Abstract: Inference in the framework of Ising models has received significant attention in Statistics and Machine Learning in recent years. In this talk we study joint estimation of the inverse temperature parameter β, and the magnetization parameter B, given one realization from the Ising model, under the assumption that the underlying graph of the Ising…
Abstract: The Regression Discontinuity (RD) design is one of the most widely used non-experimental strategies for the study of treatment effects in the social, behavioral, biomedical, and statistical sciences. In this design, units are assigned a score and a treatment is offered if the value of that score exceeds a known threshold---and withheld otherwise. In…
Abstract: In this talk, we discuss optimal hypothesis testing for distinguishing a stochastic block model from an Erdos--Renyi random graph when the average degree grows to infinity with the graph size. We show that linear spectral statistics based on Chebyshev polynomials of the adjacency matrix can approximate signed cycles of growing lengths when the graph…
The functional representation lemma says that given random variables X and Y, there exists a random variable Z, independent of X, and a function g(x,z) such that Y=g(X,Z). This lemma has had several applications in information theory aimed at simplifying computations of certain information functional. I will present a strengthened version of this lemma and…
Abstract: Many contemporary large-scale applications, from genomics to advertising, involve linking a response of interest to a large set of potential explanatory variables in a nonlinear fashion, such as when the response is binary. Although this modeling problem has been extensively studied, it remains unclear how to effectively select important variables while controlling the fraction…
Electric power: done wrong, it drags the economy and environment down; done right, it could help to create a more efficient, brighter, and cleaner future. Better policy, planning, and operations models--both simple analytical, and complex computational ones--are essential if we're going to do it right. Better modeling is also fun, as the math of electricity…
Resilience of a transportation system is its ability to operate under adverse events like incidents and storms. Availability of real-time traffic data provides new opportunities for predicting travelers’ routing behavior and implementing network control operations during adverse events. In this talk, we will discuss two problems: controlling highway corridors in response to disruptions and modeling…
Learn about admission to the Social and Engineering Systems Doctoral Program. Webinars are led by a member of the IDSS faculty, who introduces the program and answers your questions. Please register in advance. SES Webinar Flier.
Abstract: As authoritarian governments around the world develop sophisticated technologies for controlling information, many observers have predicted that these controls would be ineffective because they are easily thwarted and evaded by savvy Internet users. In Censored, Margaret Roberts demonstrates that even censorship that is easy to circumvent can still be enormously effective. Taking advantage of…
Join IDSS faculty, postdocs, and graduate students for the first IDSS Science Speed Dating Event on Thursday, November 29. The purpose of this event is to help the participants to expand their network, find new research partners, and strengthen the IDSS community. The event includes lunch. To register for the IDSS Science Speed Dating Event,…