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Kenji Fukumizu

Publications and source records attributed to Kenji Fukumizu.

106 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

Learning from Distributions via Support Measure Machines

This paper presents a kernel-based discriminative learning framework on probability measures. Rather than relying on large collections of vectorial training examples, our framework learns using a collection of probability distributions that have been constructed to meaningfully represent training data. By representing these probability distributions as mean embeddings in the reproducing kernel Hilbert space (RKHS), we are able to apply many standard kernel-based learning techniques in straightforward fashion. To accomplish this, we construct a generalization of the support vector machine (SVM) called a support measure machine (SMM). Our analyses of SMMs provides several insights into their relationship to traditional SVMs. Based on such insights, we propose a flexible SVM (Flex-SVM) that places different kernel functions on each training example. Experimental results on both synthetic and real-world data demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed framework.

stat.ML↗

Hilbert Space Embeddings of POMDPs

A nonparametric approach for policy learning for POMDPs is proposed. The approach represents distributions over the states, observations, and actions as embeddings in feature spaces, which are reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces. Distributions over states given the observations are obtained by applying the kernel Bayes' rule to these distribution embeddings. Policies and value functions are defined on the feature space over states, which leads to a feature space expression for the Bellman equation. Value iteration may then be used to estimate the optimal value function and associated policy. Experimental results confirm that the correct policy is learned using the feature space representation.

cs.LG↗

Hypothesis testing using pairwise distances and associated kernels (with Appendix)

We provide a unifying framework linking two classes of statistics used in two-sample and independence testing: on the one hand, the energy distances and distance covariances from the statistics literature; on the other, distances between embeddings of distributions to reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces (RKHS), as established in machine learning. The equivalence holds when energy distances are computed with semimetrics of negative type, in which case a kernel may be defined such that the RKHS distance between distributions corresponds exactly to the energy distance. We determine the class of probability distributions for which kernels induced by semimetrics are characteristic (that is, for which embeddings of the distributions to an RKHS are injective). Finally, we investigate the performance of this family of kernels in two-sample and independence tests: we show in particular that the energy distance most commonly employed in statistics is just one member of a parametric family of kernels, and that other choices from this family can yield more powerful tests.

cs.LG↗

Kernel Bayes' rule

A nonparametric kernel-based method for realizing Bayes' rule is proposed, based on representations of probabilities in reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces. Probabilities are uniquely characterized by the mean of the canonical map to the RKHS. The prior and conditional probabilities are expressed in terms of RKHS functions of an empirical sample: no explicit parametric model is needed for these quantities. The posterior is likewise an RKHS mean of a weighted sample. The estimator for the expectation of a function of the posterior is derived, and rates of consistency are shown. Some representative applications of the kernel Bayes' rule are presented, including Baysian computation without likelihood and filtering with a nonparametric state-space model.

stat.ML↗

Gradient-based kernel dimension reduction for supervised learning

This paper proposes a novel kernel approach to linear dimension reduction for supervised learning. The purpose of the dimension reduction is to find directions in the input space to explain the output as effectively as possible. The proposed method uses an estimator for the gradient of regression function, based on the covariance operators on reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces. In comparison with other existing methods, the proposed one has wide applicability without strong assumptions on the distributions or the type of variables, and uses computationally simple eigendecomposition. Experimental results show that the proposed method successfully finds the effective directions with efficient computation.

stat.ML↗

Loopy Belief Propagation, Bethe Free Energy and Graph Zeta Function

We propose a new approach to the theoretical analysis of Loopy Belief Propagation (LBP) and the Bethe free energy (BFE) by establishing a formula to connect LBP and BFE with a graph zeta function. The proposed approach is applicable to a wide class of models including multinomial and Gaussian types. The connection derives a number of new theoretical results on LBP and BFE. This paper focuses two of such topics. One is the analysis of the region where the Hessian of the Bethe free energy is positive definite, which derives the non-convexity of BFE for graphs with multiple cycles, and a condition of convexity on a restricted set. This analysis also gives a new condition for the uniqueness of the LBP fixed point. The other result is to clarify the relation between the local stability of a fixed point of LBP and local minima of the BFE, which implies, for example, that a locally stable fixed point of the Gaussian LBP is a local minimum of the Gaussian Bethe free energy.

