Assumption-lean Inference for Network-linked Data

Fuente: arXiv
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Autori principali: Li, Wei, Chakraborty, Nilanjan, Lunde, Robert
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2025
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author Li, Wei
Chakraborty, Nilanjan
Lunde, Robert
author_facet Li, Wei
Chakraborty, Nilanjan
Lunde, Robert
contents We consider statistical inference for network-linked regression problems, where covariates may include network summary statistics computed for each node. In settings involving network data, it is often natural to posit that latent variables govern connection probabilities in the graph. Since the presence of these latent features makes classical regression assumptions even less tenable, we propose an assumption-lean framework for linear regression with jointly exchangeable regression arrays. We establish an analog of the Aldous-Hoover representation for such arrays, which may be of independent interest. Moreover, we consider two different projection parameters as potential targets and establish conditions under which asymptotic normality and bootstrap consistency hold when commonly used network statistics, including local subgraph frequencies and spectral embeddings, are used as covariates. In the case of linear regression with local count statistics, we show that a bias-corrected estimator allows one to target a more natural inferential target under weaker sparsity conditions compared to the OLS estimator. Our inferential tools are illustrated using both simulated data and real data related to the academic climate of elementary schools.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2510_00287
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Assumption-lean Inference for Network-linked Data
Li, Wei
Chakraborty, Nilanjan
Lunde, Robert
Methodology
Statistics Theory
We consider statistical inference for network-linked regression problems, where covariates may include network summary statistics computed for each node. In settings involving network data, it is often natural to posit that latent variables govern connection probabilities in the graph. Since the presence of these latent features makes classical regression assumptions even less tenable, we propose an assumption-lean framework for linear regression with jointly exchangeable regression arrays. We establish an analog of the Aldous-Hoover representation for such arrays, which may be of independent interest. Moreover, we consider two different projection parameters as potential targets and establish conditions under which asymptotic normality and bootstrap consistency hold when commonly used network statistics, including local subgraph frequencies and spectral embeddings, are used as covariates. In the case of linear regression with local count statistics, we show that a bias-corrected estimator allows one to target a more natural inferential target under weaker sparsity conditions compared to the OLS estimator. Our inferential tools are illustrated using both simulated data and real data related to the academic climate of elementary schools.
title Assumption-lean Inference for Network-linked Data
topic Methodology
Statistics Theory
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.00287