GaussDetect-LiNGAM:Causal Direction Identification without Gaussianity test

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Ding, Ziyi, Zhang, Xiao-Ping
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Ding, Ziyi
Zhang, Xiao-Ping
author_facet Ding, Ziyi
Zhang, Xiao-Ping
contents We propose GaussDetect-LiNGAM, a novel approach for bivariate causal discovery that eliminates the need for explicit Gaussianity tests by leveraging a fundamental equivalence between noise Gaussianity and residual independence in the reverse regression. Under the standard LiNGAM assumptions of linearity, acyclicity, and exogeneity, we prove that the Gaussianity of the forward-model noise is equivalent to the independence between the regressor and residual in the reverse model. This theoretical insight allows us to replace fragile and sample-sensitive Gaussianity tests with robust kernel-based independence tests. Experimental results validate the equivalence and demonstrate that GaussDetect-LiNGAM maintains high consistency across diverse noise types and sample sizes, while reducing the number of tests per decision (TPD). Our method enhances both the efficiency and practical applicability of causal inference, making LiNGAM more accessible and reliable in real-world scenarios.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2512_03428
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle GaussDetect-LiNGAM:Causal Direction Identification without Gaussianity test
Ding, Ziyi
Zhang, Xiao-Ping
Machine Learning
We propose GaussDetect-LiNGAM, a novel approach for bivariate causal discovery that eliminates the need for explicit Gaussianity tests by leveraging a fundamental equivalence between noise Gaussianity and residual independence in the reverse regression. Under the standard LiNGAM assumptions of linearity, acyclicity, and exogeneity, we prove that the Gaussianity of the forward-model noise is equivalent to the independence between the regressor and residual in the reverse model. This theoretical insight allows us to replace fragile and sample-sensitive Gaussianity tests with robust kernel-based independence tests. Experimental results validate the equivalence and demonstrate that GaussDetect-LiNGAM maintains high consistency across diverse noise types and sample sizes, while reducing the number of tests per decision (TPD). Our method enhances both the efficiency and practical applicability of causal inference, making LiNGAM more accessible and reliable in real-world scenarios.
title GaussDetect-LiNGAM:Causal Direction Identification without Gaussianity test
topic Machine Learning
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2512.03428