Empirical Inference


2024


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Language Models Can Reduce Asymmetry in Information Markets

Rahaman, N., Weiss, M., Wüthrich, M., Bengio, Y., Li, E., Pal, C., Schölkopf, B.

arXiv:2403.14443, March 2024, Published as: Redesigning Information Markets in the Era of Language Models, Conference on Language Modeling (COLM) (techreport)

Abstract
This work addresses the buyer's inspection paradox for information markets. The paradox is that buyers need to access information to determine its value, while sellers need to limit access to prevent theft. To study this, we introduce an open-source simulated digital marketplace where intelligent agents, powered by language models, buy and sell information on behalf of external participants. The central mechanism enabling this marketplace is the agents' dual capabilities: they not only have the capacity to assess the quality of privileged information but also come equipped with the ability to forget. This ability to induce amnesia allows vendors to grant temporary access to proprietary information, significantly reducing the risk of unauthorized retention while enabling agents to accurately gauge the information's relevance to specific queries or tasks. To perform well, agents must make rational decisions, strategically explore the marketplace through generated sub-queries, and synthesize answers from purchased information. Concretely, our experiments (a) uncover biases in language models leading to irrational behavior and evaluate techniques to mitigate these biases, (b) investigate how price affects demand in the context of informational goods, and (c) show that inspection and higher budgets both lead to higher quality outcomes.

link (url) [BibTex]

2024

link (url) [BibTex]

2023


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Navigating the Ocean of Biases: Political Bias Attribution in Language Models via Causal Structures

Jenny, D.

ETH Zurich, Switzerland, November 2023, external supervision (thesis)

[BibTex]

2023

[BibTex]


Synchronizing Machine Learning Algorithms, Realtime Robotic Control and Simulated Environment with o80
Synchronizing Machine Learning Algorithms, Realtime Robotic Control and Simulated Environment with o80

Berenz, V., Widmaier, F., Guist, S., Schölkopf, B., Büchler, D.

Robot Software Architectures Workshop (RSA) 2023, ICRA, 2023 (techreport)

Abstract
Robotic applications require the integration of various modalities, encompassing perception, control of real robots and possibly the control of simulated environments. While the state-of-the-art robotic software solutions such as ROS 2 provide most of the required features, flexible synchronization between algorithms, data streams and control loops can be tedious. o80 is a versatile C++ framework for robotics which provides a shared memory model and a command framework for real-time critical systems. It enables expert users to set up complex robotic systems and generate Python bindings for scientists. o80's unique feature is its flexible synchronization between processes, including the traditional blocking commands and the novel ``bursting mode'', which allows user code to control the execution of the lower process control loop. This makes it particularly useful for setups that mix real and simulated environments.

arxiv poster link (url) [BibTex]

2022


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Causality, causal digital twins, and their applications

Schölkopf, B.

Machine Learning for Science: Bridging Data-Driven and Mechanistic Modelling (Dagstuhl Seminar 22382), (Editors: Berens, Philipp and Cranmer, Kyle and Lawrence, Neil D. and von Luxburg, Ulrike and Montgomery, Jessica), September 2022 (talk)

link (url) DOI [BibTex]

2022

link (url) DOI [BibTex]

2021


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Reinforcement Learning Algorithms: Analysis and Applications

Belousov, B., H., A., Klink, P., Parisi, S., Peters, J.

883, Studies in Computational Intelligence, Springer International Publishing, 2021 (book)

DOI [BibTex]

2021

DOI [BibTex]


Scientific Report 2016 - 2021
Scientific Report 2016 - 2021
2021 (mpi_year_book)

Abstract
This report presents research done at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems from January2016 to November 2021. It is our fourth report since the founding of the institute in 2011. Dueto the fact that the upcoming evaluation is an extended one, the report covers a longer reportingperiod.This scientific report is organized as follows: we begin with an overview of the institute, includingan outline of its structure, an introduction of our latest research departments, and a presentationof our main collaborative initiatives and activities (Chapter1). The central part of the scientificreport consists of chapters on the research conducted by the institute’s departments (Chapters2to6) and its independent research groups (Chapters7 to24), as well as the work of the institute’scentral scientific facilities (Chapter25). For entities founded after January 2016, the respectivereport sections cover work done from the date of the establishment of the department, group, orfacility. These chapters are followed by a summary of selected outreach activities and scientificevents hosted by the institute (Chapter26). The scientific publications of the featured departmentsand research groups published during the 6-year review period complete this scientific report.

