Exact Inference

Bayesian network

Message Passing

Parameter Learning

Variational Inference

Undirected Models

Sampling

Bayesian Learning

Probability theory

Structured prediction

Exponential family

Learning Bayes Nets

MAP Inference

Structure Learning

CS 228 - Probabilistic Graphical Models Stanford University Winter 2023 An in-depth study of probabilistic graphical models, combining graph and probability theory. Equips students with the skills to design, implement, and apply these models to solve real-world problems. Discusses Bayesian networks, exact and approximate inference methods, etc. Probabilistic graphical models are a powerful framework for representing complex domains using probability distributions, with numerous applications in machine learning, computer vision, natural language processing and computational biology. Graphical models bring together graph theory and probability theory, and provide a flexible framework for modeling large collections of random variables with complex interactions. This course will provide a comprehensive survey of the topic, introducing the key formalisms and main techniques used to construct them, make predictions, and support decision-making under uncertainty.

The aim of this course is to develop the knowledge and skills necessary to design, implement and apply these models to solve real problems. The course will cover: (1) Bayesian networks, undirected graphical models and their temporal extensions; (2) exact and approximate inference methods; (3) estimation of the parameters and the structure of graphical models.  Students are expected to have background in basic probability theory, statistics, programming, algorithm design and analysis. If you are able to comfortably able to complete homework 1 then you likely have all the relevant background knowledge. ## Recommended Readings

**Corresponding Textbook**: (“PGM”) *Probabilistic Graphical Models: Principles and Techniques* by Daphne Koller and Nir Friedman. MIT Press.

**Course Notes**: Available [here](https://ermongroup.github.io/cs228-notes/). Student contributions welcome!

**Lecture Videos**: [here](https://canvas.stanford.edu/courses/166637/external_tools/3367)

**Further Readings**:

- (“GEV”) *Graphical models, exponential families, and variational inference* by Martin J. Wainwright and Michael I. Jordan. Available [online](https://www.eecs.berkeley.edu/~wainwrig/Papers/WaiJor08_FTML.pdf).
- *Modeling and Reasoning with Bayesian Networks* by Adnan Darwiche. Available [online](http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/stanford-ebooks/detail.action?docID=424583) (through Stanford).
- *Pattern Recognition and Machine Learning* by Chris Bishop. Available [online](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/people/cmbishop/#!prml-book).
- *Machine Learning: A Probabilistic Perspective* by Kevin P. Murphy. Available [online](http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/stanford-ebooks/detail.action?docID=3339490) (through Stanford).
- *Information Theory, Inference, and Learning Algorithms* by David J. C. Mackay. Available [online](http://www.inference.org.uk/mackay/itila/book.html).
- *Bayesian Reasoning and Machine Learning* by David Barber. Available [online](http://www.cs.ucl.ac.uk/staff/d.barber/brml/).

CS 228 - Probabilistic Graphical Models

Machine Learning

Exact Inference

1 courses cover this concept

CS 228 - Probabilistic Graphical Models