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Non-parametric recovery of causal diffusion mechanisms from steady-state observations

arXiv.org Machine Learning

We consider sparse multivariate stochastic systems that evolve in continuous time according to a causal mechanism and present methodology to recover the system's time-infinitesimal transition mechanism from mere cross-sectional data. This observational paradigm is motivated by applications such as gene expression analysis, where destructive experimental techniques may only allow recording data once over a cell's lifetime. Precisely, we assume the system follows a time-homogeneous diffusion process that has reached an equilibrium distribution at observation time. Further, we assume the causal mechanism is fully described by the diffusion drift, is acyclic, and its causal structure graph is known. In this setting, we prove that the full causal mechanism, i.e., the drift function, can be non-parametrically identified under a weak non-explosion criterion. We derive a non-parametric kernel estimator for this challenging inverse problem and prove its consistency. Moreover, we propose a cross-validation scheme for hyperparameter tuning, illustrate the behavior of our estimator in simulations, and we discuss connections with irreversible generative diffusion models and low-frequency sampled data.


What LLMs explain is not what they believe: Evaluating explanation sufficiency under models' own input beliefs

arXiv.org Machine Learning

Large language models (LLMs) are increasingly deployed in high-stakes domains, where free-text explanations such as chain-of-thought and post-hoc rationales are used to justify model outputs. Yet it remains unclear whether these explanations are sufficient, i.e., if they contain enough information to explain the model's output-generating process. We generalize classical sufficiency from feature attributions to arbitrary explanations and prove that explanation sufficiency can change depending on the input distribution, which must be explicitly defined for LLM explanations. We propose using the LLM itself to generate alternative inputs conditioned on an explanation, capturing its beliefs about possible inputs. We formalize self-consistent sufficiency as a goal for free-text explanations and introduce an information-theoretic metric, SCSuff, that enables evaluation of free-text explanations without relying on predefined biases or shortcuts. Our experiments show that SCSuff agrees with targeted perturbation tests where applicable and demonstrate that explanation sufficiency can vary with the input distribution. We find LLM explanations are generally insufficient and weakly correlated with model size, accuracy, or output entropy. Analysis of final-token hidden states shows that top and bottom SCSuff scores can be predicted from internal representations, suggesting that SCSuff can guide detection and improvement of sufficient LLM explanations. The code for this paper is available at https://github.com/rajesh-lab/self-consistent-sufficiency .


Multivariate Varying-Coefficient BART with Graphical Horseshoe Priors

arXiv.org Machine Learning

Modern multivariate regression problems involve several related outcomes whose regression effects are not only nonlinear, heterogeneous, and outcome-specific, but also where the residual dependence among outcomes is scientifically meaningful. Existing multivariate Bayesian tree-based methods typically address only part of this problem: some impose substantial sharing of tree architecture across outcomes, which is overly restrictive when responses depend on distinct predictors or effect modifiers, while others accommodate residual dependence but retain simpler mean structures. This paper develops multiVCBART, a multivariate varying-coefficient Bayesian additive regression tree framework that jointly models flexible outcome-specific coefficient surfaces and a sparse residual precision matrix. Each entry of the coefficient matrix $B(x)$ is represented by an independent BART ensemble, allowing predictor effects to vary nonlinearly with modifiers $x$ across outcomes, while a Graphical Horseshoe prior on the precision matrix $ฮฉ$ captures parsimonious residual conditional dependence. To permit efficient computation, we introduce a sampler that reduces the multivariate Gaussian likelihood to a sequence of scalar pseudo-response updates, decoupling the tree backfitting from the Graphical Horseshoe step. Theoretically, we establish the first posterior contraction rates for a multivariate BART model with jointly estimated residual dependence, proving near-minimax adaptation to underlying smoothness and structural sparsity. Empirically, multiVCBART outperforms existing multivariate tree models and Bayesian SUR competitors on sparse, high-dimensional datasets. Finally, in a re-analysis of the Genomics of Drug Sensitivity in Cancer dataset, our method identifies distinct biomarker signals and recovers a coherent residual pharmacologic network.


