Generalized optimal parameter-transfer learning through Mallows-type model averaging

Fuente: arXiv
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Autores principales: Jiang, Fen, Li, Wenhui, Zhang, Xinyu
Formato: Preprint
Publicado: 2025
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author Jiang, Fen
Li, Wenhui
Zhang, Xinyu
author_facet Jiang, Fen
Li, Wenhui
Zhang, Xinyu
contents In many economic applications, multiple source datasets are available, but their effective combination is challenging due to heterogeneity across datasets. To address this problem, we study a parameter-transfer framework that shares only source-side estimates and propose a Mallows-type model averaging method for combining target and source models in the parametric setting. The weights are obtained from a Mallows-type criterion that is unbiased for the target prediction risk up to a weight-independent term, extending the classical Mallows criterion to the parameter-transfer framework. We establish that the proposed weights are asymptotically optimal when the target model is misspecified, and asymptotically allocate weights only to informative sources when the target model is correctly specified. These guarantees do not require any source model to be correctly specified. We also consider extensions of the framework to semiparametric and panel data settings. Simulation studies and house price application further demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2507_14453
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Generalized optimal parameter-transfer learning through Mallows-type model averaging
Jiang, Fen
Li, Wenhui
Zhang, Xinyu
Methodology
In many economic applications, multiple source datasets are available, but their effective combination is challenging due to heterogeneity across datasets. To address this problem, we study a parameter-transfer framework that shares only source-side estimates and propose a Mallows-type model averaging method for combining target and source models in the parametric setting. The weights are obtained from a Mallows-type criterion that is unbiased for the target prediction risk up to a weight-independent term, extending the classical Mallows criterion to the parameter-transfer framework. We establish that the proposed weights are asymptotically optimal when the target model is misspecified, and asymptotically allocate weights only to informative sources when the target model is correctly specified. These guarantees do not require any source model to be correctly specified. We also consider extensions of the framework to semiparametric and panel data settings. Simulation studies and house price application further demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach.
title Generalized optimal parameter-transfer learning through Mallows-type model averaging
topic Methodology
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.14453