Singular Learning Theory for Factor Analysis

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Drton, Mathias, Gross, Elizabeth, Kosta, Dimitra, Leykin, Anton, Sullivant, Seth, Windisch, Daniel
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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_version_ 1866912718977499136
author Drton, Mathias
Gross, Elizabeth
Kosta, Dimitra
Leykin, Anton
Sullivant, Seth
Windisch, Daniel
author_facet Drton, Mathias
Gross, Elizabeth
Kosta, Dimitra
Leykin, Anton
Sullivant, Seth
Windisch, Daniel
contents Watanabe's singular learning theory provides a framework for asymptotic analysis of Bayesian model selection for statistical models with singularities, where traditional statistical regularity assumptions fail. Learning coefficients, also known as real log canonical thresholds, play a central role in singular learning, as they govern the asymptotic behavior of Bayesian marginal likelihood integrals in settings where the Laplace approximations used for regular statistical models are not applicable. Learning coefficients are algebraic invariants that quantify the geometric complexity of a model and reveal how the singular structure impacts the model's generalization properties. In this paper, we apply algebraic methods to study the learning coefficients of factor analysis models, which are widely used latent variable models for continuously distributed data. Our main results provide a general upper bound for the learning coefficients as well as exact formulas for specific cases.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2511_15419
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Singular Learning Theory for Factor Analysis
Drton, Mathias
Gross, Elizabeth
Kosta, Dimitra
Leykin, Anton
Sullivant, Seth
Windisch, Daniel
Statistics Theory
Algebraic Geometry
62H25, 62F15, 62R01, 14E15, 14P05
Watanabe's singular learning theory provides a framework for asymptotic analysis of Bayesian model selection for statistical models with singularities, where traditional statistical regularity assumptions fail. Learning coefficients, also known as real log canonical thresholds, play a central role in singular learning, as they govern the asymptotic behavior of Bayesian marginal likelihood integrals in settings where the Laplace approximations used for regular statistical models are not applicable. Learning coefficients are algebraic invariants that quantify the geometric complexity of a model and reveal how the singular structure impacts the model's generalization properties. In this paper, we apply algebraic methods to study the learning coefficients of factor analysis models, which are widely used latent variable models for continuously distributed data. Our main results provide a general upper bound for the learning coefficients as well as exact formulas for specific cases.
title Singular Learning Theory for Factor Analysis
topic Statistics Theory
Algebraic Geometry
62H25, 62F15, 62R01, 14E15, 14P05
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.15419