Publications | Empirical Inference - Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems

This thesis extends the use of kernel learning techniques to specific problems of image classification. Kernel learning is a paradigm in the field of machine learning that generalizes the use of inner products to compute similarities between arbitrary objects. In image classification one aims to separate images based on their visual content. We address two important problems that arise in this context: learning with weak label information and combination of heterogeneous data sources. The contributions we report on are not unique to image classification, and apply to a more general class of problems. We study the problem of learning with label ambiguity in the multiple instance learning framework. We discuss several different image classification scenarios that arise in this context and argue that the standard multiple instance learning requires a more detailed disambiguation. Finally we review kernel learning approaches proposed for this problem and derive a more efficient algorithm to solve them. The multiple kernel learning framework is an approach to automatically select kernel parameters. We extend it to its infinite limit and present an algorithm to solve the resulting problem. This result is then applied in two directions. We show how to learn kernels that adapt to the special structure of images. Finally we compare different ways of combining image features for object classification and present significant improvements compared to previous methods.

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2009

Gehler, PV. Kernel Learning Approaches for Image Classification Biologische Kybernetik, Universität des Saarlandes, Saarbrücken, Germany, October 2009 (phdthesis)

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A PAC-Bayesian Approach to Structure Learning

Seldin, Y.

Biologische Kybernetik, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, September 2009 (phdthesis)

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Seldin, Y. A PAC-Bayesian Approach to Structure Learning Biologische Kybernetik, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, September 2009 (phdthesis)

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Kernel Methods in Computer Vision:Object Localization, Clustering,and Taxonomy Discovery

Blaschko, MB.

Biologische Kybernetik, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany, March 2009 (phdthesis)

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Blaschko, MB. Kernel Methods in Computer Vision:Object Localization, Clustering,and Taxonomy Discovery Biologische Kybernetik, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany, March 2009 (phdthesis)

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Motor Control and Learning in Table Tennis

Mülling, K.

Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Gerrmany, 2009 (diplomathesis)

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Mülling, K. Motor Control and Learning in Table Tennis Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Gerrmany, 2009 (diplomathesis)

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Hierarchical Clustering and Density Estimation Based on k-nearest-neighbor graphs

Drewe, P.

Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Germany, 2009 (diplomathesis)

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Drewe, P. Hierarchical Clustering and Density Estimation Based on k-nearest-neighbor graphs Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Germany, 2009 (diplomathesis)

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Learning with Structured Data: Applications to Computer Vision

Nowozin, S.

Technische Universität Berlin, Germany, 2009 (phdthesis)

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Nowozin, S. Learning with Structured Data: Applications to Computer Vision Technische Universität Berlin, Germany, 2009 (phdthesis)

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From Differential Equations to Differential Geometry: Aspects of Regularisation in Machine Learning

Steinke, F.

Universität des Saarlandes, Saarbrücken, Germany, 2009 (phdthesis)

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Steinke, F. From Differential Equations to Differential Geometry: Aspects of Regularisation in Machine Learning Universität des Saarlandes, Saarbrücken, Germany, 2009 (phdthesis)

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2006

Extraction of visual features from natural video data using Slow Feature Analysis

Nickisch, H.

Biologische Kybernetik, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany, September 2006 (diplomathesis)

Abstract

Das Forschungsprojekt NeuRoBot hat das un{\"u}berwachte Erlernen einer neuronal inspirierten Steuerungsarchitektur zum Ziel, und zwar unter den Randbedingungen biologischer Plausibilit{\"a}t und der Benutzung einer Kamera als einzigen Sensor. Visuelle Merkmale, die ein angemessenes Abbild der Umgebung liefern, sind unerl{\"a}sslich, um das Ziel kollisionsfreier Navigation zu erreichen. Zeitliche Koh{\"a}renz ist ein neues Lernprinzip, das in der Lage ist, Erkenntnisse aus der Biologie des Sehens zu reproduzieren. Es wird durch die Beobachtung motiviert, dass die Sensoren der Retina auf deutlich k{\"u}rzeren Zeitskalen variieren als eine abstrakte Beschreibung. Zeitliche Langsamkeitsanalyse l{\"o}st das Problem, indem sie zeitlich langsam ver{\"a}nderliche Signale aus schnell ver{\"a}nderlichen Eingabesignalen extrahiert. Eine Verallgemeinerung auf Signale, die nichtlinear von den Eingaben abh{\"a}ngen, ist durch die Anwendung des Kernel-Tricks m{\"o}glich. Das einzig benutzte Vorwissen ist die zeitliche Glattheit der gewonnenen Signale. In der vorliegenden Diplomarbeit wird Langsamkeitsanalyse auf Bildausschnitte von Videos einer Roboterkamera und einer Simulationsumgebung angewendet. Zuallererst werden mittels Parameterexploration und Kreuzvalidierung die langsamst m{\"o}glichen Funktionen bestimmt. Anschließend werden die Merkmalsfunktionen analysiert und einige Ansatzpunkte f{\"u}r ihre Interpretation angegeben. Aufgrund der sehr großen Datens{\"a}tze und der umfangreichen Berechnungen behandelt ein Großteil dieser Arbeit auch Aufwandsbetrachtungen und Fragen der effizienten Berechnung. Kantendetektoren in verschiedenen Phasen und mit haupts{\"a}chlich horizontaler Orientierung stellen die wichtigsten aus der Analyse hervorgehenden Funktionen dar. Eine Anwendung auf konkrete Navigationsaufgaben des Roboters konnte bisher nicht erreicht werden. Eine visuelle Interpretation der erlernten Merkmale ist jedoch durchaus gegeben.

