Structure Learning for Hybrid Bayesian Networks

Abstract: Bayesian networks have been used as a mechanism to represent the joint distribution of multiple random variables in a flexible yet interpretable manner. One major challenge in learning the structure of a Bayesian network is how to model networks which include a mixture of continuous and discrete random variables, known as hybrid Bayesian networks. This paper overviews the literature on approaches to handle hybrid Bayesian networks. Typically one of two approaches is taken: either the data are considered to have a joint distribution which is designed for a mixture of discrete and continuous variables, or continuous random variables are discretized, resulting in discrete Bayesian networks. In this paper, we propose a strategy to model all random variables as Gaussian, referred to it as {\it Run it As Gaussian (RAG)}. We demonstrate that RAG results in more reliable estimates of graph structures theoretically and by simulation studies, than converting continuous random variables to discrete. Both strategies are also implemented on a childhood obesity data set. The two different strategies give rise to significant differences in the optimal graph structures, with the results of the simulation study suggesting that our strategy is more reliable.