arXiv:2604.24749 · v5

The Optimal Sample Complexity of Multiclass and List Learning

首次提交 2026-04-28 01:54

版本更新 2026-11-03 09:47

雷达观测 2026-11-04 23:40

摘要

While the optimal sample complexity of binary classification in terms of the VC dimension is well-established, determining the optimal sample complexity of multiclass classification had remained open. The appropriate complexity parameter for multiclass classification is the DS dimension, and despite significant efforts, a gap of $\sqrt{\text{DS}}$ had persisted between the upper and lower bounds on sample complexity. Recent work by Hanneke et al. (2026) shows a novel algebraic characterization of multiclass hypothesis classes in terms of their DS dimension. Building up on this, we show that the maximum hypergraph density of any multiclass hypothesis class is upper-bounded by its DS dimension. This proves a longstanding conjecture of Daniely and Shalev-Shwartz (2014). As a consequence, we determine the optimal dependence of the sample complexity on the DS dimension for multiclass as well as list learning.

作者备注：organized proof sketches, other polishing