# Non-Gaussian Likelihoods¶

## Introduction¶

This example is the simplest form of using an RBF kernel in an ApproximateGP module for classification. This basic model is usable when there is not much training data and no advanced techniques are required.

In this example, we’re modeling a unit wave with period 1/2 centered with positive values @ x=0. We are going to classify the points as either +1 or -1.

Variational inference uses the assumption that the posterior distribution factors multiplicatively over the input variables. This makes approximating the distribution via the KL divergence possible to obtain a fast approximation to the posterior. For a good explanation of variational techniques, sections 4-6 of the following may be useful: https://www.cs.princeton.edu/courses/archive/fall11/cos597C/lectures/variational-inference-i.pdf

[1]:

import math
import torch
import gpytorch
from matplotlib import pyplot as plt

%matplotlib inline


### Set up training data¶

In the next cell, we set up the training data for this example. We’ll be using 10 regularly spaced points on [0,1] which we evaluate the function on and add Gaussian noise to get the training labels. Labels are unit wave with period 1/2 centered with positive values @ x=0.

[2]:

train_x = torch.linspace(0, 1, 10)
train_y = torch.sign(torch.cos(train_x * (4 * math.pi))).add(1).div(2)


## Setting up the classification model¶

The next cell demonstrates the simplest way to define a classification Gaussian process model in GPyTorch. If you have already done the GP regression tutorial, you have already seen how GPyTorch model construction differs from other GP packages. In particular, the GP model expects a user to write out a forward method in a way analogous to PyTorch models. This gives the user the most possible flexibility.

Since exact inference is intractable for GP classification, GPyTorch approximates the classification posterior using variational inference. We believe that variational inference is ideal for a number of reasons. Firstly, variational inference commonly relies on gradient descent techniques, which take full advantage of PyTorch’s autograd. This reduces the amount of code needed to develop complex variational models. Additionally, variational inference can be performed with stochastic gradient decent, which can be extremely scalable for large datasets.

If you are unfamiliar with variational inference, we recommend the following resources: - Variational Inference: A Review for Statisticians by David M. Blei, Alp Kucukelbir, Jon D. McAuliffe. - Scalable Variational Gaussian Process Classification by James Hensman, Alex Matthews, Zoubin Ghahramani.

In this example, we’re using an UnwhitenedVariationalStrategy because we are using the training data as inducing points. In general, you’ll probably want to use the standard VariationalStrategy class for improved optimization.

[3]:

from gpytorch.models import ApproximateGP
from gpytorch.variational import CholeskyVariationalDistribution
from gpytorch.variational import UnwhitenedVariationalStrategy

class GPClassificationModel(ApproximateGP):
def __init__(self, train_x):
variational_distribution = CholeskyVariationalDistribution(train_x.size(0))
variational_strategy = UnwhitenedVariationalStrategy(
self, train_x, variational_distribution, learn_inducing_locations=False
)
super(GPClassificationModel, self).__init__(variational_strategy)
self.mean_module = gpytorch.means.ConstantMean()
self.covar_module = gpytorch.kernels.ScaleKernel(gpytorch.kernels.RBFKernel())

def forward(self, x):
mean_x = self.mean_module(x)
covar_x = self.covar_module(x)
latent_pred = gpytorch.distributions.MultivariateNormal(mean_x, covar_x)
return latent_pred

# Initialize model and likelihood
model = GPClassificationModel(train_x)
likelihood = gpytorch.likelihoods.BernoulliLikelihood()


### Model modes¶

Like most PyTorch modules, the ExactGP has a .train() and .eval() mode. - .train() mode is for optimizing variational parameters model hyperameters. - .eval() mode is for computing predictions through the model posterior.

## Learn the variational parameters (and other hyperparameters)¶

In the next cell, we optimize the variational parameters of our Gaussian process. In addition, this optimization loop also performs Type-II MLE to train the hyperparameters of the Gaussian process.

