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-rw-r--r--intro.tex2
-rw-r--r--notes.bib24
-rw-r--r--problem.tex3
-rw-r--r--related.tex16
4 files changed, 32 insertions, 13 deletions
diff --git a/intro.tex b/intro.tex
index 0cc9bbe..9b51333 100644
--- a/intro.tex
+++ b/intro.tex
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ Our convex relaxation of \EDP{} involves maximizing a self-concordant function s
%Our approach to mechanisms for experimental design --- by
% optimizing the information gain in parameters like $\beta$ which are estimated through the data analysis process --- is general. We give examples of this approach beyond linear regression to a general class that includes logistic regression and learning binary functions, and show that the corresponding budgeted mechanism design problem is also expressed through a submodular optimization. Hence, prior work \cite{chen,singer-mechanisms} immediately applies, and gives randomized, universally truthful, polynomial time, constant factor approximation mechanisms for problems in this class. Getting deterministic, truthful, polynomial time mechanisms with a constant approximation factor for this class or specific problems in it, like we did for \EDP, remains an open problem.
-In what follows, we describe related work in Section~\ref{sec:related}. We briefly review experimental design and budget feasible mechanisms in Section~\ref{sec:peel} and define \SEDP\ formally. We present our convex relaxation to \EDP{} in Section~\ref{sec:approximation} and, finally, show how it can be used to construct our mechanism in Section~\ref{sec:main}; all our proofs of our technical results are provided in the appendix. %we present our mechanism for \SEDP\ and state our main results. %A generalization of our framework to machine learning tasks beyond linear regression is presented in Section~\ref{sec:ext}.
+In what follows, we describe related work in Section~\ref{sec:related}. We briefly review experimental design and budget feasible mechanisms in Section~\ref{sec:peel} and define \SEDP\ formally. We present our convex relaxation to \EDP{} in Section~\ref{sec:approximation} and, finally, show how it can be used to construct our mechanism in Section~\ref{sec:main}; all proofs of our technical results are provided in the appendix. %we present our mechanism for \SEDP\ and state our main results. %A generalization of our framework to machine learning tasks beyond linear regression is presented in Section~\ref{sec:ext}.
\junk{
diff --git a/notes.bib b/notes.bib
index f51f7fc..ace9ca7 100644
--- a/notes.bib
+++ b/notes.bib
@@ -50,6 +50,21 @@ year = 2012
year = {2011}
}
+@unpublished{kearns2012,
+ author = {Michael Kearns and
+ Mallesh M. Pai and
+ Aaron Roth and
+ Jonathan Ullman},
+ title = {Mechanism Design in Large Games: Incentives and Privacy},
+ year = {2012}
+}
+
+@article{pai2013privacy,
+ title={Privacy and Mechanism Design},
+ author={Pai, Mallesh and Roth, Aaron},
+ journal={SIGecom Exchanges},
+ year={2013}
+}
@inproceedings{approximatemechanismdesign,
@@ -621,12 +636,11 @@ year = 2012
-@techreport{xiao:privacy-truthfulness,
+@inproceedings{xiao:privacy-truthfulness,
author = "David Xiao",
title = "Is privacy compatible with truthfulness?",
-institution = {{Cryptology ePrint Archive}},
-number = "2011/005",
-year = "2011"
+booktitle = {{ITCS}},
+year = "2013"
}
@inproceedings{valiant,
@@ -678,7 +692,7 @@ author = "Alkiviadis G. Akritas and Evgenia K. Akritas and Genadii I. Malaschono
}
@inproceedings{briest-approximation,
- title = {Approximation techniques for utilitarian mechanism design},
+ title = {Approximation Techniques for Utilitarian Mechanism Design},
booktitle = {Proceedings of the thirty-seventh annual {ACM} symposium on Theory of computing},
author = {Briest, Patrick and Krysta, Piotr and V\"ocking, Berthold},
year = {2005},
diff --git a/problem.tex b/problem.tex
index 89ffa9d..1001d7b 100644
--- a/problem.tex
+++ b/problem.tex
@@ -54,8 +54,7 @@ Maximizing $I(\beta;y_S)$ is therefore equivalent to maximizing $\log\det(R+ \T{
$D$-optimality criterion
\cite{pukelsheim2006optimal,atkinson2007optimum,chaloner1995bayesian}.
-Note that the estimator $\hat{\beta}$ is a linear map of $y_S$. As $y_S$ is a multidimensional normal r.v., so is $\hat{\beta}$; in particular, $\hat{\beta}$ has
-covariance $\sigma^2(R+\T{X_S}X_S)^{-1}$. As such, maximizing $I(\beta;y_S)$ can alternatively be seen as a means of reducing the uncertainty on estimator $\hat{\beta}$ by minimizing the product of the eigenvalues of its covariance (as the latter equals the determinant).
