arXiv:2412.12401cs.LG2024-12AAAI

提出首个可多层表达的因果一致生成模型,解决生成模型与因果模型不兼容问题。

Causally Consistent Normalizing Flow

  • 用顺序化因果模型表示和部分因果变换,实现因果一致性
  • 支持干预与反事实等全部因果推断任务,性能优于现有方法
  • 适用于公平性分析等实际场景,兼顾表达力与因果正确性

生成模型如归一化流(Normalizing Flows, NFs)在建模时可能与结构因果模型(Structural Causal Models, SCMs)的底层因果图不一致,导致不公平等问题。现有方法为保证因果一致性,不得不限制模型层数,牺牲表达能力。本文提出首个可在多层结构下保持因果一致性的生成模型——因果一致归一化流(Causally Consistent Normalizing Flow, CCNF)。CCNF引入两种新机制:对SCMs的序列化表示和部分因果变换,使其在不降低表达能力的前提下天然满足因果一致性。实验表明,CCNF在各类因果推断任务中均优于当前方法,并在真实数据集上有效缓解了不公平问题。

原文摘要 · Abstract (English)

Causal inconsistency arises when the underlying causal graphs captured by generative models like \textit{Normalizing Flows} (NFs) are inconsistent with those specified in causal models like \textit{Struct Causal Models} (SCMs). This inconsistency can cause unwanted issues including the unfairness problem. Prior works to achieve causal consistency inevitably compromise the expressiveness of their models by disallowing hidden layers. In this work, we introduce a new approach: \textbf{C}ausally \textbf{C}onsistent \textbf{N}ormalizing \textbf{F}low (CCNF). To the best of our knowledge, CCNF is the first causally consistent generative model that can approximate any distribution with multiple layers. CCNF relies on two novel constructs: a sequential representation of SCMs and partial causal transformations. These constructs allow CCNF to inherently maintain causal consistency without sacrificing expressiveness. CCNF can handle all forms of causal inference tasks, including interventions and counterfactuals. Through experiments, we show that CCNF outperforms current approaches in causal inference. We also empirically validate the practical utility of CCNF by applying it to real-world datasets and show how CCNF addresses challenges like unfairness effectively.

因果推断生成模型归一化流公平性

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