VLDB 2026 Research / reviewers in the wild / expert
Chunlai Zhou
dblp:85/6150
· DBLP profile ↗
22ranked-venue papers
11as first author
11since 2021 · last 2025
—ORCID · unresolved
Domains — the database's venue-derived domains; a paper can count in several
Artificial intelligence and machine learning · 16 · 8 first-author · 8 since 2021Graphics, computer vision, multimedia, augmented reality and games · 9 · 4 first-author · 5 since 2021Databases, data management, data science and information retrieval · 4 · 4 since 2021Theory of computation · 3 · 3 first-author
| Year | Publication | Venue | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Unveiling Markov heads in Pretrained Language Models for Offline Reinforcement LearningabstractRecently, incorporating knowledge from pretrained language models (PLMs) into decision transformers (DTs) has generated significant attention in offline reinforcement learning (RL). These PLMs perform well in RL tasks, raising an intriguing question: what kind of knowledge from PLMs has been transferred to RL to achieve such good results? This work first dives into this problem by analyzing each head quantitatively and points out Markov head, a crucial component that exists in the attention heads of PLMs. It leads to extreme attention on the last-input token and performs well only in short-term environments. Furthermore, we prove that this extreme attention cannot be changed by re-training embedding layer or fine-tuning. Inspired by our analysis, we propose a general method GPT-DTMA, which equips a pretrained DT with Mixture of Attention (MoA), to enable adaptive learning and accommodate diverse attention requirements during fine-tuning. Extensive experiments demonstrate the effectiveness of GPT-DTMA: it achieves superior performance in short-term environments compared to baselines, significantly reduces the performance gap of PLMs in long-term scenarios, and the experimental results also validate our theorems. Wenhao Zhao, Qiushui Xu, Linjie Xu, Lei Song 0001, Chunlai Zhou, Jiang Bian 0002 |
ICML | 6 |
| 2025 | Explicit-Implicit Entity Alignment Method in Multi-modal Knowledge GraphsabstractMulti-modal entity alignment (MMEA) aims to find the equivalent entities between multi-modal knowledge graphs (MMKGs). Current MMEA methods follow the ''embed-fuse-compare'' paradigm and show decent performance improvements on several public datasets. However, this paradigm may fail to fully address inconsistencies across different modalities, resulting in instability and sub-optimal performance. In this paper, we propose a novel paradigm called ''embed-fuse-assign'', which transforms MMEA into a multi-modal assignment problem. First, we prove that multi-modal entity alignment can be turned into assignment problems and identify that obtaining correspondence scores is the crucial step. Then, we devise a novel Explicit and Implicit multi-modal Entity Alignment (EIEA) algorithm, which classifies modalities into explicit and implicit categories based on the need for joint neighborhood information, designs modality-specific embedding and correlation scoring mechanisms, and derives alignment results by integrating correspondences across all modalities. Finally, we introduce a conflict-aware soft pseudo-labeling method to further optimize semi-supervised learning for implicit modality. Extensive experiments have demonstrated that our proposed paradigm and algorithm achieve the state-of-the-art performance on five real-world MMEA datasets. The source code and datasets are released at https://github.com/Bubble-bubble77/EIEA. Chunlai Zhou, Biao Qin |
KDD (2) | 2 |
| 2024 | Prior and Prediction Inverse Kernel Transformer for Single Image Defocus DeblurringabstractDefocus blur, due to spatially-varying sizes and shapes, is hard to remove. Existing methods either are unable to effectively handle irregular defocus blur or fail to generalize well on other datasets. In this work, we propose a divide-and-conquer approach to tackling this issue, which gives rise to a novel end-to-end deep learning method, called prior-and-prediction inverse kernel transformer (P2IKT), for single image defocus deblurring. Since most defocus blur can be approximated as Gaussian blur or its variants, we construct an inverse Gaussian kernel module in our method to enhance its generalization ability. At the same time, an inverse kernel prediction module is introduced in order to flexibly address the irregular blur that cannot be approximated by Gaussian blur. We further design a scale recurrent transformer, which estimates mixing coefficients for adaptively combining the results from the two modules and runs the scale recurrent ``coarse-to-fine" procedure for progressive defocus deblurring. Extensive experimental results demonstrate that our P2IKT outperforms previous methods in terms of PSNR on multiple defocus deblurring datasets. Peng Tang 0004, Zhiqiang Xu 0003, Chunlai Zhou, Pengfei Wei 0001, Peng Han 0005, Xin Cao 0001, Tobias Lasser |
