arXivDaily arXiv每日学术速递 周一至周五更新
arXiv周末暂无论文更新,休息一下吧,周末愉快~~
arXiv 2602.07404stat.MEmath.STstat.TH
收藏

基于收缩估计的自适应实验设计

Adaptive Experimental Design Using Shrinkage Estimators

Claremont McKenna College(克莱蒙特麦肯纳学院);University of New South Wales(新南威尔士大学)

Evan T. R. Rosenman, Kristen B. Hunter

AI总结:

本文提出了一种基于Stein-like收缩估计器的自适应实验设计方法,通过共享治疗效果信息减少估计误差,提升因果估计效率。

摘要:

在多臂试验中,自适应设计是一种增加估计效率、识别最优治疗或最大化个体收益的流行方法。近期的研究考虑了在连续试验中估计K个活性治疗相对于对照臂的效果。几篇论文提出了经典的Neyman分配方案的连续版本,用于分配治疗,当个体到达时通常旨在使用Horvitz-Thompson式估计器在试验结束时获得因果估计。然而,这种方法可能效率低下,因为它未能在治疗臂之间借用信息。在本文中,我们考虑当最终因果估计使用异方差数据的Stein-like收缩估计器时的自适应性。此类估计器在治疗效果估计之间共享信息,相对于单独估计每个因果效应,可以证明在预期平方误差损失上具有可证明的减少。此外,我们显示收缩估计器的预期损失形式为高斯二次型,允许通过数值积分高效计算。这一结果为连续自适应性铺平了道路,允许分配治疗以最小化收缩损失。通过模拟,我们证明这种方法可以带来有意义的估计误差减少。我们还表征了我们的自适应算法如何以不同于连续Neyman分配的方式分配治疗。

英文摘要:

In multi-armed trials, adaptive designs are a popular way to increase estimation efficiency or identify optimal treatments. Several recent papers have proposed adaptive variants of the classical Neyman allocation to assign treatments in sequential trials, with the goal of minimizing the error of a Horvitz-Thompson-style estimator. However, this approach may be inefficient, because it fails to borrow information across the treatment arms. In this paper, we consider adaptivity in a sequential trial with K active treatments and a control, and suggest the use of Stein-like shrinkage estimators to obtain the final causal estimates. These estimators share information across arms, yielding provable reductions in expected squared error loss relative to estimating each causal effect in isolation. Moreover, for each of our candidate shrinkers, the risk is the expectation of ratios of Gaussian quadratic forms, and can be computed efficiently via numerical integration. Hence, we suggest a simple algorithm for sequential adaptivity: assign treatments to each new arrival by choosing the arm that will minimize the estimated shrinker loss. Through simulations, we demonstrate that this approach can yield meaningful reductions in estimation error, especially in the low signal-to-noise regime. We also characterize how our adaptive algorithm assigns treatments differently than would a sequential Neyman allocation, and suggest a method for constructing shorter confidence intervals at the trial's conclusion.

机构、总结、中文摘要均由AI分析而来,可能存在错误,请以论文正文为准。

↑