Bayesian network structure learning with a new ensemble weights and edge constraints setting mechanism

Abstract

Bayesian networks (BNs) are highly effective in handling uncertain problems, which can assist in decision-making by reasoning with limited and incomplete information. Learning a faithful directed acyclic graph (DAG) from a large number of complex samples of a joint distribution is currently a challenging combinatorial problem. Due to the growing volume and complexity of data, some Bayesian structure learning algorithms are ineffective and lack the necessary precision to meet the required needs. In this paper, we propose a new PCCL-CC algorithm. To ensure the accuracy of the network structure, we introduce the new ensemble weights and edge constraints setting mechanism. In this mechanism, we employ a method that estimates the interaction between network nodes from multiple perspectives and divides the learning process into multiple stages. We utilize an asymmetric weighted ensemble method and adaptively adjust the network structure. Additionally, we propose a causal discovery method that effectively utilizes the causal relationships among data samples to correct the network structure and mitigate the influence of Markov equivalence classes (MEC). Experimental results on real datasets demonstrate that our approach outperforms state-of-the-art methods.