Applying the information bottleneck to statistical relational learning

In this paper we propose to apply the Information Bottleneck (IB) approach to the sub-class of Statistical Relational Learning (SRL) languages that are reducible to Bayesian networks. When the resulting networks involve hidden variables, learning these languages requires the use of techniques for learning from incomplete data such as the Expectation Maximization (EM) algorithm. Recently, the IB approach was shown to be able to avoid some of the local maxima in which EM can get trapped when learning with hidden variables. Here we present the algorithm Relational Information Bottleneck (RIB) that learns the parameters of SRL languages reducible to Bayesian Networks. In particular, we present the specialization of RIB to a language belonging to the family of languages based on the distribution semantics, Logic Programs with Annotated Disjunction (LPADs). This language is prototypical for such a family and its equivalent Bayesian networks contain hidden variables. RIB is evaluated on the IMDB, Cora and artificial datasets and compared with LeProbLog, EM, Alchemy and PRISM. The experimental results show that RIB has good performances especially when some logical atoms are unobserved. Moreover, it is particularly suitable when learning from interpretations that share the same Herbrand base