FastFT: Accelerating Reinforced Feature Transformation via Advanced Exploration Strategies

Fuente: arXiv
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Hauptverfasser: He, Tianqi, Huang, Xiaohan, Du, Yi, Long, Qingqing, Qiao, Ziyue, Wu, Min, Fu, Yanjie, Zhou, Yuanchun, Xiao, Meng
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2025
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author He, Tianqi
Huang, Xiaohan
Du, Yi
Long, Qingqing
Qiao, Ziyue
Wu, Min
Fu, Yanjie
Zhou, Yuanchun
Xiao, Meng
author_facet He, Tianqi
Huang, Xiaohan
Du, Yi
Long, Qingqing
Qiao, Ziyue
Wu, Min
Fu, Yanjie
Zhou, Yuanchun
Xiao, Meng
contents Feature Transformation is crucial for classic machine learning that aims to generate feature combinations to enhance the performance of downstream tasks from a data-centric perspective. Current methodologies, such as manual expert-driven processes, iterative-feedback techniques, and exploration-generative tactics, have shown promise in automating such data engineering workflow by minimizing human involvement. However, three challenges remain in those frameworks: (1) It predominantly depends on downstream task performance metrics, as assessment is time-consuming, especially for large datasets. (2) The diversity of feature combinations will hardly be guaranteed after random exploration ends. (3) Rare significant transformations lead to sparse valuable feedback that hinders the learning processes or leads to less effective results. In response to these challenges, we introduce FastFT, an innovative framework that leverages a trio of advanced strategies.We first decouple the feature transformation evaluation from the outcomes of the generated datasets via the performance predictor. To address the issue of reward sparsity, we developed a method to evaluate the novelty of generated transformation sequences. Incorporating this novelty into the reward function accelerates the model's exploration of effective transformations, thereby improving the search productivity. Additionally, we combine novelty and performance to create a prioritized memory buffer, ensuring that essential experiences are effectively revisited during exploration. Our extensive experimental evaluations validate the performance, efficiency, and traceability of our proposed framework, showcasing its superiority in handling complex feature transformation tasks.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2503_20394
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle FastFT: Accelerating Reinforced Feature Transformation via Advanced Exploration Strategies
He, Tianqi
Huang, Xiaohan
Du, Yi
Long, Qingqing
Qiao, Ziyue
Wu, Min
Fu, Yanjie
Zhou, Yuanchun
Xiao, Meng
Machine Learning
Artificial Intelligence
Feature Transformation is crucial for classic machine learning that aims to generate feature combinations to enhance the performance of downstream tasks from a data-centric perspective. Current methodologies, such as manual expert-driven processes, iterative-feedback techniques, and exploration-generative tactics, have shown promise in automating such data engineering workflow by minimizing human involvement. However, three challenges remain in those frameworks: (1) It predominantly depends on downstream task performance metrics, as assessment is time-consuming, especially for large datasets. (2) The diversity of feature combinations will hardly be guaranteed after random exploration ends. (3) Rare significant transformations lead to sparse valuable feedback that hinders the learning processes or leads to less effective results. In response to these challenges, we introduce FastFT, an innovative framework that leverages a trio of advanced strategies.We first decouple the feature transformation evaluation from the outcomes of the generated datasets via the performance predictor. To address the issue of reward sparsity, we developed a method to evaluate the novelty of generated transformation sequences. Incorporating this novelty into the reward function accelerates the model's exploration of effective transformations, thereby improving the search productivity. Additionally, we combine novelty and performance to create a prioritized memory buffer, ensuring that essential experiences are effectively revisited during exploration. Our extensive experimental evaluations validate the performance, efficiency, and traceability of our proposed framework, showcasing its superiority in handling complex feature transformation tasks.
title FastFT: Accelerating Reinforced Feature Transformation via Advanced Exploration Strategies
topic Machine Learning
Artificial Intelligence
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2503.20394