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We propose a new uncertainty estimator for gradient-free optimisation of black-box simulators using deep generative surrogate models. Optimisation of these simulators is especially challenging for stochastic simulators and higher dimensions. To address these issues, we utilise a deep generative surrogate approach to model the black box response for the entire parameter space. We then leverage this knowledge to estimate the proposed uncertainty based on the Wasserstein distance - the Wasserstein uncertainty. This approach is employed in a posterior agnostic gradient-free optimisation algorithm that minimises regret over the entire parameter space. A series of tests were conducted to demonstrate that our method is more robust to the shape of both the black box function and the stochastic response of the black box than state-of-the-art methods, such as efficient global optimisation with a deep Gaussian process surrogate., Comment: European Conference on Artificial Intelligence 2024 Main Track

Detailed detector simulation is the major consumer of CPU resources at LHCb, having used more than 90% of the total computing budget during Run 2 of the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. As data is collected by the upgraded LHCb detector during Run 3 of the LHC, larger requests for simulated data samples are necessary, and will far exceed the pledged resources of the experiment, even with existing fast simulation options. An evolution of technologies and techniques to produce simulated samples is mandatory to meet the upcoming needs of analysis to interpret signal versus background and measure efficiencies. In this context, we propose Lamarr, a Gaudi-based framework designed to offer the fastest solution for the simulation of the LHCb detector. Lamarr consists of a pipeline of modules parameterizing both the detector response and the reconstruction algorithms of the LHCb experiment. Most of the parameterizations are made of Deep Generative Models and Gradient Boosted Decision Trees trained on simulated samples or alternatively, where possible, on real data. Embedding Lamarr in the general LHCb Gauss Simulation framework allows combining its execution with any of the available generators in a seamless way. Lamarr has been validated by comparing key reconstructed quantities with Detailed Simulation. Good agreement of the simulated distributions is obtained with two-order-of-magnitude speed-up of the simulation phase., Comment: Under review in EPJ Web of Conferences (CHEP 2023)

There are many problems in physics, biology, and other natural sciences in which symbolic regression can provide valuable insights and discover new laws of nature. A widespread Deep Neural Networks do not provide interpretable solutions. Meanwhile, symbolic expressions give us a clear relation between observations and the target variable. However, at the moment, there is no dominant solution for the symbolic regression task, and we aim to reduce this gap with our algorithm. In this work, we propose a novel deep learning framework for symbolic expression generation via variational autoencoder (VAE). In a nutshell, we suggest using a VAE to generate mathematical expressions, and our training strategy forces generated formulas to fit a given dataset. Our framework allows encoding apriori knowledge of the formulas into fast-check predicates that speed up the optimization process. We compare our method to modern symbolic regression benchmarks and show that our method outperforms the competitors under noisy conditions. The recovery rate of SEGVAE is 65% on the Ngyuen dataset with a noise level of 10%, which is better than the previously reported SOTA by 20%. We demonstrate that this value depends on the dataset and can be even higher.

The volume of data processed by the Large Hadron Collider experiments demands sophisticated selection rules typically based on machine learning algorithms. One of the shortcomings of these approaches is their profound sensitivity to the biases in training samples. In the case of particle identification (PID), this might lead to degradation of the efficiency for some decays not present in the training dataset due to differences in input kinematic distributions. In this talk, we propose a method based on the Common Specific Decomposition that takes into account individual decays and possible misshapes in the training data by disentangling common and decay specific components of the input feature set. We show that the proposed approach reduces the rate of efficiency degradation for the PID algorithms for the decays reconstructed in the LHCb detector., Comment: proceedings of ACAT-2021

Flavour mixing and CP violation as measured in weak decays and mixing of neutral mesons are a fundamental tool to test the Standard Model (SM) and to search for new physics. New analyses performed at the LHC experiment open an unprecedented insight into the Cabibbo-Kobayashi-Maskawa (CKM) metrology and new evidence for rare decays. Important progress has also been achieved in theoretical calculations of several hadronic quantities with a remarkable reduction of the uncertainties. This improvement is essential since previous studies of the Unitarity Triangle did show that possible contributions from new physics, if any, must be tiny and could easily be hidden by theoretical and experimental errors. Thanks to the experimental and theoretical advances, the CKM picture provides very precise SM predictions through global analyses. We present here the results of the latest global SM analysis performed by the UTfit collaboration including all the most updated inputs from experiments, lattice QCD and phenomenological calculations., Comment: 24 pages, 7 figures, 11 tables

