OpenRaiser/Intern-Atlas huggingface dataset:
Inverse Reinforcement Learning via Deep Gaussian Process
Venue: arXiv cs.LG 2017
Year: 2017

We propose a new approach to inverse reinforcement learning (IRL) based on the deep Gaussian process (deep GP) model, which is capable of learning complicated reward structures with few demonstrations. Our model stacks multiple latent GP layers to learn abstract representations of the state feature space, which is linked to the demonstrations through the Maximum Entropy learning framework. Incorporating the IRL engine into the nonlinear latent structure renders existing deep GP inference approaches intractable. To tackle this, we develop a non-standard variational approximation framework which extends previous inference schemes. This allows for approximate Bayesian treatment of the feature space and guards against overfitting. Carrying out representation and inverse reinforcement learning simultaneously within our model outperforms state-of-the-art approaches, as we demonstrate with experiments on standard benchmarks ("object world","highway driving") and a new benchmark ("binary world").
Efficient Construction of Simultaneous Deterministic Finite Automata on Multicores Using Rabin Fingerprints
Venue: arXiv cs.DC 2017
Year: 2017

In this paper, we propose several optimizations for the SFA construction algorithm, which greatly reduce the in-memory footprint and the processing steps required to construct an SFA. We introduce fingerprints as a space- and time-efficient way to represent SFA states. To compute fingerprints, we apply the Barrett reduction algorithm and accelerate it using recent additions to the x86 instruction set architecture. We exploit fingerprints to introduce hashing for further optimizations. Our parallel SFA construction algorithm is nonblocking and utilizes instruction-level, data-level, and task-level parallelism of coarse-, medium- and fine-grained granularity. We adapt static workload distributions and align the SFA data-structures with the constraints of multicore memory hierarchies, to increase the locality of memory accesses and facilitate HW prefetching. We conduct experiments on the PROSITE protein database for FAs of up to 702 FA states to evaluate performance and effectiveness of our proposed optimizations. Evaluations have been conducted on a 4 CPU (64 cores) AMD Opteron 6378 system and a 2 CPU (28 cores, 2 hyperthreads per core) Intel Xeon E5-2697 v3 system. The observed speedups over the sequential baseline algorithm are up to 118541x on the AMD system and 2113968x on the Intel system.
The Key to Intelligent Transportation: Identity and Credential Management in Vehicular Communication Systems
Venue: arXiv cs.CR 2017
Year: 2017

Vehicular Communication (VC) systems will greatly enhance intelligent transportation systems. But their security and the protection of their users' privacy are a prerequisite for deployment. Efforts in industry and academia brought forth a multitude of diverse proposals. These have now converged to a common view, notably on the design of a security infrastructure, a Vehicular Public Key Infrastructure (VPKI) that shall enable secure conditionally anonymous VC. Standardization efforts and industry readiness to adopt this approach hint to its maturity. However, there are several open questions remaining, and it is paramount to have conclusive answers before deployment. In this article, we distill and critically survey the state of the art for identity and credential management in VC systems, and we sketch a roadmap for addressing a set of critical remaining security and privacy challenges.
Weakest Precondition Reasoning for Expected Run-Times of Probabilistic Programs
Venue: arXiv cs.LO 2017
Year: 2017

This paper presents a wp-style calculus for obtaining bounds on the expected run-time of probabilistic programs. Its application includes determining the (possibly infinite) expected termination time of a probabilistic program and proving positive almost-sure termination - does a program terminate with probability one in finite expected time? We provide several proof rules for bounding the run-time of loops, and prove the soundness of the approach with respect to a simple operational model. We show that our approach is a conservative extension of Nielson's approach for reasoning about the run-time of deterministic programs. We analyze the expected run-time of some example programs including a one-dimensional random walk and the coupon collector problem.
Distributed Binary Detection with Lossy Data Compression
Venue: arXiv cs.IT 2017
Year: 2017

