Powered by OpenAIRE graph
Found an issue? Give us feedback
image/svg+xml art designer at PLoS, modified by Wikipedia users Nina, Beao, JakobVoss, and AnonMoos Open Access logo, converted into svg, designed by PLoS. This version with transparent background. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Open_Access_logo_PLoS_white.svg art designer at PLoS, modified by Wikipedia users Nina, Beao, JakobVoss, and AnonMoos http://www.plos.org/ ZENODOarrow_drop_down
image/svg+xml art designer at PLoS, modified by Wikipedia users Nina, Beao, JakobVoss, and AnonMoos Open Access logo, converted into svg, designed by PLoS. This version with transparent background. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Open_Access_logo_PLoS_white.svg art designer at PLoS, modified by Wikipedia users Nina, Beao, JakobVoss, and AnonMoos http://www.plos.org/
ZENODO
Preprint . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: ZENODO
ZENODO
Preprint . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
ZENODO
Preprint . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
ZENODO
Preprint . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
ZENODO
Preprint . 2026
License: CC BY
Data sources: Datacite
versions View all 4 versions
addClaim

Constraints on Causal Inference as Experiment Comparison: A Framework for Identification, Transportability, and Policy Learning

Authors: Akdemir, Deniz;

Constraints on Causal Inference as Experiment Comparison: A Framework for Identification, Transportability, and Policy Learning

Abstract

We introduce a decision-theoretic framework for causal inference derived from Le Cam's theory of statistical experiments. We define the \textbf{causal deficiency} $\delta(\mathcal{E}_{obs}, \mathcal{E}_{do})$ as the minimum information loss when simulating interventional experiments from observational data. Our contributions are two-fold. First, we prove that classical identification criteria (back-door, front-door) correspond to zero-deficiency conditions, and we derive \textbf{policy regret bounds} establishing that positive deficiency fundamentally limits the safety of causal decision-making ($\text{Regret}_{do} \le \text{Regret}_{obs} + 2\delta$). Second, we develop a constructive \textbf{deficiency diagnostic} using negative controls, enabling the quantification of unmeasured confounding from finite samples. We provide finite-sample learning bounds for these estimators. This framework bridges identification theory and statistical learning, providing a rigorous foundation for partial identification. We validate the theory on classical benchmarks (Lalonde, RHC) using the open-source R package \texttt{causaldef}.

Keywords

Causation, Artificial Intelligence, Machine learning, Statistical Theory

  • BIP!
    Impact byBIP!
    selected citations
    These citations are derived from selected sources.
    This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
    0
    popularity
    This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
    Average
    influence
    This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
    Average
    impulse
    This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
    Average
Powered by OpenAIRE graph
Found an issue? Give us feedback
selected citations
These citations are derived from selected sources.
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
0
Average
Average
Average
Related to Research communities