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2006

Nickisch, H. Extraction of visual features from natural video data using Slow Feature Analysis Biologische Kybernetik, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany, September 2006 (diplomathesis)

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An Online-Computation Approach to Optimal Finite-Horizon State-Feedback Control of Nonlinear Stochastic Systems

Deisenroth, MP.

Biologische Kybernetik, Universität Karlsruhe (TH), Karlsruhe, Germany, August 2006 (diplomathesis)

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Deisenroth, MP. An Online-Computation Approach to Optimal Finite-Horizon State-Feedback Control of Nonlinear Stochastic Systems Biologische Kybernetik, Universität Karlsruhe (TH), Karlsruhe, Germany, August 2006 (diplomathesis)

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Object Classification using Local Image Features

Nowozin, S.

Biologische Kybernetik, Technical University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany, May 2006 (diplomathesis)

Abstract

Object classification in digital images remains one of the most challenging tasks in computer vision. Advances in the last decade have produced methods to repeatably extract and describe characteristic local features in natural images. In order to apply machine learning techniques in computer vision systems, a representation based on these features is needed. A set of local features is the most popular representation and often used in conjunction with Support Vector Machines for classification problems. In this work, we examine current approaches based on set representations and identify their shortcomings. To overcome these shortcomings, we argue for extending the set representation into a graph representation, encoding more relevant information. Attributes associated with the edges of the graph encode the geometric relationships between individual features by making use of the meta data of each feature, such as the position, scale, orientation and shape of the feature region. At the same time all invariances provided by the original feature extraction method are retained. To validate the novel approach, we use a standard subset of the ETH-80 classification benchmark.

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Nowozin, S. Object Classification using Local Image Features Biologische Kybernetik, Technical University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany, May 2006 (diplomathesis)

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Kernel PCA for Image Compression

Huhle, B.

Biologische Kybernetik, Eberhard-Karls-Universität, Tübingen, Germany, April 2006 (diplomathesis)

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Huhle, B. Kernel PCA for Image Compression Biologische Kybernetik, Eberhard-Karls-Universität, Tübingen, Germany, April 2006 (diplomathesis)

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Gaussian Process Models for Robust Regression, Classification, and Reinforcement Learning

Kuss, M.

Biologische Kybernetik, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany, March 2006, passed with distinction, published online (phdthesis)

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Kuss, M. Gaussian Process Models for Robust Regression, Classification, and Reinforcement Learning Biologische Kybernetik, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany, March 2006, passed with distinction, published online (phdthesis)

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Semigroups applied to transport and queueing processes

Radl, A.

Biologische Kybernetik, Eberhard Karls Universität, Tübingen, 2006 (phdthesis)

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Radl, A. Semigroups applied to transport and queueing processes Biologische Kybernetik, Eberhard Karls Universität, Tübingen, 2006 (phdthesis)

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Local Alignment Kernels for Protein Homology Detection

Saigo, H.

Biologische Kybernetik, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan, 2006 (phdthesis)

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Saigo, H. Local Alignment Kernels for Protein Homology Detection Biologische Kybernetik, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan, 2006 (phdthesis)

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2003

Real-Time Face Detection

Kienzle, W.

Biologische Kybernetik, Eberhard-Karls-Universitaet Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany, October 2003 (diplomathesis)

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2003

Kienzle, W. Real-Time Face Detection Biologische Kybernetik, Eberhard-Karls-Universitaet Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany, October 2003 (diplomathesis)

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Ladungsträgerdynamik in optisch angeregten GaAs-Quantendrähten:Relaxation und Transport

Pfingsten, T.