Consider the problem where a statistician in a two-node system receives rate-limited information from a transmitter about marginal observations of a memoryless process generated from two possible distributions. Using its own observations, this receiver is required to first identify the legitimacy of its sender by declaring the joint distribution of the process, and then depending on such authentication it generates the adequate reconstruction of the observations satisfying an average per-letter distortion. The performance of this setup is investigated through the corresponding rate-error-distortion region describing the trade-off between: the communication rate, the error exponent induced by the detection and the distortion incurred by the source reconstruction. In the special case of testing against independence, where the alternative hypothesis implies that the sources are independent, the optimal rate-error-distortion region is characterized. An application example to binary symmetric sources is given subsequently and the explicit expression for the rate-error-distortion region is provided as well. The case of "general hypotheses" is also investigated. A new achievable rate-error-distortion region is derived based on the use of non-asymptotic binning, improving the quality of communicated descriptions. Further improvement of performance in the general case is shown to be possible when the requirement of source reconstruction is relaxed, which stands in contrast to the case of general hypotheses.
Symbol-Level Multiuser MISO Precoding for Multi-level Adaptive Modulation
Venue: arXiv cs.IT 2017
Year: 2017

Symbol-level precoding is a new paradigm for multiuser downlink systems which aims at creating constructive interference among the transmitted data streams. This can be enabled by designing the precoded signal of the multiantenna transmitter on a symbol level, taking into account both channel state information and data symbols. Previous literature has studied this paradigm for MPSK modulations by addressing various performance metrics, such as power minimization and maximization of the minimum rate. In this paper, we extend this to generic multi-level modulations i.e. MQAM and APSK by establishing connection to PHY layer multicasting with phase constraints. Furthermore, we address adaptive modulation schemes which are crucial in enabling the throughput scaling of symbol-level precoded systems. In this direction, we design signal processing algorithms for minimizing the required power under per-user SINR or goodput constraints. Extensive numerical results show that the proposed algorithm provides considerable power and energy efficiency gains, while adapting the employed modulation scheme to match the requested data rate.
Algorithms for Tverberg's theorem via centerpoint theorems
Venue: arXiv cs.CG 2017
Year: 2017

We obtain algorithms for computing Tverberg partitions based on centerpoint approximations. This applies to a wide range of convexity spaces, from the classic Euclidean setting to geodetic convexity in graphs. In the Euclidean setting, we present probabilistic algorithms which are weakly polynomial in the number of points and the dimension. For geodetic convexity in graphs, we obtain deterministic algorithms for cactus graphs and show that the general problem of finding the Radon number is NP-hard.
L-Store: A Real-time OLTP and OLAP System
Venue: arXiv cs.DB 2017
Year: 2017

Arguably data is the new natural resource in the enterprise world with an unprecedented degree of proliferation. But to derive real-time actionable insights from the data, it is important to bridge the gap between managing the data that is being updated at a high velocity (i.e., OLTP) and analyzing a large volume of data (i.e., OLAP). However, there has been a divide where specialized solutions were often deployed to support either OLTP or OLAP workloads but not both; thus, limiting the analysis to stale and possibly irrelevant data. In this paper, we present Lineage-based Data Store (L-Store) that combines the real-time processing of transactional and analytical workloads within a single unified engine by introducing a novel lineage-based storage architecture. By exploiting the lineage, we develop a contention-free and lazy staging of columnar data from a write-optimized form (suitable for OLTP) into a read-optimized form (suitable for OLAP) in a transactionally consistent approach that also supports querying and retaining the current and historic data. Our working prototype of L-Store demonstrates its superiority compared to state-of-the-art approaches under a comprehensive experimental evaluation.
Network Identification with Latent Nodes via Auto-Regressive Models
Venue: arXiv cs.SY 2017
Year: 2017

