arXiv:2511.13852cs.AI2025-11被引 2

扩展分治法到半马尔可夫因果模型,解决多变量共因问题

Causal computations in Semi Markovian Structural Causal Models using divide and conquer

  • 将分治思想从马尔可夫模型拓展至允许共因的半马尔可夫结构
  • 提出新策略应对多端口外生变量带来的推理复杂性
  • 适用于需要处理混杂偏倚的因果推断场景

近期Bjøru等人提出了一种针对结构因果模型(SCM)的新型分治算法,用于边界化反事实概率。该方法假设SCM仅从纯观测数据中学习,导致外生变量边际分布刻画不精确。其利用结构方程的规范表示,将高基数外生变量的通用SCM分解为若干低基数外生变量的子模型,这些子模型具有精确的外生变量边际分布,从而支持高效精确推断,并通过聚合结果对原始模型的反事实概率进行边界估计。该方法最初针对马尔可夫模型设计,即每个外生变量仅影响一个内生变量。本文研究将此方法推广至半马尔可夫结构因果模型(semi-Markovian SCMs),其中外生变量可同时影响多个内生变量,此类模型能表征马尔可夫模型无法表达的混杂关系。通过最小例证展示扩展中的挑战,并提出一系列替代解决方案。这些策略在理论上和计算实验中均进行了评估。

原文摘要 · Abstract (English)

Recently, Bjøru et al. proposed a novel divide-and-conquer algorithm for bounding counterfactual probabilities in structural causal models (SCMs). They assumed that the SCMs were learned from purely observational data, leading to an imprecise characterization of the marginal distributions of exogenous variables. Their method leveraged the canonical representation of structural equations to decompose a general SCM with high-cardinality exogenous variables into a set of sub-models with low-cardinality exogenous variables. These sub-models had precise marginals over the exogenous variables and therefore admitted efficient exact inference. The aggregated results were used to bound counterfactual probabilities in the original model. The approach was developed for Markovian models, where each exogenous variable affects only a single endogenous variable. In this paper, we investigate extending the methodology to \textit{semi-Markovian} SCMs, where exogenous variables may influence multiple endogenous variables. Such models are capable of representing confounding relationships that Markovian models cannot. We illustrate the challenges of this extension using a minimal example, which motivates a set of alternative solution strategies. These strategies are evaluated both theoretically and through a computational study.

因果推断半马尔可夫分治算法

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