HKU IDS Scholar Seminar Series #23:
A Tangram Theory of Generalization: Rethinking Machine Learning via the Lens of Composition
Abstract
Modern machine learning models display abilities that exceed the assumptions of classical statistical learning, particularly their capacity to solve test‑time tasks far beyond those seen during training—an ability widely viewed as central to progress toward AGI. Such phenomena call for new theoretical frameworks. This talk presents a perspective based on composition: the idea that models generalize by recombining learned skills to address novel, more complex tasks. I will discuss empirical evidence and preliminary theoretical results supporting this viewpoint, aiming to motivate further investigation into this “tangram theory” of generalization.
Speaker
Prof Yingyu LIANG
Associate Professor @ HKU IDS & SCDS Professor Yingyu Liang is an Associate Professor in the Musketeers Foundation Institute of Data Science and Department of Computer Science at The University of Hong Kong. He is also an Associate Professor at the Department of Computer Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Before that, he was a postdoc at Princeton University. He received his Ph.D. in 2014 from Georgia Tech, and M.S. (2010) and B.S. (2008) from Tsinghua University. He is a recipient of the NSF CAREER award. His research group aims at providing theoretical foundations for modern machine learning models and designing efficient algorithms for real world applications. Recent focuses include optimization and generalization in deep learning, robust machine learning, and their applications. For full biography of Prof. LIANG, please refer to: https://datascience.hku.hk/people/yingyu-liang/
Moderator
Prof Guodong LI
Associate Head (Research) & Professor @ HKU IDS & CDS Professor Guodong Li joined the Department of Statistics & Actuarial Science, The University of Hong Kong, in 2009 as an Assistant Professor, and currently is a Professor. Prior to this, Professor Li had worked at the Division of Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, as an Assistant Professor since he received his PhD degree in statistics from the University of Hong Kong in 2007. He got his Bachelor and Master degrees in Statistics from Peking University. For full biography of Prof. LI, please refer to: https://datascience.hku.hk/people/professor-guodong-li/
