Hyperparameter optimization is a key aspect of the lifecycle of machine learning applications. While methods such as grid search are incredibly effective for optimizing hyperparameters for specific isolated models, they are very difficult to scale across large permutations of models and experiments. A company like Facebook operates thousands of concurrent machine learning models that need to be constantly tuned. To achieve that, Facebook engineering teams need to regularly conduct A/B tests in order to determine the right hyperparameter configuration. Data in those tests is difficult to collect and they are typically conducted in isolation of each other which end up resulting in very computationally expensive exercises. One of the most innovative approaches in this area came from a team of AI researchers from Facebook who published a paper proposing a method based on Bayesian optimization to adaptively design rounds of A/B tests based on the results of prior tests.

Why Bayesian Optimization?

Bayesian optimization is a powerful method for solving black-box optimization problems that involve expensive function evaluations. Recently, Bayesian optimization has evolved as an important technique for optimizing hyperparameters in machine learning models. Conceptually, Bayesian optimization starts by evaluating a small number of randomly selected function values, and fitting a Gaussian process (GP) regression model to the results. The GP posterior provides an estimate of the function value at each point, as well as the uncertainty in that estimate. The GP works well for Bayesian optimization because it provides excellent uncertainty estimates and is analytically tractable. It provides an estimate of how an online metric varies with the parameters of interest.

Let’s imagine an environment in which we are conducting random and regular experiments on machine learning models. In that scenario, Bayesian optimization can be used to construct a statistical model of the relationship between the parameters and the online outcomes of interest and uses that model to decide which experiments to run. The concept is well illustrated in the following figure in which each data marker corresponds to the outcome of an A/B test of that parameter value. We can use the GP to decide which parameter to test next by balancing exploration (high uncertainty) with exploitation (good model estimate). This is done by computing an acquisition function that estimates the value of running an experiment with any given parameter value.

Source: https://projecteuclid.org/download/pdfview_1/euclid.ba/1533866666

The fundamental goal of Bayesian optimization when applied to hyperparameter optimization is to determine how valuable is an experiment for a specific hyperparameter configuration. Conceptually, Bayesian optimization works very efficiently for isolated models but its value proposition is challenged when used in scenarios running random experiments. The fundamental challenge is related to the noise introduced in the observations.

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