distribution of a subset of variables with the remaining variables marginalized, is an important inference problem…

Machine Learning · Statistics 2013-07-19 Qiang Liu , Alexander Ihler

A family of optimal control problems for a single and two coupled spinning particles in the Euler-Lagrange formalism is discussed. A characteristic of such problems is that the equations controlling the system are implicit and a reduction…

Optimization and Control · Mathematics 2016-01-20 M. Delgado-Téllez , A. Ibort , T. Rodríguez de la Peña , R. Salmoni

We consider the problem of finding nearly optimal solutions of optimization problems with random objective functions. Two concrete problems we consider are (a) optimizing the Hamiltonian of a spherical or Ising $p$-spin glass model, and (b)…

Computational Complexity · Computer Science 2022-01-27 David Gamarnik , Aukosh Jagannath , Alexander S. Wein

Randomised arcade processes are a class of continuous stochastic processes that interpolate in a strong sense, i.e., omega by omega, between any given ordered set of random variables, at fixed pre-specified times. Utilising these processes…

Probability · Mathematics 2026-01-21 Georges Kassis , Andrea Macrina

Designing high-performance electric machines that maintain their efficiency and reliability under uncertain material and operating conditions is crucial for industrial applications. In this paper, we present a novel framework for robust…

Optimization and Control · Mathematics 2025-04-08 Peter Gangl , Theodor Komann , Nepomuk Krenn , Stefan Ulbrich

We consider the non-linear optimal multiple stopping problem under general conditions on the non-linear evaluation operators, which might depend on two time indices: the time of evaluation/assessment and the horizon (when the reward or loss…

Optimization and Control · Mathematics 2025-04-21 Miryana Grigorova , Marie-Claire Quenez , Peng Yuan

This paper provides necessary and sufficient conditions for a pair of randomised stopping times to form a saddle point of a zero-sum Dynkin game with partial and/or asymmetric information across players. The framework is non-Markovian and…

Probability · Mathematics 2025-10-20 Tiziano De Angelis , Jan Palczewski , Jacob Smith

In this paper we develop optimal algorithms in the binary-forking model for a variety of fundamental problems, including sorting, semisorting, list ranking, tree contraction, range minima, and ordered set union, intersection and difference.…

Data Structures and Algorithms · Computer Science 2020-06-26 Guy E. Blelloch , Jeremy T. Fineman , Yan Gu , Yihan Sun

The aim of structured optimization is to assemble a solution, using a given set of (possibly uncountably infinite) atoms, to fit a model to data. A two-stage algorithm based on gauge duality and bundle method is proposed. The first stage…

Optimization and Control · Mathematics 2019-11-05 Zhenan Fan , Yifan Sun , Michael P. Friedlander

We study the worst-case probability that $Y$ outperforms a benchmark $X$ when the law of $Y$ lies in a Kullback-Leibler neighbourhood of the benchmark. The max-min problem over couplings admits a tractable dual (via optimal transport),…

Probability · Mathematics 2025-09-03 Ozan Hür

In a single-agent setting, reinforcement learning (RL) tasks can be cast into an inference problem by introducing a binary random variable o, which stands for the "optimality". In this paper, we redefine the binary random variable o in…

Multiagent Systems · Computer Science 2019-08-20 Zheng Tian , Ying Wen , Zhichen Gong , Faiz Punakkath , Shihao Zou , Jun Wang

We consider the problems of computing the optimal rank-$1$ Hankel and Toeplitz-structured approximation of arbitrary matrices under $L_2$ and $L_1$-norm error. Such problems arise naturally in engineered systems, including the basic…

Machine Learning · Computer Science 2026-05-07 Georgios I. Orfanidis

We consider a continuous time stochastic optimal control problem under both equality and inequality constraints on the expectation of some functionals of the controlled process. Under a qualification condition, we show that the problem is…

Optimization and Control · Mathematics 2021-07-09 Laurent Pfeiffer , Xiaolu Tan , Yulong Zhou

In this paper, we exploit the so-called value function reformulation of the bilevel optimization problem to develop duality results for the problem. Our approach builds on Fenchel-Lagrange-type duality to establish suitable results for the…

Optimization and Control · Mathematics 2022-05-24 Houria En-Naciri , Lahoussine Lafhim , Alain Zemkoho

We study a martingale Schr\"odinger bridge problem: given two probability distributions, find their martingale coupling with minimal relative entropy. Our main result provides Schr\"odinger potentials for this coupling. Namely, under…

Probability · Mathematics 2025-09-01 Marcel Nutz , Johannes Wiesel

For the basic maximum likelihood estimating function of the two parameters Weibull distribution, a simple proof on its global monotonicity is given to ensure the existence and uniqueness of its solution. The boundary of the function's…

Methodology · Statistics 2009-10-04 DeTao Mao , Wenyuan Li

Given two probability measures $\mu, \nu$ on $\mathbb{R}^d$, in subharmonic order, we describe optimal stopping times $\tau$ that maximize/minimize the cost functional $\mathbb{E} |B_0 - B_\tau|^{\alpha}$, $\alpha > 0$, where $(B_t)_t$ is…

Analysis of PDEs · Mathematics 2019-06-28 Nassif Ghoussoub , Young-Heon Kim , Tongseok Lim

Consider a collection of competing machine learning algorithms. Given their performance on a benchmark of datasets, we would like to identify the best performing algorithm. Specifically, which algorithm is most likely to rank highest on a…

Machine Learning · Computer Science 2025-08-08 Amichai Painsky

We consider a distributionally robust second-order stochastic dominance constrained optimization problem. We require the dominance constraints hold with respect to all probability distributions in a Wasserstein ball centered at the…

Optimization and Control · Mathematics 2021-10-20 Yu Mei , Jia Liu , Zhiping Chen