SQ Lower Bounds for Non-Gaussian Component Analysis with Weaker Assumptions

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Diakonikolas, Ilias, Kane, Daniel, Ren, Lisheng, Sun, Yuxin
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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author Diakonikolas, Ilias
Kane, Daniel
Ren, Lisheng
Sun, Yuxin
author_facet Diakonikolas, Ilias
Kane, Daniel
Ren, Lisheng
Sun, Yuxin
contents We study the complexity of Non-Gaussian Component Analysis (NGCA) in the Statistical Query (SQ) model. Prior work developed a general methodology to prove SQ lower bounds for this task that have been applicable to a wide range of contexts. In particular, it was known that for any univariate distribution $A$ satisfying certain conditions, distinguishing between a standard multivariate Gaussian and a distribution that behaves like $A$ in a random hidden direction and like a standard Gaussian in the orthogonal complement, is SQ-hard. The required conditions were that (1) $A$ matches many low-order moments with the standard univariate Gaussian, and (2) the chi-squared norm of $A$ with respect to the standard Gaussian is finite. While the moment-matching condition is necessary for hardness, the chi-squared condition was only required for technical reasons. In this work, we establish that the latter condition is indeed not necessary. In particular, we prove near-optimal SQ lower bounds for NGCA under the moment-matching condition only. Our result naturally generalizes to the setting of a hidden subspace. Leveraging our general SQ lower bound, we obtain near-optimal SQ lower bounds for a range of concrete estimation tasks where existing techniques provide sub-optimal or even vacuous guarantees.
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publishDate 2024
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spellingShingle SQ Lower Bounds for Non-Gaussian Component Analysis with Weaker Assumptions
Diakonikolas, Ilias
Kane, Daniel
Ren, Lisheng
Sun, Yuxin
Machine Learning
Data Structures and Algorithms
Statistics Theory
We study the complexity of Non-Gaussian Component Analysis (NGCA) in the Statistical Query (SQ) model. Prior work developed a general methodology to prove SQ lower bounds for this task that have been applicable to a wide range of contexts. In particular, it was known that for any univariate distribution $A$ satisfying certain conditions, distinguishing between a standard multivariate Gaussian and a distribution that behaves like $A$ in a random hidden direction and like a standard Gaussian in the orthogonal complement, is SQ-hard. The required conditions were that (1) $A$ matches many low-order moments with the standard univariate Gaussian, and (2) the chi-squared norm of $A$ with respect to the standard Gaussian is finite. While the moment-matching condition is necessary for hardness, the chi-squared condition was only required for technical reasons. In this work, we establish that the latter condition is indeed not necessary. In particular, we prove near-optimal SQ lower bounds for NGCA under the moment-matching condition only. Our result naturally generalizes to the setting of a hidden subspace. Leveraging our general SQ lower bound, we obtain near-optimal SQ lower bounds for a range of concrete estimation tasks where existing techniques provide sub-optimal or even vacuous guarantees.
title SQ Lower Bounds for Non-Gaussian Component Analysis with Weaker Assumptions
topic Machine Learning
Data Structures and Algorithms
Statistics Theory
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2403.04744