Scientific Report 2016 - 2021 [BibTex]

2019


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Multivariate coupling estimation between continuous signals and point processes

Safavi, S., Logothetis, N., Besserve, M.

Neural Information Processing Systems 2019 - Workshop on Learning with Temporal Point Processes, December 2019 (talk)

Talk video link (url) [BibTex]

2019

Talk video link (url) [BibTex]


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Automatic Segmentation and Labelling for Robot Table Tennis Time Series

Lutz, P.

Technical University Darmstadt, Germany, August 2019 (thesis)

[BibTex]

[BibTex]


Scientific Report 2016 - 2018
Scientific Report 2016 - 2018
2019 (mpi_year_book)

Abstract
This report presents research done at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems from January 2016 to December 2018. It is our third report since the founding of the institute in 2011. This status report is organized as follows: we begin with an overview of the institute, including its organizational structure (Chapter 1). The central part of the scientific report consists of chapters on the research conducted by the institute’s departments (Chapters 2 to 5) and its independent research groups (Chapters 6 to 18), as well as the work of the institute’s central scientific facilities (Chapter 19). For entities founded after January 2016, the respective report sections cover work done from the date of the establishment of the department, group, or facility.

Scientific Report 2016 - 2018 [BibTex]

2017


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Elements of Causal Inference - Foundations and Learning Algorithms

Peters, J., Janzing, D., Schölkopf, B.

Adaptive Computation and Machine Learning Series, The MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, USA, 2017 (book)

PDF link (url) [BibTex]

2017

PDF link (url) [BibTex]

2015


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Causal Inference for Empirical Time Series Based on the Postulate of Independence of Cause and Mechanism

Besserve, M.

53rd Annual Allerton Conference on Communication, Control, and Computing, September 2015 (talk)

[BibTex]

2015

[BibTex]


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Independence of cause and mechanism in brain networks

Besserve, M.

DALI workshop on Networks: Processes and Causality, April 2015 (talk)

[BibTex]

[BibTex]


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Information-Theoretic Implications of Classical and Quantum Causal Structures

Chaves, R., Majenz, C., Luft, L., Maciel, T., Janzing, D., Schölkopf, B., Gross, D.

18th Conference on Quantum Information Processing (QIP), 2015 (talk)

Web link (url) [BibTex]

Web link (url) [BibTex]


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Cosmology from Cosmic Shear with DES Science Verification Data

Abbott, T., Abdalla, F. B., Allam, S., Amara, A., Annis, J., Armstrong, R., Bacon, D., Banerji, M., Bauer, A. H., Baxter, E., others,

arXiv preprint arXiv:1507.05552, 2015 (techreport)

link (url) [BibTex]

link (url) [BibTex]


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The DES Science Verification Weak Lensing Shear Catalogs

Jarvis, M., Sheldon, E., Zuntz, J., Kacprzak, T., Bridle, S. L., Amara, A., Armstrong, R., Becker, M. R., Bernstein, G. M., Bonnett, C., others,

arXiv preprint arXiv:1507.05603, 2015 (techreport)

link (url) [BibTex]

link (url) [BibTex]


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The search for single exoplanet transits in the Kepler light curves

Foreman-Mackey, D., Hogg, D. W., Schölkopf, B.

IAU General Assembly, 22, pages: 2258352, 2015 (talk)

link (url) [BibTex]

link (url) [BibTex]

2014


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Learning Motor Skills: From Algorithms to Robot Experiments

Kober, J., Peters, J.

97, pages: 191, Springer Tracts in Advanced Robotics, Springer, 2014 (book)

DOI [BibTex]

2014

DOI [BibTex]


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Unsupervised identification of neural events in local field potentials

Besserve, M., Schölkopf, B., Logothetis, N. K.