cs.AI↗

New graph polynomials from the Bethe approximation of the Ising partition function

We introduce two graph polynomials and discuss their properties. One is a polynomial of two variables whose investigation is motivated by the performance analysis of the Bethe approximation of the Ising partition function. The other is a polynomial of one variable that is obtained by the specialization of the first one. It is shown that these polynomials satisfy deletion-contraction relations and are new examples of the V-function, which was introduced by Tutte (1947, Proc. Cambridge Philos. Soc. 43, 26-40). For these polynomials, we discuss the interpretations of special values and then obtain the bound on the number of sub-coregraphs, i.e., spanning subgraphs with no vertices of degree one. It is proved that the polynomial of one variable is equal to the monomer-dimer partition function with weights parameterized by that variable. The properties of the coefficients and the possible region of zeros are also discussed for this polynomial.

math.CO↗

Universality, Characteristic Kernels and RKHS Embedding of Measures

A Hilbert space embedding for probability measures has recently been proposed, wherein any probability measure is represented as a mean element in a reproducing kernel Hilbert space (RKHS). Such an embedding has found applications in homogeneity testing, independence testing, dimensionality reduction, etc., with the requirement that the reproducing kernel is characteristic, i.e., the embedding is injective. In this paper, we generalize this embedding to finite signed Borel measures, wherein any finite signed Borel measure is represented as a mean element in an RKHS. We show that the proposed embedding is injective if and only if the kernel is universal. This therefore, provides a novel characterization of universal kernels, which are proposed in the context of achieving the Bayes risk by kernel-based classification/regression algorithms. By exploiting this relation between universality and the embedding of finite signed Borel measures into an RKHS, we establish the relation between universal and characteristic kernels.

stat.ML↗

Graph Zeta Function in the Bethe Free Energy and Loopy Belief Propagation

We propose a new approach to the analysis of Loopy Belief Propagation (LBP) by establishing a formula that connects the Hessian of the Bethe free energy with the edge zeta function. The formula has a number of theoretical implications on LBP. It is applied to give a sufficient condition that the Hessian of the Bethe free energy is positive definite, which shows non-convexity for graphs with multiple cycles. The formula clarifies the relation between the local stability of a fixed point of LBP and local minima of the Bethe free energy. We also propose a new approach to the uniqueness of LBP fixed point, and show various conditions of uniqueness.

cs.AI↗

Hilbert space embeddings and metrics on probability measures

A Hilbert space embedding for probability measures has recently been proposed, with applications including dimensionality reduction, homogeneity testing, and independence testing. This embedding represents any probability measure as a mean element in a reproducing kernel Hilbert space (RKHS). A pseudometric on the space of probability measures can be defined as the distance between distribution embeddings: we denote this as $γ_k$, indexed by the kernel function $k$ that defines the inner product in the RKHS. We present three theoretical properties of $γ_k$. First, we consider the question of determining the conditions on the kernel $k$ for which $γ_k$ is a metric: such $k$ are denoted {\em characteristic kernels}. Unlike pseudometrics, a metric is zero only when two distributions coincide, thus ensuring the RKHS embedding maps all distributions uniquely (i.e., the embedding is injective). While previously published conditions may apply only in restricted circumstances (e.g. on compact domains), and are difficult to check, our conditions are straightforward and intuitive: bounded continuous strictly positive definite kernels are characteristic. Alternatively, if a bounded continuous kernel is translation-invariant on $\bb{R}^d$, then it is characteristic if and only if the support of its Fourier transform is the entire $\bb{R}^d$. Second, we show that there exist distinct distributions that are arbitrarily close in $γ_k$. Third, to understand the nature of the topology induced by $γ_k$, we relate $γ_k$ to other popular metrics on probability measures, and present conditions on the kernel $k$ under which $γ_k$ metrizes the weak topology.

stat.ML↗

Graph polynomials and approximation of partition functions with Loopy Belief Propagation