We consider linear time-invariant networks with unknown topology where only a manifest subset of the nodes can be directly actuated and measured while the state of the remaining latent nodes and their number are unknown. Our goal is to identify the transfer function of the manifest subnetwork and determine whether interactions between manifest nodes are direct or mediated by latent nodes. We show that, if there are no inputs to the latent nodes, the manifest transfer function can be approximated arbitrarily well in the H-infinity norm sense by the transfer function of an auto-regressive model and present a least-squares estimation method to construct the auto-regressive model from measured data. We show that the least-squares auto-regressive method guarantees an arbitrarily small H-infinity norm error in the approximation of the manifest transfer function, exponentially decaying once the model order exceeds a certain threshold. Finally, we show that when the latent subnetwork is acyclic, the proposed method achieves perfect identification of the manifest transfer function above a specific model order as the length of the data increases. Various examples illustrate our results.
Recursive Distributed Detection for Composite Hypothesis Testing: Nonlinear Observation Models in Additive Gaussian Noise
Venue: arXiv cs.IT 2017
Year: 2017

This paper studies recursive composite hypothesis testing in a network of sparsely connected agents. The network objective is to test a simple null hypothesis against a composite alternative concerning the state of the field, modeled as a vector of (continuous) unknown parameters determining the parametric family of probability measures induced on the agents' observation spaces under the hypotheses. Specifically, under the alternative hypothesis, each agent sequentially observes an independent and identically distributed time-series consisting of a (nonlinear) function of the true but unknown parameter corrupted by Gaussian noise, whereas, under the null, they obtain noise only. Two distributed recursive generalized likelihood ratio test type algorithms of the \emph{consensus+innovations} form are proposed, namely $\mathcal{CIGLRT-L}$ and $\mathcal{CIGLRT-NL}$, in which the agents estimate the underlying parameter and in parallel also update their test decision statistics by simultaneously processing the latest local sensed information and information obtained from neighboring agents. For $\mathcal{CIGLRT-NL}$, for a broad class of nonlinear observation models and under a global observability condition, algorithm parameters which ensure asymptotically decaying probabilities of errors~(probability of miss and probability of false detection) are characterized. For $\mathcal{CIGLRT-L}$, a linear observation model is considered and upper bounds on large deviations decay exponent for the error probabilities are obtained.
Perfect and Maximum Randomness in Stratified Sampling over Joins
Venue: arXiv cs.DB 2017
Year: 2017

Supporting sampling in the presence of joins is an important problem in data analysis, but is inherently challenging due to the need to avoid correlation between output tuples. Current solutions provide either correlated or non-correlated samples. Sampling might not always be feasible in the non-correlated sampling-based approaches -- the sample size or intermediate data size might be exceedingly large. On the other hand, a correlated sample may not be representative of the join. This paper presents a \emph{unified} strategy towards join sampling, while considering sample correlation every step of the way. We provide two key contributions. First, in the case where a \emph{correlated} sample is \emph{acceptable}, we provide techniques, for all join types, to sample base relations so that their join is \emph{as random as possible}. Second, in the case where a correlated sample is \emph{not acceptable}, we provide enhancements to the state-of-the-art algorithms to reduce their execution time and intermediate data size.
On the Sample Complexity of Learning Graphical Games
Venue: arXiv cs.GT 2017
Year: 2017

We analyze the sample complexity of learning graphical games from purely behavioral data. We assume that we can only observe the players' joint actions and not their payoffs. We analyze the sufficient and necessary number of samples for the correct recovery of the set of pure-strategy Nash equilibria (PSNE) of the true game. Our analysis focuses on directed graphs with $n$ nodes and at most $k$ parents per node. Sparse graphs correspond to ${k \in O(1)}$ with respect to $n$, while dense graphs correspond to ${k \in O(n)}$. By using VC dimension arguments, we show that if the number of samples is greater than ${O(k n \log^2{n})}$ for sparse graphs or ${O(n^2 \log{n})}$ for dense graphs, then maximum likelihood estimation correctly recovers the PSNE with high probability. By using information-theoretic arguments, we show that if the number of samples is less than ${Ω(k n \log^2{n})}$ for sparse graphs or ${Ω(n^2 \log{n})}$ for dense graphs, then any conceivable method fails to recover the PSNE with arbitrary probability.
Information-theoretic limits of Bayesian network structure learning
Venue: arXiv cs.LG 2017
Year: 2017

