Title
Consistent Kernel Mean Estimation for Functions of Random Variables
Abstract
We provide a theoretical foundation for non-parametric estimation of functions of random variables using kernel mean embeddings. We show that for any continuous function f, consistent estimators of the mean embedding of a random variable X lead to consistent estimators of the mean embedding of f(X). For Matern kernels and sufficiently smooth functions we also provide rates of convergence. Our results extend to functions of multiple random variables. If the variables are dependent, we require an estimator of the mean embedding of their joint distribution as a starting point; if they are independent, it is sufficient to have separate estimators of the mean embeddings of their marginal distributions. In either case, our results cover both mean embeddings based on i.i.d. samples as well as "reduced set" expansions in terms of dependent expansion points. The latter serves as a justification for using such expansions to limit memory resources when applying the approach as a basis for probabilistic programming.
Year
DOI
Venue
2016
10.17863/CAM.6292
ADVANCES IN NEURAL INFORMATION PROCESSING SYSTEMS 29 (NIPS 2016)
Field
DocType
Volume
Kernel (linear algebra),Convergence (routing),Continuous function,Mathematical optimization,Random variable,Embedding,Joint probability distribution,Marginal distribution,Mathematics,Estimator
Conference
29
ISSN
Citations 
PageRank 
1049-5258
0
0.34
References 
Authors
0
5