44th Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience (Neuroscience), 2014 (talk)

[BibTex]

[BibTex]


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Quantifying statistical dependency

Besserve, M.

Research Network on Learning Systems Summer School, 2014 (talk)

[BibTex]

[BibTex]


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Development of advanced methods for improving astronomical images

Schmeißer, N.

Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Germany, Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Germany, 2014 (diplomathesis)

[BibTex]

[BibTex]

2013


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Camera-specific Image Denoising

Schober, M.

Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Germany, October 2013 (diplomathesis)

PDF [BibTex]

2013

PDF [BibTex]


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Studying large-scale brain networks: electrical stimulation and neural-event-triggered fMRI

Logothetis, N., Eschenko, O., Murayama, Y., Augath, M., Steudel, T., Evrard, H., Besserve, M., Oeltermann, A.

Twenty-Second Annual Computational Neuroscience Meeting (CNS*2013), July 2013, journal = {BMC Neuroscience}, year = {2013}, month = {7}, volume = {14}, number = {Supplement 1}, pages = {A1}, (talk)

Web [BibTex]

Web [BibTex]


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Animating Samples from Gaussian Distributions

Hennig, P.

(8), Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Tübingen, Germany, 2013 (techreport)

PDF [BibTex]

PDF [BibTex]


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Domain Generalization via Invariant Feature Representation

Muandet, K.

30th International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML2013), 2013 (talk)

PDF [BibTex]

PDF [BibTex]


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Maximizing Kepler science return per telemetered pixel: Detailed models of the focal plane in the two-wheel era

Hogg, D. W., Angus, R., Barclay, T., Dawson, R., Fergus, R., Foreman-Mackey, D., Harmeling, S., Hirsch, M., Lang, D., Montet, B. T., Schiminovich, D., Schölkopf, B.

arXiv:1309.0653, 2013 (techreport)

link (url) [BibTex]

link (url) [BibTex]


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Maximizing Kepler science return per telemetered pixel: Searching the habitable zones of the brightest stars

Montet, B. T., Angus, R., Barclay, T., Dawson, R., Fergus, R., Foreman-Mackey, D., Harmeling, S., Hirsch, M., Hogg, D. W., Lang, D., Schiminovich, D., Schölkopf, B.

arXiv:1309.0654, 2013 (techreport)

link (url) [BibTex]

link (url) [BibTex]

2012


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Support Vector Machines, Support Measure Machines, and Quasar Target Selection

Muandet, K.

Center for Cosmology and Particle Physics (CCPP), New York University, December 2012 (talk)

[BibTex]

2012

[BibTex]


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Hilbert Space Embedding for Dirichlet Process Mixtures

Muandet, K.

NIPS Workshop on Confluence between Kernel Methods and Graphical Models, December 2012 (talk)

[BibTex]

[BibTex]


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Simultaneous small animal PET/MR in activated and resting state reveals multiple brain networks

Wehrl, H., Lankes, K., Hossain, M., Bezrukov, I., Liu, C., Martirosian, P., Schick, F., Pichler, B.

20th Annual Meeting and Exhibition of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM), May 2012 (talk)

Web [BibTex]

Web [BibTex]


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A new PET insert for simultaneous PET/MR small animal imaging

Wehrl, H., Lankes, K., Hossain, M., Bezrukov, I., Liu, C., Martirosian, P., Reischl, G., Schick, F., Pichler, B.

20th Annual Meeting and Exhibition of the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine (ISMRM), May 2012 (talk)

Web [BibTex]

Web [BibTex]


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Evaluation of a new, large field of view, small animal PET/MR system

Hossain, M., Wehrl, H., Lankes, K., Liu, C., Bezrukov, I., Reischl, G., Pichler, B.

50. Jahrestagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft fuer Nuklearmedizin (NuklearMedizin), April 2012 (talk)

Web [BibTex]

Web [BibTex]


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High Gamma-Power Predicts Performance in Brain-Computer Interfacing

Grosse-Wentrup, M., Schölkopf, B.