Magnetic fields are responsible for a multitude of Solar phenomena, including such destructive events as solar flares and coronal mass ejections, with the number of such events rising as we approach the peak of the 11-year solar cycle, in approximately 2025. High-precision spectropolarimetric observations are necessary to understand the variability of the Sun. The field of quantitative inference of magnetic field vectors and related solar atmospheric parameters from such observations has long been investigated. In recent years, very sophisticated codes for spectropolarimetric observations have been developed. Over the past two decades, neural networks have been shown to be a fast and accurate alternative to classic inversion technique methods. However, most of these codes can be used to obtain point estimates of the parameters, so ambiguities, the degeneracies, and the uncertainties of each parameter remain uncovered. In this paper, we provide end-to-end inversion codes based on the simple Milne-Eddington model of the stellar atmosphere and deep neural networks to both parameter estimation and their uncertainty intervals. The proposed framework is designed in such a way that it can be expanded and adapted to other atmospheric models or combinations of them. Additional information can also be incorporated directly into the model. It is demonstrated that the proposed architecture provides high accuracy of results, including a reliable uncertainty estimation, even in the multidimensional case. The models are tested using simulation and real data samples., Comment: 17 pages with 7 figures and 3 tables, submitted to Solar Physics

Modern-day time-domain photometric surveys collect a lot of observations of various astronomical objects and the coming era of large-scale surveys will provide even more information on their properties. Spectroscopic follow-ups are especially crucial for transients such as supernovae and most of these objects have not been subject to such studies. }{Flux time series are actively used as an affordable alternative for photometric classification and characterization, for instance, peak identifications and luminosity decline estimations. However, the collected time series are multidimensional and irregularly sampled, while also containing outliers and without any well-defined systematic uncertainties. This paper presents a search for the best-performing methods to approximate the observed light curves over time and wavelength for the purpose of generating time series with regular time steps in each passband.}{We examined several light curve approximation methods based on neural networks such as multilayer perceptrons, Bayesian neural networks, and normalizing flows to approximate observations of a single light curve. Test datasets include simulated PLAsTiCC and real Zwicky Transient Facility Bright Transient Survey light curves of transients.}{The tests demonstrate that even just a few observations are enough to fit the networks and improve the quality of approximation, compared to state-of-the-art models. The methods described in this work have a low computational complexity and are significantly faster than Gaussian processes. Additionally, we analyzed the performance of the approximation techniques from the perspective of further peak identification and transients classification. The study results have been released in an open and user-friendly Fulu Python library available on GitHub for the scientific community.

Automated analysis of complex systems based on multiple readouts remains a challenge. Change point detection algorithms are aimed to locating abrupt changes in the time series behaviour of a process. In this paper, we present a novel change point detection algorithm based on Latent Neural Stochastic Differential Equations (SDE). Our method learns a non-linear deep learning transformation of the process into a latent space and estimates a SDE that describes its evolution over time. The algorithm uses the likelihood ratio of the learned stochastic processes in different timestamps to find change points of the process. We demonstrate the detection capabilities and performance of our algorithm on synthetic and real-world datasets. The proposed method outperforms the state-of-the-art algorithms on the majority of our experiments.

Photometric data-driven classification of supernovae becomes a challenge due to the appearance of real-time processing of big data in astronomy. Recent studies have demonstrated the superior quality of solutions based on various machine learning models. These models learn to classify supernova types using their light curves as inputs. Preprocessing these curves is a crucial step that significantly affects the final quality. In this talk, we study the application of multilayer perceptron (MLP), bayesian neural network (BNN), and normalizing flows (NF) to approximate observations for a single light curve. We use these approximations as inputs for supernovae classification models and demonstrate that the proposed methods outperform the state-of-the-art based on Gaussian processes applying to the Zwicky Transient Facility Bright Transient Survey light curves. MLP demonstrates similar quality as Gaussian processes and speed increase. Normalizing Flows exceeds Gaussian processes in terms of approximation quality as well., Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures and 2 tables