The Bethe approximation, or loopy belief propagation algorithm is a successful method for approximating partition functions of probabilistic models associated with a graph. Chertkov and Chernyak derived an interesting formula called Loop Series Expansion, which is an expansion of the partition function. The main term of the series is the Bethe approximation while other terms are labeled by subgraphs called generalized loops. In our recent paper, we derive the loop series expansion in form of a polynomial with coefficients positive integers, and extend the result to the expansion of marginals. In this paper, we give more clear derivation for the results and discuss the properties of the polynomial which is introduced in the paper.

cs.DM↗

On integral probability metrics, ϕ-divergences and binary classification

A class of distance measures on probabilities -- the integral probability metrics (IPMs) -- is addressed: these include the Wasserstein distance, Dudley metric, and Maximum Mean Discrepancy. IPMs have thus far mostly been used in more abstract settings, for instance as theoretical tools in mass transportation problems, and in metrizing the weak topology on the set of all Borel probability measures defined on a metric space. Practical applications of IPMs are less common, with some exceptions in the kernel machines literature. The present work contributes a number of novel properties of IPMs, which should contribute to making IPMs more widely used in practice, for instance in areas where $ϕ$-divergences are currently popular. First, to understand the relation between IPMs and $ϕ$-divergences, the necessary and sufficient conditions under which these classes intersect are derived: the total variation distance is shown to be the only non-trivial $ϕ$-divergence that is also an IPM. This shows that IPMs are essentially different from $ϕ$-divergences. Second, empirical estimates of several IPMs from finite i.i.d. samples are obtained, and their consistency and convergence rates are analyzed. These estimators are shown to be easily computable, with better rates of convergence than estimators of $ϕ$-divergences. Third, a novel interpretation is provided for IPMs by relating them to binary classification, where it is shown that the IPM between class-conditional distributions is the negative of the optimal risk associated with a binary classifier. In addition, the smoothness of an appropriate binary classifier is proved to be inversely related to the distance between the class-conditional distributions, measured in terms of an IPM.

cs.IT↗

Kernel dimension reduction in regression

We present a new methodology for sufficient dimension reduction (SDR). Our methodology derives directly from the formulation of SDR in terms of the conditional independence of the covariate $X$ from the response $Y$, given the projection of $X$ on the central subspace [cf. J. Amer. Statist. Assoc. 86 (1991) 316--342 and Regression Graphics (1998) Wiley]. We show that this conditional independence assertion can be characterized in terms of conditional covariance operators on reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces and we show how this characterization leads to an $M$-estimator for the central subspace. The resulting estimator is shown to be consistent under weak conditions; in particular, we do not have to impose linearity or ellipticity conditions of the kinds that are generally invoked for SDR methods. We also present empirical results showing that the new methodology is competitive in practice.

math.ST↗

Loop series expansion with propagation diagrams

The Bethe approximation is a successful method for approximating partition functions of probabilistic models associated with a graph. Recently, Chertkov and Chernyak derived an interesting formula called Loop Series Expansion, which is an expansion of the partition function. The main term of the series is the Bethe approximation while other terms are labelled by subgraphs called generalized loops. In this paper, we derive a loop series expansion of binary pairwise Markov random fields with propagation diagrams, which describe rules how first messages and secondary messages propagate. Our approach allows to express the Loop Series in the form of a polynomial with coefficients positive integers. Using the propagation diagrams, we establish a new formula that shows a relation between the exact marginal probabilities and their Bethe approximations.

math-ph↗

Multiresolution Kernels

We present in this work a new methodology to design kernels on data which is structured with smaller components, such as text, images or sequences. This methodology is a template procedure which can be applied on most kernels on measures and takes advantage of a more detailed "bag of components" representation of the objects. To obtain such a detailed description, we consider possible decompositions of the original bag into a collection of nested bags, following a prior knowledge on the objects' structure. We then consider these smaller bags to compare two objects both in a detailed perspective, stressing local matches between the smaller bags, and in a global or coarse perspective, by considering the entire bag. This multiresolution approach is likely to be best suited for tasks where the coarse approach is not precise enough, and where a more subtle mixture of both local and global similarities is necessary to compare objects. The approach presented here would not be computationally tractable without a factorization trick that we introduce before presenting promising results on an image retrieval task.

cs.LG↗