In this paper, we study the information-theoretic limits of learning the structure of Bayesian networks (BNs), on discrete as well as continuous random variables, from a finite number of samples. We show that the minimum number of samples required by any procedure to recover the correct structure grows as $Ω(m)$ and $Ω(k \log m + (k^2/m))$ for non-sparse and sparse BNs respectively, where $m$ is the number of variables and $k$ is the maximum number of parents per node. We provide a simple recipe, based on an extension of the Fano's inequality, to obtain information-theoretic limits of structure recovery for any exponential family BN. We instantiate our result for specific conditional distributions in the exponential family to characterize the fundamental limits of learning various commonly used BNs, such as conditional probability table based networks, gaussian BNs, noisy-OR networks, and logistic regression networks. En route to obtaining our main results, we obtain tight bounds on the number of sparse and non-sparse essential-DAGs. Finally, as a byproduct, we recover the information-theoretic limits of sparse variable selection for logistic regression.
Correlated and Coarse equilibria of Single-item auctions
Venue: arXiv cs.GT 2017
Year: 2017

We study correlated equilibria and coarse equilibria of simple first-price single-item auctions in the simplest auction model of full information. Nash equilibria are known to always yield full efficiency and a revenue that is at least the second-highest value. We prove that the same is true for all correlated equilibria, even those in which agents overbid -- i.e., bid above their values. Coarse equilibria, in contrast, may yield lower efficiency and revenue. We show that the revenue can be as low as 26% of the second-highest value in a coarse equilibrium, even if agents are assumed not to overbid, and this is tight. We also show that when players do not overbid, the worst-case bound on social welfare at coarse equilibrium improves from 63% of the highest value to 81%, and this bound is tight as well.
Stabilization of systems with asynchronous sensors and controllers
Venue: arXiv cs.SY 2017
Year: 2017

We study the stabilization of networked control systems with asynchronous sensors and controllers. Offsets between the sensor and controller clocks are unknown and modeled as parametric uncertainty. First we consider multi-input linear systems and provide a sufficient condition for the existence of linear time-invariant controllers that are capable of stabilizing the closed-loop system for every clock offset in a given range of admissible values. For first-order systems, we next obtain the maximum length of the offset range for which the system can be stabilized by a single controller. Finally, this bound is compared with the offset bounds that would be allowed if we restricted our attention to static output feedback controllers.
Spectrum Estimation from Samples
Venue: arXiv cs.LG 2017
Year: 2017

We consider the problem of approximating the set of eigenvalues of the covariance matrix of a multivariate distribution (equivalently, the problem of approximating the "population spectrum"), given access to samples drawn from the distribution. The eigenvalues of the covariance of a distribution contain basic information about the distribution, including the presence or lack of structure in the distribution, the effective dimensionality of the distribution, and the applicability of higher-level machine learning and multivariate statistical tools. We consider this fundamental recovery problem in the regime where the number of samples is comparable, or even sublinear in the dimensionality of the distribution in question. First, we propose a theoretically optimal and computationally efficient algorithm for recovering the moments of the eigenvalues of the population covariance matrix. We then leverage this accurate moment recovery, via a Wasserstein distance argument, to show that the vector of eigenvalues can be accurately recovered. We provide finite--sample bounds on the expected error of the recovered eigenvalues, which imply that our estimator is asymptotically consistent as the dimensionality of the distribution and sample size tend towards infinity, even in the sublinear sample regime where the ratio of the sample size to the dimensionality tends to zero. In addition to our theoretical results, we show that our approach performs well in practice for a broad range of distributions and sample sizes.
Computer-Assisted Processing of Intertextuality in Ancient Languages
Venue: arXiv cs.DL 2017
Year: 2017