(3), Max-Planck-Institut für Intelligente Systeme, Tübingen, February 2012 (techreport)

Abstract
Subjects operating a brain-computer interface (BCI) based on sensorimotor rhythms exhibit large variations in performance over the course of an experimental session. Here, we show that high-frequency gamma-oscillations, originating in fronto-parietal networks, predict such variations on a trial-to-trial basis. We interpret this nding as empirical support for an in uence of attentional networks on BCI-performance via modulation of the sensorimotor rhythm.

PDF [BibTex]

PDF [BibTex]


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Support Measure Machines for Quasar Target Selection

Muandet, K.

Astro Imaging Workshop, 2012 (talk)

Abstract
In this talk I will discuss the problem of quasar target selection. The objects attributes in astronomy such as fluxes are often subjected to substantial and heterogeneous measurement uncertainties, especially for the medium-redshift between 2.2 and 3.5 quasars which is relatively rare and must be targeted down to g ~ 22 mag. Most of the previous works for quasar target selection includes UV-excess, kernel density estimation, a likelihood approach, and artificial neural network cannot directly deal with the heterogeneous input uncertainties. Recently, extreme deconvolution (XD) has been used to tackle this problem in a well-posed manner. In this work, we present a discriminative approach for quasar target selection that can deal with input uncertainties directly. To do so, we represent each object as a Gaussian distribution whose mean is the object's attribute vector and covariance is the given flux measurement uncertainty. Given a training set of Gaussian distributions, the support measure machines (SMMs) algorithm are trained and used to build the quasar targeting catalog. Preliminary results will also be presented. Joint work with Jo Bovy and Bernhard Sch{\"o}lkopf

Web [BibTex]


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PAC-Bayesian Analysis: A Link Between Inference and Statistical Physics

Seldin, Y.

Workshop on Statistical Physics of Inference and Control Theory, 2012 (talk)

Web [BibTex]

Web [BibTex]


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PET Performance Measurements of a Next Generation Dedicated Small Animal PET/MR Scanner

Liu, C., Hossain, M., Lankes, K., Bezrukov, I., Wehrl, H., Kolb, A., Judenhofer, M., Pichler, B.

Nuclear Science Symposium and Medical Imaging Conference (NSS-MIC), 2012 (talk)

[BibTex]

[BibTex]


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Simultaneous small animal PET/MR reveals different brain networks during stimulation and rest

Wehrl, H., Hossain, M., Lankes, K., Liu, C., Bezrukov, I., Martirosian, P., Reischl, G., Schick, F., Pichler, B.

World Molecular Imaging Congress (WMIC), 2012 (talk)

[BibTex]

[BibTex]


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PAC-Bayesian Analysis of Supervised, Unsupervised, and Reinforcement Learning

Seldin, Y., Laviolette, F., Shawe-Taylor, J.

Tutorial at the 29th International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML), 2012 (talk)

Web Web [BibTex]

Web Web [BibTex]


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Influence of MR-based attenuation correction on lesions within bone and susceptibility artifact regions

Bezrukov, I., Schmidt, H., Mantlik, F., Schwenzer, N., Brendle, C., Pichler, B.

Molekulare Bildgebung (MoBi), 2012 (talk)

[BibTex]

[BibTex]


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Structured Apprenticeship Learning

Boularias, A., Kroemer, O., Peters, J.

European Workshop on Reinforcement Learning (EWRL), 2012 (talk)

[BibTex]

[BibTex]


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PAC-Bayesian Analysis and Its Applications

Seldin, Y., Laviolette, F., Shawe-Taylor, J.

Tutorial at The European Conference on Machine Learning and Principles and Practice of Knowledge Discovery in Databases (ECML-PKDD), 2012 (talk)

Web [BibTex]

Web [BibTex]


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Kernel Bellman Equations in POMDPs

Nishiyama, Y., Boularias, A., Gretton, A., Fukumizu, K.

Technical Committee on Infomation-Based Induction Sciences and Machine Learning (IBISML'12), 2012 (talk)

[BibTex]

[BibTex]


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Beta oscillations propagate as traveling waves in the macaque prefrontal cortex

Panagiotaropoulos, T., Besserve, M., Logothetis, N.

42nd Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience (Neuroscience), 2012 (talk)

[BibTex]

[BibTex]