Toward a Complete Criterion for Value of Information in Insoluble Decision Problems

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Carey, Ryan, Lee, Sanghack, Evans, Robin J.
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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_version_ 1866911954963005440
author Carey, Ryan
Lee, Sanghack
Evans, Robin J.
author_facet Carey, Ryan
Lee, Sanghack
Evans, Robin J.
contents In a decision problem, observations are said to be material if they must be taken into account to perform optimally. Decision problems have an underlying (graphical) causal structure, which may sometimes be used to evaluate certain observations as immaterial. For soluble graphs - ones where important past observations are remembered - there is a complete graphical criterion; one that rules out materiality whenever this can be done on the basis of the graphical structure alone. In this work, we analyse a proposed criterion for insoluble graphs. In particular, we prove that some of the conditions used to prove immateriality are necessary; when they are not satisfied, materiality is possible. We discuss possible avenues and obstacles to proving necessity of the remaining conditions.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2407_09883
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Toward a Complete Criterion for Value of Information in Insoluble Decision Problems
Carey, Ryan
Lee, Sanghack
Evans, Robin J.
Other Statistics
In a decision problem, observations are said to be material if they must be taken into account to perform optimally. Decision problems have an underlying (graphical) causal structure, which may sometimes be used to evaluate certain observations as immaterial. For soluble graphs - ones where important past observations are remembered - there is a complete graphical criterion; one that rules out materiality whenever this can be done on the basis of the graphical structure alone. In this work, we analyse a proposed criterion for insoluble graphs. In particular, we prove that some of the conditions used to prove immateriality are necessary; when they are not satisfied, materiality is possible. We discuss possible avenues and obstacles to proving necessity of the remaining conditions.
title Toward a Complete Criterion for Value of Information in Insoluble Decision Problems
topic Other Statistics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2407.09883