The increasing luminosities of future data taking at Large Hadron Collider and next generation collider experiments require an unprecedented amount of simulated events to be produced. Such large scale productions demand a significant amount of valuable computing resources. This brings a demand to use new approaches to event generation and simulation of detector responses. In this paper, we discuss the application of generative adversarial networks (GANs) to the simulation of the LHCb experiment events. We emphasize main pitfalls in the application of GANs and study the systematic effects in detail. The presented results are based on the Geant4 simulation of the LHCb Cherenkov detector., Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures

The full optimization of the design and operation of instruments whose functioning relies on the interaction of radiation with matter is a super-human task, given the large dimensionality of the space of possible choices for geometry, detection technology, materials, data-acquisition, and information-extraction techniques, and the interdependence of the related parameters. On the other hand, massive potential gains in performance over standard, "experience-driven" layouts are in principle within our reach if an objective function fully aligned with the final goals of the instrument is maximized by means of a systematic search of the configuration space. The stochastic nature of the involved quantum processes make the modeling of these systems an intractable problem from a classical statistics point of view, yet the construction of a fully differentiable pipeline and the use of deep learning techniques may allow the simultaneous optimization of all design parameters. In this document we lay down our plans for the design of a modular and versatile modeling tool for the end-to-end optimization of complex instruments for particle physics experiments as well as industrial and medical applications that share the detection of radiation as their basic ingredient. We consider a selected set of use cases to highlight the specific needs of different applications., Comment: 109 pages, 32 figures. To be submitted to Reviews in Physics

Moments when a time series changes its behaviour are called change points. Detection of such points is a well-known problem, which can be found in many applications: quality monitoring of industrial processes, failure detection in complex systems, health monitoring, speech recognition and video analysis. Occurrence of change point implies that the state of the system is altered and its timely detection might help to prevent unwanted consequences. In this paper, we present two online change-point detection approaches based on neural networks. These algorithms demonstrate linear computational complexity and are suitable for change-point detection in large time series. We compare them with the best known algorithms on various synthetic and real world data sets. Experiments show that the proposed methods outperform known approaches., Comment: 24 pages, 8 figures

We propose a novel approach for a machine-learning-based detection of the type Ia supernovae using photometric information. Unlike other approaches, only real observation data is used during training. Despite being trained on a relatively small sample, the method shows good results on real data from the Open Supernovae Catalog. We also investigate model transfer from the PLAsTiCC simulations train dataset to real data application, and the reverse, and find the performance significantly decreases in both cases, highlighting the existing differences between simulated and real data., Comment: 27 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Computing

Advanced detector R&D for both new and ongoing experiments in HEP requires performing computationally intensive and detailed simulations as part of the detector-design optimisation process. We propose a versatile approach to this task that is based on machine learning and can substitute the most computationally intensive steps of the process while retaining the GEANT4 accuracy to details. The approach covers entire detector representation from the event generation to the evaluation of the physics performance. The approach allows the use of arbitrary modules arrangement, different signal and background conditions, tunable reconstruction algorithms, and desired physics performance metrics. While combined with properties of detector and electronics prototypes obtained from beam tests, the approach becomes even more versatile. We focus on the Phase II Upgrade of the LHCb Calorimeter under the requirements on operation at high luminosity. We discuss the general design of the approach and particular estimations, including spatial and energy resolution for the future LHCb Calorimeter setup at different pile-up conditions., Comment: 8 pages. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:2003.05118

Accurate particle identification (PID) is one of the most important aspects of the LHCb experiment. Modern machine learning techniques such as neural networks (NNs) are efficiently applied to this problem and are integrated into the LHCb software. In this research, we discuss novel applications of neural network speed-up techniques to achieve faster PID in LHC upgrade conditions. We show that the best results are obtained using variational dropout sparsification, which provides a prediction (feedforward pass) speed increase of up to a factor of sixteen even when compared to a model with shallow networks.

