Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Sojo, Rafael, Larrañaga, Pedro, Bielza, Concha
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.01021
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866911564197527552
author Sojo, Rafael
Larrañaga, Pedro
Bielza, Concha
author_facet Sojo, Rafael
Larrañaga, Pedro
Bielza, Concha
contents This paper introduces two transfer learning methodologies for estimating nonparametric Bayesian networks under scarce data. We propose two algorithms, a constraint-based structure learning method, called PC-stable-transfer learning (PCS-TL), and a score-based method, called hill climbing transfer learning (HC-TL). We also define particular metrics to tackle the negative transfer problem in each of them, a situation in which transfer learning has a negative impact on the model's performance. Then, for the parameters, we propose a log-linear pooling approach. For the evaluation, we learn kernel density estimation Bayesian networks, a type of nonparametric Bayesian network, and compare their transfer learning performance with the models alone. To do so, we sample data from small, medium and large-sized synthetic networks and datasets from the UCI Machine Learning repository. Then, we add noise and modifications to these datasets to test their ability to avoid negative transfer. To conclude, we perform a Friedman test with a Bergmann-Hommel post-hoc analysis to show statistical proof of the enhanced experimental behavior of our methods. Thus, PCS-TL and HC-TL demonstrate to be reliable algorithms for improving the learning performance of a nonparametric Bayesian network with scarce data, which in real industrial environments implies a reduction in the required time to deploy the network.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2604_01021
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Transfer learning for nonparametric Bayesian networks
Sojo, Rafael
Larrañaga, Pedro
Bielza, Concha
Machine Learning
Artificial Intelligence
I.2.6; I.5.1; G.3
This paper introduces two transfer learning methodologies for estimating nonparametric Bayesian networks under scarce data. We propose two algorithms, a constraint-based structure learning method, called PC-stable-transfer learning (PCS-TL), and a score-based method, called hill climbing transfer learning (HC-TL). We also define particular metrics to tackle the negative transfer problem in each of them, a situation in which transfer learning has a negative impact on the model's performance. Then, for the parameters, we propose a log-linear pooling approach. For the evaluation, we learn kernel density estimation Bayesian networks, a type of nonparametric Bayesian network, and compare their transfer learning performance with the models alone. To do so, we sample data from small, medium and large-sized synthetic networks and datasets from the UCI Machine Learning repository. Then, we add noise and modifications to these datasets to test their ability to avoid negative transfer. To conclude, we perform a Friedman test with a Bergmann-Hommel post-hoc analysis to show statistical proof of the enhanced experimental behavior of our methods. Thus, PCS-TL and HC-TL demonstrate to be reliable algorithms for improving the learning performance of a nonparametric Bayesian network with scarce data, which in real industrial environments implies a reduction in the required time to deploy the network.
title Transfer learning for nonparametric Bayesian networks
topic Machine Learning
Artificial Intelligence
I.2.6; I.5.1; G.3
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.01021