+%Note that the estimator $\hat{\beta}$ is a linear map of $y_S$. As $y_S$ is a multidimensional normal r.v., so is $\hat{\beta}$; in particular, $\hat{\beta}$ has covariance $\sigma^2(R+\T{X_S}X_S)^{-1}$. As such, maximizing $I(\beta;y_S)$ can alternatively be seen as a means of reducing the uncertainty on estimator $\hat{\beta}$ by minimizing the product of the eigenvalues of its covariance (as the latter equals the determinant).
%An alternative interpretation, given that $(R+ \T{X_S}X_S)^{-1}$ is the covariance of the estimator $\hat{\beta}$, is that it tries to minimize the
%which is indeed a function of the covariance matrix $(R+\T{X_S}X_S)^{-1}$.
diff --git a/related.tex b/related.tex
index f929c75..91b25c5 100644
--- a/related.tex
+++ b/related.tex
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ a truthful, $O(\log^3 n)$-approximate mechanism
\cite{bei2012budget}. Moreover, in a Bayesian setup, assuming a prior distribution among the agent's costs, there exists a truthful mechanism with a 768/512-approximation ratio \cite{bei2012budget}. %(in terms of expectations)
Posted price, rather than direct revelation mechanisms, are also studied in \cite{singerposted}.
-\paragraph{Relaxations in Mechanism Design}
+\paragraph{Monotone Approximations in Combinatorial Auctions}
Relaxations of combinatorial problems are prevalent
in \emph{combinatorial auctions}, % \cite{archer-approximate,lavi-truthful,dughmi-truthful,briest-approximation},
in which an auctioneer aims at maximizing a set function which is the sum of utilities of strategic bidders (\emph{i.e.}, the social welfare). As noted by \citeN{archer-approximate},
@@ -58,10 +58,16 @@ Beyond LP relaxations,
\citeN{dughmi2011convex} propose
truthful-in-expectation mechanisms for combinatorial auctions in which
the bidders' utilities are matroid rank sum functions (applied earlier to the \textsc{CombinatorialPublicProjects} problem \cite{dughmi-truthful}). As in our case, their framework relies
-on solving a convex optimization problem and ensuring that it is
-``well-conditioned'', resembling the technical challenge we face in
-Section~\ref{sec:monotonicity}. However, we seek a deterministic mechanism and $\delta$-truthfulness, not truthfulness-in-expectation; in addition, our objective is not a matroid rank sum function, so the approximation guarantees of convex relaxation in \cite{dughmi2011convex} do not readily extend to \EDP.
-Closer to us, \citeN{briest-approximation} \ldots. However, we \ldots \note{NEEDS TO BE FIXED!}
+on solving a convex optimization problem which can only be solved approximately. The authors ensure that a solver is applied to a
+``well-conditioned'' problem, which resembles the technical challenge we face in
+Section~\ref{sec:monotonicity}. However, we seek a deterministic mechanism and $\delta$-truthfulness, not truthfulness-in-expectation. In addition, our objective is not a matroid rank sum function. As such, both the methodology for dealing with problems that are not ``well-conditioned'' as well as the approximation guarantees of the convex relaxation in \cite{dughmi2011convex} do not readily extend to \EDP.
+
+\citeN{briest-approximation} construct monote FPTAS for problems that can be approximated through rounding techniques, which in turn can be used to construct truthful, deterministic, constant-approximation mechanisms for corresponding combinatorial auctions. \EDP is not readily approximable through such rounding techniques; as such, we rely on a relaxation to approximate it.
+
+\paragraph{$\delta$-Truthfulness and Differential Privacy}
+
+The notion of $\delta$-truthfulness has attracted considerable attention recently in the context of differential privacy (see, \emph{e.g.}, the survey by \citeN{pai2013privacy}). \citeN{mcsherrytalwar} were the first to observe that any $\epsilon$-differentially private mechanism must also be $\delta$-truthful in expectation, for $\delta=2\epsilon$. This property was used to construct $\delta$-truthful (in expectation) mechanisms for a digital goods auction~\cite{mcsherrytalwar} and for $\alpha$-approximate equilibrium selection \cite{kearns2012}. \citeN{approximatemechanismdesign} propose a framework for converting a differentially private mechanism to a truthful-in-expectation mechanism by randomly selecting between a differentially private mechanism with good approximation guarantees, an a truthful mechanism, and apply it to a mechanism for the facility location problem. We depart from the above works in seeking a deterministic mechanism for \EDP, and using a stronger notion of $\delta$-truthfulness.
+
\begin{comment}
\paragraph{Data Markets}