Probabilistic Nearest Neighbors Classification

Entropy (Basel). 2023 Dec 30;26(1):39. doi: 10.3390/e26010039.

Abstract

Analysis of the currently established Bayesian nearest neighbors classification model points to a connection between the computation of its normalizing constant and issues of NP-completeness. An alternative predictive model constructed by aggregating the predictive distributions of simpler nonlocal models is proposed, and analytic expressions for the normalizing constants of these nonlocal models are derived, ensuring polynomial time computation without approximations. Experiments with synthetic and real datasets showcase the predictive performance of the proposed predictive model.

Keywords: NP-completeness; nearest neighbors classification; probabilistic machine learning.

Grants and funding

Hedibert F. Lopes receives support from FAPESP (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo) through Grant 2018/04654-9.