rasbt/mlxtend

create_counterfactual enhancements (minimization method and fixed features)

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#1,029 opened on Apr 18, 2023

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Enhancementeasyhelp wanted

Description

Discussed in https://github.com/rasbt/mlxtend/discussions/1028

Originally posted by farbodr April 17, 2023 I have a couple of questions about create_counterfactual?

  1. On a small table with the shape of (461, 75) it took about 22 min to return one row. Is there any way to speed this up?
  2. Is there any way to limit the features it uses? In other words, can I freeze some features and generate counterfactuals only for some of the features? For instance, in a healthcare use case, we know certain features can not be changed, like a health condition, but there are other features that can be changed that can impact the prediction.

Thanks, FR

Contributor guide

Tech stack
python
Domain
machine learning
Issue type
feature
DifficultyEstimated implementation difficulty for a new contributor, from 1 for very small changes to 5 for expert-level work.
3
Estimated timeA rough time range for an experienced contributor to investigate, implement, test, and prepare a pull request.
1-2 days
Activity statusHow available the issue appears right now: fresh, active, stale, blocked, or waiting on maintainer input.
fresh
ClarityHow clearly the issue explains the expected change, acceptance criteria, and next step.
clear
Prerequisites
Understanding of counterfactual explanationsPython experience
Newbie friendlinessA 1-100 score estimating how approachable this issue is for first-time contributors.
60
Research direction
Investigate the current `create counterfactual` function in mlxtend to understand its algorithm and structure. Look at the linked discussion (https://github.com/rasbt/mlxtend/discussions/1028) for additional context on desired enhancements. The issue asks for two separate improvements: a minimization method to speed up computation, and the ability to freeze certain features. Consider researching existing counterfactual generation methods (e.g., feature masking) and implement them as optional parameters.