arXiv Machine Learning

Relatively Smart II: Tractable or Semi-Supervised Instance-Optimal Learning

The paper extends the study of relatively smart learning, showing that ERM and any proper consistent learner are relatively smart for binary classification in the distribution‑free setting, achieving a quadratic sample‑complexity blowup. It further demonstrates that semi‑supervised relatively smart learning is possible with only a quadratic blowup in unlabeled data and no blowup in labeled data, though this requires a leave‑most‑out transductive approach and incurs intractability when only an agnostic ERM oracle is available. The results clarify the trade‑offs between sample efficiency, label efficiency, and computational tractability in relatively smart learning.

arXiv Machine Learning
Jun 24

Relatively Smart: A New Approach for Instance-Optimal Learning

arXiv:2603. 01346v2 Announce Type: replace Abstract: We revisit the framework of Smart PAC learning, which seeks supervised learners which compete with semi-supervised learners that are provided full knowledge of the marginal distribution on unlabeled data.

By Shaddin Dughmi, Alireza F. Pour
arXiv Machine Learning
Jul 28

Learning Distributions from Multiple Data Providers

arXiv:2607. 24732v1 Announce Type: cross Abstract: Motivated by learning from heterogeneous and overlapping data providers, we study a stylized model of distribution learning from restricted conditional samples.

By Jon Kleinberg, Amin Saberi, Xizhi Tan, Grigoris Velegkas
arXiv Machine Learning
Aug 11

Optimal Learning Under Tsybakov Noise

arXiv:2608. 08416v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: Probably Approximately Correct (PAC) learning [Val84] is a fundamental learning model that has been extensively investigated.

By Steve Hanneke, Hongao Wang, Mingyue Xu
arXiv Machine Learning
Jun 10

Robust Regression of General ReLUs with Queries

arXiv:2606. 11130v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: We study the task of agnostically learning general (as opposed to homogeneous) ReLUs under the Gaussian distribution with respect to the squared loss.

By Ilias Diakonikolas, Daniel M. Kane, Mingchen Ma
arXiv Machine Learning
Sep 3

Smoothed Analysis for Learning Concepts with Low Intrinsic Dimension

arXiv:2407. 00966v3 Announce Type: replace Abstract: In traditional models of supervised learning, the goal of a learner-- given examples from an arbitrary joint distribution on $\mathbb{R}^d \times \{\pm 1\}$-- is to output a hypothesis that is competitive (to within $\epsilon$) of the best fitting concept from some class.

By Gautam Chandrasekaran, Adam Klivans, Vasilis Kontonis, Raghu Meka, Konstantinos Stavropoulos
arXiv Machine Learning
Aug 28

Algorithmic Principles For Multiclass Learning Are Hard To Come By: Limits of Regularization and Proper Learning

The paper investigates fundamental limits of algorithmic principles in multiclass learning, specifically proper learning and regularization. It shows that learning cannot always be reduced to proper learning even with an enlarged hypothesis class, that proper learners may need a sublinear number of errors that can be arbitrarily large, and that regularization (SRM or local) is not universally sufficient. The authors also provide a positive theory giving sufficient conditions for SRM learnability and a characterization via integrability of revealed preferences.

By Julian Asilis, Shaddin Dughmi, Vatsal Sharan, Alec Sun, Shang-Hua Teng, Chang Wang
arXiv Machine Learning
Aug 24

When Clean Data Hurts: Learning with Monotone Corruptions Beyond Binary Classification

The paper investigates learning with monotone adversarial corruptions, extending previous binary classification results to multiclass and partial binary settings. It shows that even a small number of strategically inserted corrupted examples can render a learnable multiclass problem with DS dimension 2 completely unlearnable, and provides matching upper bounds when the adversary’s budget is sublinear. The work also demonstrates that classic error rates remain attainable under bounded or limited‑view adversaries.

By Julian Asilis, Shaddin Dughmi, Chirag Pabbaraju