EconPapers    
Economics at your fingertips  
 

Off-Policy Evaluation and Counterfactual Methods in Dynamic Auction Environments

Ritam Guha and Nilavra Pathak

Papers from arXiv.org

Abstract: Counterfactual estimators are critical for learning and refining policies using logged data, a process known as Off-Policy Evaluation (OPE). OPE allows researchers to assess new policies without costly experiments, speeding up the evaluation process. Online experimental methods, such as A/B tests, are effective but often slow, thus delaying the policy selection and optimization process. In this work, we explore the application of OPE methods in the context of resource allocation in dynamic auction environments. Given the competitive nature of environments where rapid decision-making is crucial for gaining a competitive edge, the ability to quickly and accurately assess algorithmic performance is essential. By utilizing counterfactual estimators as a preliminary step before conducting A/B tests, we aim to streamline the evaluation process, reduce the time and resources required for experimentation, and enhance confidence in the chosen policies. Our investigation focuses on the feasibility and effectiveness of using these estimators to predict the outcomes of potential resource allocation strategies, evaluate their performance, and facilitate more informed decision-making in policy selection. Motivated by the outcomes of our initial study, we envision an advanced analytics system designed to seamlessly and dynamically assess new resource allocation strategies and policies.

Date: 2025-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-exp
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://arxiv.org/pdf/2501.05278 Latest version (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:arx:papers:2501.05278

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in Papers from arXiv.org
Bibliographic data for series maintained by arXiv administrators ().

 
Page updated 2025-03-19
Handle: RePEc:arx:papers:2501.05278