研究在线学习中错误与模型调用次数的权衡,揭示了理论极限。
Tradeoffs between Mistakes and ERM Oracle Calls in Online and Transductive Online Learning
- 通过仅调用ERM或弱一致性查询来学习,而非直接访问整个概念类。
- 在可实现和非可实现场景下,证明了错误数下界为Ω(2^d_VC), regret为Ω(√(T·2^d_LD))。
- 对特定分类器(如阈值、k-区间)设计随机算法,显著减少查询次数。
我们研究在线学习与横断在线学习中,学习者仅通过在任意实例子集上调用经验风险最小化(ERM)或弱一致性预言机进行交互的情况。标准在线模型中学习者知晓整个概念类,而本文设定学习者只能通过这些预言机获取信息。ERM预言机返回在给定子集上损失最小的假设,弱一致性预言机返回二元信号,判断该子集是否可由某个概念实现。学习者的表现由错误数和预言机调用次数衡量。在标准在线设置中,使用ERM访问时,我们在可实现与非可实现情况下均证明了紧的下界:Ω(2^{d_VC})次错误,以及Ω(√(T·2^{d_LD}))的后悔值,其中T为时间步数,d_LD为Littlestone维数。我们还表明,现有基于ERM的在线学习结果可推广至弱一致性设置,但额外增加O(T)次预言机调用。在横断在线模型中,实例序列已知但标签逐次揭示,对一般Littlestone类,最优可实现与非可实现的错误界可通过O(T^{d_VC+1})次弱一致性预言机调用实现。负面结果表明,横断在线可学习性要求至少Ω(T)次弱一致性查询,且限制于Ω(T)次ERM查询是避免对Littlestone维数呈指数依赖的必要条件。对于某些特定概念类,通过随机算法可进一步减少查询次数:例如,在未知排序上的阈值类只需O(log T)次ERM查询;k-区间类仅需O(T^3 · 2^{2k})次弱一致性查询。
原文摘要 · Abstract (English)
We study online and transductive online learning when the learner interacts with the concept class only via Empirical Risk Minimization (ERM) or weak consistency oracles on arbitrary instance subsets. This contrasts with standard online models, where the learner knows the entire class. The ERM oracle returns a hypothesis minimizing loss on a given subset, while the weak consistency oracle returns a binary signal indicating whether the subset is realizable by some concept. The learner is evaluated by the number of mistakes and oracle calls. In the standard online setting with ERM access, we prove tight lower bounds in both realizable and agnostic cases: $Ω(2^{d_{VC}})$ mistakes and $Ω(\sqrt{T 2^{d_{LD}}})$ regret, where $T$ is the number of timesteps and $d_{LD}$ is the Littlestone dimension. We further show that existing online learning results with ERM access carry over to the weak consistency setting, incurring an additional $O(T)$ in oracle calls. We then consider the transductive online model, where the instance sequence is known but labels are revealed sequentially. For general Littlestone classes, we show that optimal realizable and agnostic mistake bounds can be achieved using $O(T^{d_{VC}+1})$ weak consistency oracle calls. On the negative side, we show that limiting the learner to $Ω(T)$ weak consistency queries is necessary for transductive online learnability, and that restricting the learner to $Ω(T)$ ERM queries is necessary to avoid exponential dependence on the Littlestone dimension. Finally, for certain concept classes, we reduce oracle calls via randomized algorithms while maintaining similar mistake bounds. In particular, for Thresholds on an unknown ordering, $O(\log T)$ ERM queries suffice; for $k$-Intervals, $O(T^3 2^{2k})$ weak consistency queries suffice.
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