Weighted universal approximation of differentiable maps on infinite-dimensional manifolds

arXiv.org Machine Learning

We generalize the universal approximation theorem for functional input neural networks (FNN) to differentiable maps by including the approximation of the derivatives. A FNN maps the input from a possibly infinite-dimensional weighted manifold to the real-valued hidden layer, on which a non-linear scalar activation function is applied, and then returns the output into a Banach space via some linear readouts. By proving a weighted Nachbin theorem, we establish a universal approximation theorem for differentiable maps, which goes beyond the usual formulation on compact sets and also includes the approximation of the derivatives. This leads us to approximation results for non-anticipative functionals including the horizontal and vertical derivatives. As a further application, we show that linear functions of the signature are able to approximate path space functionals including their directional derivatives.


Doubly Robust Adaptive Conformal Inference for Causal Effects Under Temporal Dependence

arXiv.org Machine Learning

We propose doubly robust adaptive conformal inference (DR-ACI), which constructs prediction intervals for doubly robust pseudo-outcomes under temporal dependence. Calibration targets the pseudo-outcome ฯˆDRt; under estimator consistency, this yields asymptotically conservative CATE containment (Corollary 6). Temporal block cross-fitting preserves switch-coefficient mixing bounds and the DML product-bias rate up to an explicit coupling remainder.


A Sieve-Accelerated Quadrature Method for Exact Privacy Accounting in the 2020 U.S. Decennial Census

arXiv.org Machine Learning

In 2020, the U.S. Census Bureau adopted differential privacy for the Decennial Census by injecting integer-valued Gaussian noise into published census tabulations. Exactly evaluating the privacy guarantees of these data releases would enable the Bureau to determine the absolute minimum noise required to satisfy a given privacy budget, preventing the injection of unnecessary excess noise and thereby substantially enhancing the statistical utility of the data for downstream applications such as federal funding allocation and political redistricting. In this paper, we introduce a computationally efficient and mathematically rigorous quadrature method to evaluate the exact privacy profile of practical, large-scale census releases under the composition of heterogeneous discrete Gaussian mechanisms. Mathematically, this problem reduces to evaluating the tail probabilities of high-dimensional convolutions of integer-valued random variables sampled from heterogeneous discrete Gaussian distributions under exceptionally stringent numerical error tolerances (e.g., $10^{-35}$). By recasting the exact privacy accounting as a numerical integration problem via the discrete Fourier transform, we explicitly exploit the exponential convergence of the trapezoidal rule for complex analytic, periodic characteristic functions. Furthermore, to overcome the computational bottleneck of evaluating highly oscillatory integrands in high dimensions, we develop a sieve algorithm that identifies and prunes negligible quadrature nodes, accelerating the computation by three orders of magnitude. Taken together, these numerical innovations enable the first exact, assumption-free privacy accounting for the 2020 Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics File, achieving a 1,824-fold speedup over prior methods while maintaining census-mandated error tolerances.


A 'Tremendous Loss' and a 'Big Win': Trump Reacts to Mixed Bag of Supreme Court Rulings

TIME - Tech

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Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i review: An underwhelming 899 laptop

PCWorld

When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. Like, why should laptop buyers invest in a new PC right now? Especially given the astronomical component prices. Should buyers invest in a new budget processor like Intel's Wildcat Lake? I don't dislike Lenovo's 15-inch IdeaPad Slim 3i, which boasts a brand-new Intel Core Series 3 chip. This "Wildcat Lake" chip is a stripped-down version of Intel's superb Panther Lake processor, and it sort of feels like it is right out of the box. But the performance is blah, and a recent Snapdragon version of this IdeaPad laptop seems to offer more for the money.


Uber is no longer offering Waymo rides in Phoenix

Engadget

Rather than external partnerships, Uber may start leaning on its own robotaxis for driverless options. Uber and Waymo have parted ways in the major US market of Phoenix. Waymo will still be offering rides with its autonomous vehicle fleet in Phoenix through its own app. The company has a long history in the city, using its streets as a proving ground before launching public rides in 2020 . After hundreds of thousands of trips with Uber, we have integrated these vehicles back into our Phoenix fleet, where they will continue to serve riders through Waymo, including our public transit integration with Via, and delivery with DoorDash, Waymo told .


Google expands personalized intelligence to Gemini app image creation

Engadget

Most personal accounts in the US can have the chatbot draw on their data across apps. If you're looking to generate images in the Gemini app, Google is making it easier to reference details about your digital life in your requests. Personalized intelligence is rolling out to Nano Banana and Google Photos for all eligible users in the US. Google first introduced this feature earlier in the spring, but only for subscribers to the AI Pro and AI Ultra plans. It allows you to give the chatbot access to your information in other Google services, such as Gmail and Google Photos, so it will draw on those details when you make image requests.