Anomaly detection is a challenging task that frequently arises in practically all areas of industry and science, from fraud detection and data quality monitoring to finding rare cases of diseases and searching for new physics. Most of the conventional approaches to anomaly detection, such as one-class SVM and Robust Auto-Encoder, are one-class classification methods, i.e. focus on separating normal data from the rest of the space. Such methods are based on the assumption of separability of normal and anomalous classes, and subsequently do not take into account any available samples of anomalies. Nonetheless, in practical settings, some anomalous samples are often available; however, usually in amounts far lower than required for a balanced classification task, and the separability assumption might not always hold. This leads to an important task -- incorporating known anomalous samples into training procedures of anomaly detection models. In this work, we propose a novel model-agnostic training procedure to address this task. We reformulate one-class classification as a binary classification problem with normal data being distinguished from pseudo-anomalous samples. The pseudo-anomalous samples are drawn from low-density regions of a normalizing flow model by feeding tails of the latent distribution into the model. Such an approach allows to easily include known anomalies into the training process of an arbitrary classifier. We demonstrate that our approach shows comparable performance on one-class problems, and, most importantly, achieves comparable or superior results on tasks with variable amounts of known anomalies.

Anomaly detection is not an easy problem since distribution of anomalous samples is unknown a priori. We explore a novel method that gives a trade-off possibility between one-class and two-class approaches, and leads to a better performance on anomaly detection problems with small or non-representative anomalous samples. The method is evaluated using several data sets and compared to a set of conventional one-class and two-class approaches.

The increasing luminosities of future Large Hadron Collider runs and next generation of collider experiments will require an unprecedented amount of simulated events to be produced. Such large scale productions are extremely demanding in terms of computing resources. Thus new approaches to event generation and simulation of detector responses are needed. In LHCb, the accurate simulation of Cherenkov detectors takes a sizeable fraction of CPU time. An alternative approach is described here, when one generates high-level reconstructed observables using a generative neural network to bypass low level details. This network is trained to reproduce the particle species likelihood function values based on the track kinematic parameters and detector occupancy. The fast simulation is trained using real data samples collected by LHCb during run 2. We demonstrate that this approach provides high-fidelity results., Comment: Proceedings for 19th International Workshop on Advanced Computing and Analysis Techniques in Physics Research. (Fixed typos and added one missing reference in the revised version.)

We propose a way to simulate Cherenkov detector response using a generative adversarial neural network to bypass low-level details. This network is trained to reproduce high level features of the simulated detector events based on input observables of incident particles. This allows the dramatic increase of simulation speed. We demonstrate that this approach provides simulation precision which is consistent with the baseline and discuss possible implications of these results., Comment: In proceedings of 10th International Workshop on Ring Imaging Cherenkov Detectors

Flavour physics represents a unique test bench for the Standard Model (SM). New analyses performed at the LHC experiments are now providing unprecedented insights into CKM metrology and new evidences for rare decays. The CKM picture can provide very precise SM predictions through global analyses. We present here the results of the latest global SM analysis performed by the UTfit collaboration including all the most updated inputs from experiments, lattice QCD and phenomenological calculations. In addition, the Unitarity Triangle (UT) analysis can be used to constrain the parameter space in possible new physics (NP) scenarios. We update here also the UT analysis beyond the SM by the UTfit collaboration. All of the available experimental and theoretical information on $\Delta F=2$ processes is reinterpreted including a model-independent NP parametrisation. We determine the allowed NP contributions in the kaon, $D$, $B_d$, and $B_s$ sectors and, in various NP scenarios, we translate them into bounds for the NP scale as a function of NP couplings., Comment: 6 pages, 13 figures, Proceedings for The Fifth Annual Conference on Large Hadron Collider Physics (LHCP 2017), 2017

Daily operation of a large-scale experiment is a challenging task, particularly from perspectives of routine monitoring of quality for data being taken. We describe an approach that uses Machine Learning for the automated system to monitor data quality, which is based on partial use of data qualified manually by detector experts. The system automatically classifies marginal cases: both of good an bad data, and use human expert decision to classify remaining "grey area" cases. This study uses collision data collected by the CMS experiment at LHC in 2010. We demonstrate that proposed workflow is able to automatically process at least 20\% of samples without noticeable degradation of the result.