Biologische Kybernetik, Institut für Festkörpertheorie, WWU Münster, June 2003 (diplomathesis)

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Pfingsten, T. Ladungsträgerdynamik in optisch angeregten GaAs-Quantendrähten:Relaxation und Transport Biologische Kybernetik, Institut für Festkörpertheorie, WWU Münster, June 2003 (diplomathesis)

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Kernel Methods for Classification and Signal Separation

Gretton, A.

pages: 226, Biologische Kybernetik, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, April 2003 (phdthesis)

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Gretton, A. Kernel Methods for Classification and Signal Separation pages: 226, Biologische Kybernetik, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, April 2003 (phdthesis)

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Large margin Methods in Label Sequence Learning

Altun, Y.

Brown University, Providence, RI, USA, 2003 (mastersthesis)

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Altun, Y. Large margin Methods in Label Sequence Learning Brown University, Providence, RI, USA, 2003 (mastersthesis)

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m-Alternative Forced Choice—Improving the Efficiency of the Method of Constant Stimuli

Jäkel, F.

Biologische Kybernetik, Graduate School for Neural and Behavioural Sciences, Tübingen, 2003 (diplomathesis)

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Jäkel, F. m-Alternative Forced Choice—Improving the Efficiency of the Method of Constant Stimuli Biologische Kybernetik, Graduate School for Neural and Behavioural Sciences, Tübingen, 2003 (diplomathesis)

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2002

Nonlinear Multivariate Analysis with Geodesic Kernels

Kuss, M.

Biologische Kybernetik, Technische Universität Berlin, February 2002 (diplomathesis)

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2002

Kuss, M. Nonlinear Multivariate Analysis with Geodesic Kernels Biologische Kybernetik, Technische Universität Berlin, February 2002 (diplomathesis)

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Concentration Inequalities and Empirical Processes Theory Applied to the Analysis of Learning Algorithms

Bousquet, O.

Biologische Kybernetik, Ecole Polytechnique, 2002 (phdthesis) Accepted

Abstract

New classification algorithms based on the notion of 'margin' (e.g. Support Vector Machines, Boosting) have recently been developed. The goal of this thesis is to better understand how they work, via a study of their theoretical performance. In order to do this, a general framework for real-valued classification is proposed. In this framework, it appears that the natural tools to use are Concentration Inequalities and Empirical Processes Theory. Thanks to an adaptation of these tools, a new measure of the size of a class of functions is introduced, which can be computed from the data. This allows, on the one hand, to better understand the role of eigenvalues of the kernel matrix in Support Vector Machines, and on the other hand, to obtain empirical model selection criteria.

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Bousquet, O. Concentration Inequalities and Empirical Processes Theory Applied to the Analysis of Learning Algorithms Biologische Kybernetik, Ecole Polytechnique, 2002 (phdthesis) Accepted

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Support Vector Machines: Induction Principle, Adaptive Tuning and Prior Knowledge

Chapelle, O.

Biologische Kybernetik, 2002 (phdthesis)

Abstract

This thesis presents a theoretical and practical study of Support Vector Machines (SVM) and related learning algorithms. In a first part, we introduce a new induction principle from which SVMs can be derived, but some new algorithms are also presented in this framework. In a second part, after studying how to estimate the generalization error of an SVM, we suggest to choose the kernel parameters of an SVM by minimizing this estimate. Several applications such as feature selection are presented. Finally the third part deals with the incoporation of prior knowledge in a learning algorithm and more specifically, we studied the case of known invariant transormations and the use of unlabeled data.

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Chapelle, O. Support Vector Machines: Induction Principle, Adaptive Tuning and Prior Knowledge Biologische Kybernetik, 2002 (phdthesis)

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2001

Variationsverfahren zur Untersuchung von Grundzustandseigenschaften des Ein-Band Hubbard-Modells

Eichhorn, J.

Biologische Kybernetik, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden/Germany, May 2001 (diplomathesis)

Abstract

Using different modifications of a new variational approach, statical groundstate properties of the one-band Hubbard model such as energy and staggered magnetisation are calculated. By taking into account additional fluctuations, the method ist gradually improved so that a very good description of the energy in one and two dimensions can be achieved. After a detailed discussion of the application in one dimension, extensions for two dimensions are introduced. By use of a modified version of the variational ansatz in particular a description of the quantum phase transition for the magnetisation should be possible.

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