Predicting Sequences with Unreliable Oracles

Puspabeethi Samanta, Nikhil Karamchandani, Jayakrishnan Nair· August 17, 2026 View original

Key takeaways

  • Sequential prediction can be challenged by unreliable "lying oracles."
  • Algorithms are proposed for both stochastic and adversarial environments.
  • Logarithmic regret bounds are established for these algorithms.
  • The research addresses prediction complexity with deceptive information.

Who benefits

CybersecurityFinanceFraud DetectionGame TheoryAI/ML Research

Summary

This paper addresses sequential prediction of m-ary sequences where a learner incurs costs based on predictions made via comparative queries to a "lying oracle," proposing algorithms for both stochastic and adversarial environments with logarithmic regret bounds.

The problem of sequential prediction involves a learner attempting to predict outcomes from an m-ary alphabet, where the environment generates an outcome, and the learner assigns probabilities to potential outcomes, incurring a cost. This research introduces a unique twist: the prediction is guided by comparative queries to an "oracle" that may provide false information, essentially a "lying oracle." The cost function in this scenario reflects the complexity of predicting outcomes when relying on such an unreliable source. The study considers two distinct environmental settings: stochastic, where outcomes follow a probabilistic distribution, and adversarial, where outcomes are chosen to maximize the learner's cost. For both stochastic and adversarial environments, the paper proposes specific algorithms designed to navigate this challenge. It establishes logarithmic upper bounds on the regret for these algorithms, indicating their efficiency in minimizing prediction errors even when faced with a deceptive oracle.

Why it matters

Professionals dealing with prediction systems that rely on potentially unreliable or noisy information sources can benefit from algorithms designed to maintain performance and minimize regret under such challenging conditions.

How to implement this in your domain

  1. 1Assess the reliability of information sources used in current prediction models, identifying potential "lying oracle" scenarios.
  2. 2Explore integrating robust prediction algorithms that account for noisy or deceptive feedback.
  3. 3Develop strategies for managing uncertainty and minimizing regret in decision-making processes based on imperfect information.
  4. 4Apply the principles of this research to areas like fraud detection or adversarial machine learning where inputs might be intentionally misleading.

Original post by Puspabeethi Samanta, Nikhil Karamchandani, Jayakrishnan Nair

"arXiv:2608.14102v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: We consider the problem of sequential prediction of an $m$-ary sequence, where at each epoch, (i) the environment selects an outcome from an $m$-ary alphabet, (ii) the learner selects a probability distribution over the same alphabe…"

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Originally posted by Puspabeethi Samanta, Nikhil Karamchandani, Jayakrishnan Nair on X · view source

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