High-energy physics experiments rely on reconstruction of the trajectories of particles produced at the interaction point. This is a challenging task, especially in the high track multiplicity environment generated by p-p collisions at the LHC energies. A typical event includes hundreds of signal examples (interesting decays) and a significant amount of noise (uninteresting examples). This work describes a modification of the Artificial Retina algorithm for fast track finding: numerical optimization methods were adopted for fast local track search. This approach allows for considerable reduction of the total computational time per event. Test results on simplified simulated model of LHCb VELO (VErtex LOcator) detector are presented. Also this approach is well-suited for implementation of paralleled computations as GPGPU which look very attractive in the context of upcoming detector upgrades.

Identifying the flavour of neutral $B$ mesons production is one of the most important components needed in the study of time-dependent $CP$ violation. The harsh environment of the Large Hadron Collider makes it particularly hard to succeed in this task. We present an inclusive flavour-tagging algorithm as an upgrade of the algorithms currently used by the LHCb experiment. Specifically, a probabilistic model which efficiently combines information from reconstructed vertices and tracks using machine learning is proposed. The algorithm does not use information about underlying physics process. It reduces the dependence on the performance of lower level identification capacities and thus increases the overall performance. The proposed inclusive flavour-tagging algorithm is applicable to tag the flavour of $B$ mesons in any proton-proton experiment., Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures, 17th International workshop on Advanced Computing and Analysis Techniques in physics research (ACAT-2016)

We present here the update of the Unitarity Triangle (UT) analysis performed by the UTfit Collaboration within the Standard Model (SM) and beyond. Continuously updated flavour results contribute to improving the precision of several constraints and through the global fit of the CKM parameters and the SM predictions. We also extend the UT analysis to investigate new physics (NP) effects on $\Delta F=2$ processes. Finally, based on the NP constraints, we derive upper bounds on the coefficients of the most general $\Delta F=2$ effective Hamiltonian. These upper bounds can be translated into lower bounds on the scale of NP that contributes to these low-energy effective interactions., Comment: Proceedings of the 8th International Workshop on the CKM Unitarity Triangle (CKM 2014), Vienna, Austria, September 8-12, 2014

A new variant of the effective pomeron exchange model is proposed for the description of the correlation, observed in $pp$ and $p\bar{p}$ collisions at center-of-mass energy from SPS to LHC, between mean transverse momentum and charged particles multiplicity. The model is based on the Regge-Gribov approach. Smooth logarithmic growth with the collision energy was established for the parameter k, the mean rapidity density of charged particles produced by a single string. It was obtained in the model by the fitting of the available experimental data on charged particles rapidity density in $pp$ and $p\bar{p}$ collisions. The main effect of the model, a gradual onset of string collectivity with the growth of collision energy, is accounted by a free parameter {\beta} that is responsible in an effective way for the string fusion phenomenon. Another free parameter, t, is used to define string tension. We extract parameters {\beta} and t from the available experimental results on -multiplicity correlation at nucleon collision energy $\sqrt{s}$ from 17 GeV to 7 TeV. Smooth dependence of both {\beta} and t on energy allows to make predictions for the correlation behavior at the collision energy of 14 TeV. The indications to the string interaction effects in high multiplicity events in $pp$ collisions at the LHC energies are also discussed., Comment: 7 pages, 7 figures, to appear in proc. QFTHEP'2013

We present the status of the Unitarity Triangle analysis focused on the analyses connected to the CKM angles extraction. The angle values are found to be $\alpha = (90.6\pm 6.6)^{\circ}$, $\sin(2\beta) = 0.68\pm 0.023$, and $\gamma=(72.2\pm 9.2)^{\circ}$., Comment: Proceedings of CKM 2012, the 7th International Workshop on the CKM Unitarity Triangle, University of Cincinnati, USA, 28 September - 2 October 2012

We present the combination of the CKM angle gamma measurements performed by the BaBar experiment at the PEP-II e+e- collider at SLAC National Laboratory. The analysis supersedes previous results obtained by collaboration and gives gamma=69+17-16 degrees modulo 180 degrees. The results are inconsistent with the absence of CP violation at a significance of 5.9 standard deviations, Comment: Proceedings of CKM 2012, the 7th International Workshop on the CKM Unitarity Triangle, University of Cincinnati, USA, 28 September - 2 October 2012