IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/arx/papers/2303.07287.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Tight Non-asymptotic Inference via Sub-Gaussian Intrinsic Moment Norm

Author

Listed:
  • Huiming Zhang
  • Haoyu Wei
  • Guang Cheng

Abstract

In non-asymptotic learning, variance-type parameters of sub-Gaussian distributions are of paramount importance. However, directly estimating these parameters using the empirical moment generating function (MGF) is infeasible. To address this, we suggest using the sub-Gaussian intrinsic moment norm [Buldygin and Kozachenko (2000), Theorem 1.3] achieved by maximizing a sequence of normalized moments. Significantly, the suggested norm can not only reconstruct the exponential moment bounds of MGFs but also provide tighter sub-Gaussian concentration inequalities. In practice, we provide an intuitive method for assessing whether data with a finite sample size is sub-Gaussian, utilizing the sub-Gaussian plot. The intrinsic moment norm can be robustly estimated via a simple plug-in approach. Our theoretical findings are also applicable to reinforcement learning, including the multi-armed bandit scenario.

Suggested Citation

  • Huiming Zhang & Haoyu Wei & Guang Cheng, 2023. "Tight Non-asymptotic Inference via Sub-Gaussian Intrinsic Moment Norm," Papers 2303.07287, arXiv.org, revised Jan 2024.
  • Handle: RePEc:arx:papers:2303.07287
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://arxiv.org/pdf/2303.07287
    File Function: Latest version
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Timothy B. Armstrong & Michal Kolesár, 2021. "Finite‐Sample Optimal Estimation and Inference on Average Treatment Effects Under Unconfoundedness," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 89(3), pages 1141-1177, May.
    2. Sylvain Chassang, 2009. "Non-asymptotic tests of model performance," Economic Theory, Springer;Society for the Advancement of Economic Theory (SAET), vol. 41(3), pages 495-514, December.
    3. Huiming Zhang & Haoyu Wei, 2022. "Sharper Sub-Weibull Concentrations," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 10(13), pages 1-29, June.
    4. Rousseeuw, Peter J. & Verboven, Sabine, 2002. "Robust estimation in very small samples," Computational Statistics & Data Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 40(4), pages 741-758, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Zichen Deng & Maarten Lindeboom, 2021. "Early-life Famine Exposure, Hunger Recall and Later-life Health," Tinbergen Institute Discussion Papers 21-054/V, Tinbergen Institute.
    2. Timothy B. Armstrong & Michal Kolesár, 2021. "Sensitivity analysis using approximate moment condition models," Quantitative Economics, Econometric Society, vol. 12(1), pages 77-108, January.
    3. Fei Wang & Yuhao Deng, 2023. "Non-Asymptotic Bounds of AIPW Estimators for Means with Missingness at Random," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 11(4), pages 1-14, February.
    4. Zhexiao Lin & Peng Ding & Fang Han, 2023. "Estimation Based on Nearest Neighbor Matching: From Density Ratio to Average Treatment Effect," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 91(6), pages 2187-2217, November.
    5. Xiaowei Yang & Xinqiao Liu & Haoyu Wei, 2022. "Concentration inequalities of MLE and robust MLE," Papers 2210.09398, arXiv.org, revised Dec 2022.
    6. Susan Athey & Stefan Wager, 2021. "Policy Learning With Observational Data," Econometrica, Econometric Society, vol. 89(1), pages 133-161, January.
    7. Timothy B. Armstrong & Michal Kolesár & Soonwoo Kwon, 2020. "Bias-Aware Inference in Regularized Regression Models," Working Papers 2020-2, Princeton University. Economics Department..
    8. Ganesh Karapakula, 2023. "Stable Probability Weighting: Large-Sample and Finite-Sample Estimation and Inference Methods for Heterogeneous Causal Effects of Multivalued Treatments Under Limited Overlap," Papers 2301.05703, arXiv.org, revised Jan 2023.
    9. D’Amour, Alexander & Ding, Peng & Feller, Avi & Lei, Lihua & Sekhon, Jasjeet, 2021. "Overlap in observational studies with high-dimensional covariates," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 221(2), pages 644-654.
    10. Sokbae Lee & Martin Weidner, 2021. "Bounding Treatment Effects by Pooling Limited Information across Observations," Papers 2111.05243, arXiv.org, revised Dec 2023.
    11. Deng, Zichen & Lindeboom, Maarten, 2021. "Early-Life Famine Exposure, Hunger Recall and Later-Life Health," IZA Discussion Papers 14487, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    12. Ferman, Bruno, 2021. "Matching estimators with few treated and many control observations," Journal of Econometrics, Elsevier, vol. 225(2), pages 295-307.
    13. Pengzhou Wu & Kenji Fukumizu, 2021. "$\beta$-Intact-VAE: Identifying and Estimating Causal Effects under Limited Overlap," Papers 2110.05225, arXiv.org.
    14. Max Cytrynbaum, 2021. "Optimal Stratification of Survey Experiments," Papers 2111.08157, arXiv.org, revised Aug 2023.
    15. Cl'ement de Chaisemartin, 2021. "Trading-off Bias and Variance in Stratified Experiments and in Matching Studies, Under a Boundedness Condition on the Magnitude of the Treatment Effect," Papers 2105.08766, arXiv.org, revised Jan 2024.
    16. Patricia A Ryan & Brian W Kirk & Chad W Euler & Raymond Schuch & Vincent A Fischetti, 2007. "Novel Algorithms Reveal Streptococcal Transcriptomes and Clues about Undefined Genes," PLOS Computational Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 3(7), pages 1-18, July.
    17. Laurent Davezies & Xavier D'Haultfoeuille & Louise Laage, 2021. "Identification and Estimation of Average Marginal Effects in Fixed Effects Logit Models," Papers 2105.00879, arXiv.org, revised Oct 2022.
    18. Dmitry Arkhangelsky & David Hirshberg, 2023. "Large-Sample Properties of the Synthetic Control Method under Selection on Unobservables," Papers 2311.13575, arXiv.org, revised Dec 2023.
    19. Hampel, Frank & Hennig, Christian & Ronchetti, Elvezio, 2011. "A smoothing principle for the Huber and other location M-estimators," Computational Statistics & Data Analysis, Elsevier, vol. 55(1), pages 324-337, January.
    20. Haoyu Wei & Runzhe Wan & Lei Shi & Rui Song, 2023. "Zero-Inflated Bandits," Papers 2312.15595, arXiv.org.

    More about this item

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:arx:papers:2303.07287. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: arXiv administrators (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://arxiv.org/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.