Speaker: Gianluca Guadagni (University of Virginia)

Title: Learning low-degree functions on the discrete hypercube

Abstract: Let f be an unknown function on the n-dimensional discrete hypercube. How many values of f do we need in order to approximately reconstruct the function? In this talk we shall discuss the random query model for this fundamental problem from computational learning theory. We will explain a newly discovered connection with a family of polynomial inequalities going back to Littlewood (1930) which will in turn allow us to derive sharper estimates for the the query complexity of this model, exponentially improving those which follow from the classical Low-Degree Algorithm of Linial, Mansour and Nisan (1989). Time permitting, we will also show a matching information-theoretic lower bound. Based on joint works with Paata Ivanisvili (UC Irvine) and Lauritz Streck (Cambridge).