arXiv:2606. 01081v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: Decision-focused learning (DFL) trains predictive models by optimizing downstream decision quality rather than standalone prediction accuracy.
arXiv:2606. 29252v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: We study repeated bidding in multi-unit discriminatory (pay-as-bid) auctions for a single bidder with per-round utility equal to value minus $\alpha$ times payment, where $\alpha\in[0,1]$ is a cost-of-capital parameter.
The paper introduces a new approach to safety in contextual bandits with continuous actions, focusing on high‑probability constraints on the realized cost rather than expected cost. It presents the High‑Probability Constrained UCB algorithm, which balances reward exploration with conservative safety estimation, and provides theoretical regret guarantees for linear models and extensions to general function classes. Experiments demonstrate that this realized‑cost safety framework significantly reduces safety violations compared to expected‑cost constrained methods.
arXiv:2601.13519v4 Announce Type: replace-cross Abstract: This paper introduces a new problem-dependent regret measure for online convex optimization with smooth losses. The notion, which we call the...
arXiv:2606. 19587v1 Announce Type: cross Abstract: We propose a scalable method for training prediction (machine learning) models in the predict-then-optimize paradigm, where model outputs serve as coefficients for a subsequent linear optimization task.
arXiv:2508. 00775v2 Announce Type: replace-cross Abstract: The design of many classical optimization algorithms is driven by the certification of linear convergence rates over classes of optimization problems.
arXiv:2607. 18866v1 Announce Type: cross Abstract: Building on the identity that expected regret equals the covariance between costs and decisions, this paper develops the complete derivative theory of the covariance regret functional.
The paper introduces a new approach to safety in contextual bandits with continuous actions by enforcing high‑probability constraints on the realized cost rather than on its expectation. It proposes the High‑Probability Constrained UCB algorithm, which balances optimistic reward exploration with pessimistic safety estimation. The authors provide theoretical regret guarantees for linear models and extend the analysis to general function classes, demonstrating experimentally that realized‑cost constraints significantly reduce safety violations compared to expected‑cost baselines.
arXiv:2505. 04757v2 Announce Type: replace Abstract: This paper introduces a novel approach to contextual stochastic optimization, integrating operations research and machine learning to address decision-making under uncertainty.
We study repeated bidding in multi-unit discriminatory (pay-as-bid) auctions for a single bidder with per-round utility equal to value minus $α$ times payment, where $α\in[0,1]$ is a cost-of-capital parameter. The bidder aims to maximize cumulative utility over $T$ rounds subject to a total budget $B$.
Building on the identity that expected regret equals the covariance between costs and decisions, this paper develops the complete derivative theory of the covariance regret functional. We derive the Gâteaux derivative, showing that the universal steepest-descent direction is the contrarian policy $-(c-\bar{c})$, while ascent yields momentum.
arXiv:2607. 24007v1 Announce Type: cross Abstract: We revisit contextual optimization from the perspective of policy class design.