Neural networks are state-of-the-art classification approaches but are generally difficult to interpret. This issue can be partly alleviated by constructing a precise decision process within the neural network. In this work, a network architecture, denoted as Classification-By-Components network (CBC), is proposed.

Neural networks are state-of-the-art classification approaches but are generally difficult to interpret. This issue can be partly alleviated by constructing a precise decision process within the neural network. In this work, a network architecture, denoted as Classification-By-Components network (CBC), is proposed.

LLM-based optimization has shown remarkable potential in enhancing agentic systems. However, the conventional approach of prompting LLM optimizer with the whole training trajectories on training dataset in a single pass becomes untenable as datasets grow, leading to context window overflow and degraded pattern recognition. To address these challenges, we propose Fine-Grained Optimization (FGO), a scalable framework that divides large optimization tasks into manageable subsets, performs targeted optimizations, and systematically combines optimized components through progressive merging. Evaluation across ALFWorld, LogisticsQA, and GAIA benchmarks demonstrate that FGO outperforms existing approaches by 1.6-8.6% while reducing average prompt token consumption by 56.3%. Our framework provides a practical solution for scaling up LLM-based optimization of increasingly sophisticated agent systems. Further analysis demonstrates that FGO achieves the most consistent performance gain in all training dataset sizes, showcasing its scalability and efficiency.

In this paper, a Convolution-Based Converter (CBC) is proposed to develop a methodology for removing the strong or fixed priors in estimating the probability distribution of targets based on observations in the stochastic process. Traditional approaches, e.g., Markov-based and Gaussian process-based methods, typically leverage observations to estimate targets based on strong or fixed priors (such as Markov properties or Gaussian prior). However, the effectiveness of these methods depends on how well their prior assumptions align with the characteristics of the problem. When the assumed priors are not satisfied, these approaches may perform poorly or even become unusable. To overcome the above limitation, we introduce the Convolution-Based converter (CBC), which implicitly estimates the conditional probability distribution of targets without strong or fixed priors, and directly outputs the expected trajectory of the stochastic process that satisfies the constraints from observations. This approach reduces the dependence on priors, enhancing flexibility and adaptability in modeling stochastic processes when addressing different problems. Experimental results demonstrate that our method outperforms existing baselines across multiple metrics.

Prototype-based classification learning methods are known to be inherently interpretable. However, this paradigm suffers from major limitations compared to deep models, such as lower performance. This led to the development of the so-called deep Prototype-Based Networks (PBNs), also known as prototypical parts models. In this work, we analyze these models with respect to different properties, including interpretability. In particular, we focus on the Classification-by-Components (CBC) approach, which uses a probabilistic model to ensure interpretability and can be used as a shallow or deep architecture. We show that this model has several shortcomings, like creating contradicting explanations. Based on these findings, we propose an extension of CBC that solves these issues. Moreover, we prove that this extension has robustness guarantees and derive a loss that optimizes robustness. Additionally, our analysis shows that most (deep) PBNs are related to (deep) RBF classifiers, which implies that our robustness guarantees generalize to shallow RBF classifiers. The empirical evaluation demonstrates that our deep PBN yields state-of-the-art classification accuracy on different benchmarks while resolving the interpretability shortcomings of other approaches. Further, our shallow PBN variant outperforms other shallow PBNs while being inherently interpretable and exhibiting provable robustness guarantees.

Control barrier certificates have proven effective in formally guaranteeing the safety of the control systems. However, designing a control barrier certificate is a time-consuming and computationally expensive endeavor that requires expert input in the form of domain knowledge and mathematical maturity. Additionally, when a system undergoes slight changes, the new controller and its correctness certificate need to be recomputed, incurring similar computational challenges as those faced during the design of the original controller. Prior approaches have utilized transfer learning to transfer safety guarantees in the form of a barrier certificate while maintaining the control invariant. Unfortunately, in practical settings, the source and the target environments often deviate substantially in their control inputs, rendering the aforementioned approach impractical. To address this challenge, we propose integrating \emph{inverse dynamics} -- a neural network that suggests required action given a desired successor state -- of the target system with the barrier certificate of the source system to provide formal proof of safety. In addition, we propose a validity condition that, when met, guarantees correctness of the controller. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach through three case studies.

Objective: Reflex testing protocols allow clinical laboratories to perform second line diagnostic tests on existing specimens based on the results of initially ordered tests. Reflex testing can support optimal clinical laboratory test ordering and diagnosis. In current clinical practice, reflex testing typically relies on simple "if-then" rules; however, this limits their scope since most test ordering decisions involve more complexity than a simple rule will allow. Here, using the analyte ferritin as an example, we propose an alternative machine learning-based approach to "smart" reflex testing with a wider scope and greater impact than traditional rule-based approaches. Methods: Using patient data, we developed a machine learning model to predict whether a patient getting CBC testing will also have ferritin testing ordered, consider applications of this model to "smart" reflex testing, and evaluate the model by comparing its performance to possible rule-based approaches. Results: Our underlying machine learning models performed moderately well in predicting ferritin test ordering and demonstrated greater suitability to reflex testing than rule-based approaches. Using chart review, we demonstrate that our model may improve ferritin test ordering. Finally, as a secondary goal, we demonstrate that ferritin test results are missing not at random (MNAR), a finding with implications for unbiased imputation of missing test results. Conclusions: Machine learning may provide a foundation for new types of reflex testing with enhanced benefits for clinical diagnosis and laboratory utilization management.

In this paper, we explore the use of large language models to assess human interpretations of real world events. To do so, we use a language model trained prior to 2020 to artificially generate news articles concerning COVID-19 given the headlines of actual articles written during the pandemic. We then compare stylistic qualities of our artificially generated corpus with a news corpus, in this case 5,082 articles produced by CBC News between January 23 and May 5, 2020. We find our artificially generated articles exhibits a considerably more negative attitude towards COVID and a significantly lower reliance on geopolitical framing. Our methods and results hold importance for researchers seeking to simulate large scale cultural processes via recent breakthroughs in text generation.

This paper considers safe control synthesis for dynamical systems with either probabilistic or worst-case uncertainty in both the dynamics model and the safety constraints. We formulate novel probabilistic and robust (worst-case) control Lyapunov function (CLF) and control barrier function (CBF) constraints that take into account the effect of uncertainty in either case. We show that either the probabilistic or the robust (worst-case) formulation leads to a second-order cone program (SOCP), which enables efficient safe and stable control synthesis. We evaluate our approach in PyBullet simulations of an autonomous robot navigating in unknown environments and compare the performance with a baseline CLF-CBF quadratic programming approach.

A growing number of researchers and industries are applying artificial intelligence techniques to climate problems, finding ways to optimize …