The production of digital critical editions of texts using TEI is now a widely-adopted procedure within digital humanities. The work described in this paper extends this approach to the publication of gnomologia (anthologies of wise sayings), which formed a widespread literary genre in many cultures of the medieval Mediterranean. These texts are challenging because they were rarely copied straightforwardly; rather, sayings were selected, reorganised, modified or re-attributed between manuscripts, resulting in a highly interconnected corpus for which a standard approach to digital publication is insufficient. Focusing on Greek and Arabic collections, we address this challenge using semantic web techniques to create an ecosystem of texts, relationships and annotations, and consider a new model - organic, collaborative, interconnected, and open-ended - of what constitutes an edition. This semantic web-based approach allows scholars to add their own materials and annotations to the network of information and to explore the conceptual networks that arise from these interconnected sayings.
Do we have privacy in the digital world?
Venue: arXiv cs.CR 2017
Year: 2017

Not really.
Practical Black-Box Attacks against Machine Learning
Venue: arXiv cs.CR 2017
Year: 2017

Machine learning (ML) models, e.g., deep neural networks (DNNs), are vulnerable to adversarial examples: malicious inputs modified to yield erroneous model outputs, while appearing unmodified to human observers. Potential attacks include having malicious content like malware identified as legitimate or controlling vehicle behavior. Yet, all existing adversarial example attacks require knowledge of either the model internals or its training data. We introduce the first practical demonstration of an attacker controlling a remotely hosted DNN with no such knowledge. Indeed, the only capability of our black-box adversary is to observe labels given by the DNN to chosen inputs. Our attack strategy consists in training a local model to substitute for the target DNN, using inputs synthetically generated by an adversary and labeled by the target DNN. We use the local substitute to craft adversarial examples, and find that they are misclassified by the targeted DNN. To perform a real-world and properly-blinded evaluation, we attack a DNN hosted by MetaMind, an online deep learning API. We find that their DNN misclassifies 84.24% of the adversarial examples crafted with our substitute. We demonstrate the general applicability of our strategy to many ML techniques by conducting the same attack against models hosted by Amazon and Google, using logistic regression substitutes. They yield adversarial examples misclassified by Amazon and Google at rates of 96.19% and 88.94%. We also find that this black-box attack strategy is capable of evading defense strategies previously found to make adversarial example crafting harder.
Boosting Information Spread: An Algorithmic Approach
Venue: arXiv cs.SI 2017
Year: 2017

The majority of influence maximization (IM) studies focus on targeting influential seeders to trigger substantial information spread in social networks. In this paper, we consider a new and complementary problem of how to further increase the influence spread of given seeders. Our study is motivated by the observation that direct incentives could "boost" users so that they are more likely to be influenced by friends. We study the $k$-boosting problem which aims to find $k$ users to boost so that the final "boosted" influence spread is maximized. The $k$-boosting problem is different from the IM problem because boosted users behave differently from seeders: boosted users are initially uninfluenced and we only increase their probability to be influenced. Our work also complements the IM studies because we focus on triggering larger influence spread on the basis of given seeders. Both the NP-hardness of the problem and the non-submodularity of the objective function pose challenges to the $k$-boosting problem. To tackle the problem on general graphs, we devise two efficient algorithms with the data-dependent approximation ratio. For the $k$-boosting problem on bidirected trees, we present an efficient greedy algorithm and a rounded dynamic programming that is a fully polynomial-time approximation scheme. We conduct extensive experiments using real social networks and synthetic bidirected trees. We show that boosting solutions returned by our algorithms achieves boosts of influence that are up to several times higher than those achieved by boosting solutions returned by intuitive baselines, which have no guarantee of solution quality. We also explore the "budget allocation" problem in our experiments. Compared with targeting seeders with all budget, larger influence spread is achieved when we allocation the budget to both seeders and boosted users.