Quantile regression is a powerful tool for inferring how covariates affect specific percentiles of the response distribution. Existing methods either estimate conditional quantiles separately for each quantile of interest or estimate the entire conditional distribution using semi- or non-parametric models. The former often produce inadequate models for real data and do not share information across quantiles, while the latter are characterized by complex and constrained models that can be difficult to interpret and computationally inefficient. Further, neither approach is well-suited for quantile-specific subset selection. Instead, we pose the fundamental problems of linear quantile estimation, uncertainty quantification, and subset selection from a Bayesian decision analysis perspective. For any Bayesian regression model, we derive optimal and interpretable linear estimates and uncertainty quantification for each model-based conditional quantile. Our approach introduces a quantile-focused squared error loss, which enables efficient, closed-form computing and maintains a close relationship with Wasserstein-based density estimation. In an extensive simulation study, our methods demonstrate substantial gains in quantile estimation accuracy, variable selection, and inference over frequentist and Bayesian competitors. We apply these tools to identify the quantile-specific impacts of social and environmental stressors on educational outcomes for a large cohort of children in North Carolina.

Linear mixed models (LMMs) are instrumental for regression analysis with structured dependence, such as grouped, clustered, or multilevel data. However, selection among the covariates--while accounting for this structured dependence--remains a challenge. We introduce a Bayesian decision analysis for subset selection with LMMs. Using a Mahalanobis loss function that incorporates the structured dependence, we derive optimal linear actions for any subset of covariates and under any Bayesian LMM. Crucially, these actions inherit shrinkage or regularization and uncertainty quantification from the underlying Bayesian LMM. Rather than selecting a single "best" subset, which is often unstable and limited in its information content, we collect the acceptable family of subsets that nearly match the predictive ability of the "best" subset. The acceptable family is summarized by its smallest member and key variable importance metrics. Customized subset search and out-of-sample approximation algorithms are provided for more scalable computing. These tools are applied to simulated data and a longitudinal physical activity dataset, and in both cases demonstrate excellent prediction, estimation, and selection ability.

Subset selection is a valuable tool for interpretable learning, scientific discovery, and data compression. However, classical subset selection is often eschewed due to selection instability, computational bottlenecks, and lack of post-selection inference. We address these challenges from a Bayesian perspective. Given any Bayesian predictive model $\mathcal{M}$, we elicit predictively-competitive subsets using linear decision analysis. The approach is customizable for (local) prediction or classification and provides interpretable summaries of $\mathcal{M}$. A key quantity is the acceptable family of subsets, which leverages the predictive distribution from $\mathcal{M}$ to identify subsets that offer nearly-optimal prediction. The acceptable family spawns new (co-) variable importance metrics based on whether variables (co-) appear in all, some, or no acceptable subsets. Crucially, the linear coefficients for any subset inherit regularization and predictive uncertainty quantification via $\mathcal{M}$. The proposed approach exhibits excellent prediction, interval estimation, and variable selection for simulated data, including $p=400 > n$. These tools are applied to a large education dataset with highly correlated covariates, where the acceptable family is especially useful. Our analysis provides unique insights into the combination of environmental, socioeconomic, and demographic factors that predict educational outcomes, and features highly competitive prediction with remarkable stability.