[4]:

# this is for running the notebook in our testing framework
import os
smoke_test = ('CI' in os.environ)
training_iterations = 2 if smoke_test else 50

# Find optimal model hyperparameters
model.train()
likelihood.train()

# "Loss" for GPs - the marginal log likelihood
# num_data refers to the number of training datapoints
mll = gpytorch.mlls.VariationalELBO(likelihood, model, train_y.numel())

for i in range(training_iterations):
# Zero backpropped gradients from previous iteration
# Get predictive output
output = model(train_x)
# Calc loss and backprop gradients
loss = -mll(output, train_y)
loss.backward()
print('Iter %d/%d - Loss: %.3f' % (i + 1, training_iterations, loss.item()))
optimizer.step()

Iter 1/50 - Loss: 0.908
Iter 2/50 - Loss: 4.296
Iter 3/50 - Loss: 8.896
Iter 4/50 - Loss: 3.563
Iter 5/50 - Loss: 5.978
Iter 6/50 - Loss: 6.632
Iter 7/50 - Loss: 6.222
Iter 8/50 - Loss: 4.975
Iter 9/50 - Loss: 3.972
Iter 10/50 - Loss: 3.593
Iter 11/50 - Loss: 3.329
Iter 12/50 - Loss: 2.798
Iter 13/50 - Loss: 2.329
Iter 14/50 - Loss: 2.140
Iter 15/50 - Loss: 1.879
Iter 16/50 - Loss: 1.661
Iter 17/50 - Loss: 1.533
Iter 18/50 - Loss: 1.510
Iter 19/50 - Loss: 1.514
Iter 20/50 - Loss: 1.504
Iter 21/50 - Loss: 1.499
Iter 22/50 - Loss: 1.500
Iter 23/50 - Loss: 1.499
Iter 24/50 - Loss: 1.492
Iter 25/50 - Loss: 1.477
Iter 26/50 - Loss: 1.456
Iter 27/50 - Loss: 1.429
Iter 28/50 - Loss: 1.397
Iter 29/50 - Loss: 1.363
Iter 30/50 - Loss: 1.327
Iter 31/50 - Loss: 1.290
Iter 32/50 - Loss: 1.255
Iter 33/50 - Loss: 1.222
Iter 34/50 - Loss: 1.194
Iter 35/50 - Loss: 1.170
Iter 36/50 - Loss: 1.150
Iter 37/50 - Loss: 1.133
Iter 38/50 - Loss: 1.117
Iter 39/50 - Loss: 1.099
Iter 40/50 - Loss: 1.079
Iter 41/50 - Loss: 1.056
Iter 42/50 - Loss: 1.033
Iter 43/50 - Loss: 1.011
Iter 44/50 - Loss: 0.991
Iter 45/50 - Loss: 0.974
Iter 46/50 - Loss: 0.959
Iter 47/50 - Loss: 0.945
Iter 48/50 - Loss: 0.932
Iter 49/50 - Loss: 0.919
Iter 50/50 - Loss: 0.906


## Make predictions with the model¶

In the next cell, we make predictions with the model. To do this, we simply put the model and likelihood in eval mode, and call both modules on the test data.

In .eval() mode, when we call model() - we get GP’s latent posterior predictions. These will be MultivariateNormal distributions. But since we are performing binary classification, we want to transform these outputs to classification probabilities using our likelihood.

When we call likelihood(model()), we get a torch.distributions.Bernoulli distribution, which represents our posterior probability that the data points belong to the positive class.

f_preds = model(test_x)
y_preds = likelihood(model(test_x))

f_mean = f_preds.mean
f_samples = f_preds.sample(sample_shape=torch.Size((1000,))

[5]:

# Go into eval mode
model.eval()
likelihood.eval()

# Test x are regularly spaced by 0.01 0,1 inclusive
test_x = torch.linspace(0, 1, 101)
# Get classification predictions
observed_pred = likelihood(model(test_x))

# Initialize fig and axes for plot
f, ax = plt.subplots(1, 1, figsize=(4, 3))
ax.plot(train_x.numpy(), train_y.numpy(), 'k*')
# Get the predicted labels (probabilites of belonging to the positive class)
# Transform these probabilities to be 0/1 labels
pred_labels = observed_pred.mean.ge(0.5).float()
ax.plot(test_x.numpy(), pred_labels.numpy(), 'b')
ax.set_ylim([-1, 2])
ax.legend(['Observed Data', 'Mean'])

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