AAAI | 3 |
| 2024 | Pseudo-Label Calibration Semi-supervised Multi-Modal Entity AlignmentabstractMulti-modal entity alignment (MMEA) aims to identify equivalent entities between two multi-modal knowledge graphs for integration. Unfortunately, prior arts have attempted to improve the interaction and fusion of multi-modal information, which have overlooked the influence of modal-specific noise and the usage of labeled and unlabeled data in semi-supervised settings. In this work, we introduce a Pseudo-label Calibration Multi-modal Entity Alignment (PCMEA) in a semi-supervised way. Specifically, in order to generate holistic entity representations, we first devise various embedding modules and attention mechanisms to extract visual, structural, relational, and attribute features. Different from the prior direct fusion methods, we next propose to exploit mutual information maximization to filter the modal-specific noise and to augment modal-invariant commonality. Then, we combine pseudo-label calibration with momentum-based contrastive learning to make full use of the labeled and unlabeled data, which improves the quality of pseudo-label and pulls aligned entities closer. Finally, extensive experiments on two MMEA datasets demonstrate the effectiveness of our PCMEA, which yields state-of-the-art performance. Pengnian Qi, Xigang Bao, Chunlai Zhou, Biao Qin |
AAAI | 4 |
| 2024 | Locally Differentially Private In-Context LearningabstractLarge pretrained language models (LLMs) have shown surprising In-Context Learning (ICL) ability. An important application in deploying large language models is to augment LLMs with a private database for some specific task.The main problem with this promising commercial use is that LLMs have been shown to memorize their training data and their prompt data are vulnerable to membership inference attacks (MIA) and prompt leaking attacks. In order to deal with this problem, we treat LLMs as untrusted in privacy and propose a locally differentially private framework of in-context learning (LDP-ICL) in the settings where labels are sensitive. Considering the mechanisms of in-context learning in Transformers by gradient descent, we provide an analysis of the trade-off between privacy and utility in such LDP-ICL for classification. Moreover, we apply LDP-ICL to the discrete distribution estimation problem. In the end, we perform several experiments to demonstrate our analysis results Chunyan Zheng, Keke Sun, Wenhao Zhao, Lixing Jiang, Shaoyang Song, Chunlai Zhou |
LREC/COLING | 7 |
| 2024 | Generate Synthetic Text Approximating the Private Distribution with Differential Privacy
Wenhao Zhao, Shaoyang Song, Chunlai Zhou |
IJCAI | 3 |
| 2023 | Two Views of Constrained Differential Privacy: Belief Revision and UpdateabstractIn this paper, we provide two views of constrained differential private (DP) mechanisms. The first one is as belief revision. A constrained DP mechanism is obtained by standard probabilistic conditioning, and hence can be naturally implemented by Monte Carlo algorithms. The other is as belief update. A constrained DP is defined according to l2-distance minimization postprocessing or projection and hence can be naturally implemented by optimization algorithms. The main advantage of these two perspectives is that we can make full use of the machinery of belief revision and update to show basic properties for constrained differential privacy especially some important new composition properties. Within the framework established in this paper, constrained DP algorithms in the literature can be classified either as belief revision or belief update. At the end of the paper, we demonstrate their differences especially in utility on a couple of scenarios. Likang Liu, Keke Sun, Chunlai Zhou, Yuan Feng 0001 |
AAAI | 3 |
| 2023 | Maximizing the influence with κ-grouping constraint
Guoyao Rao, Deying Li 0001, Yongcai Wang, Wenping Chen, Chunlai Zhou, Yuqing Zhu 0002 |
Inf. Sci. | 5 |
| 2023 | Online conflict resolution: Algorithm design and analysis
Guoyao Rao, Deying Li 0001, Yongcai Wang, Wenping Chen, Chunlai Zhou, Yuqing Zhu 0002 |
Inf. Sci. | 5 |
| 2022 | Local Differential Privacy for Belief FunctionsabstractIn this paper, we propose two new definitions of local differential privacy for belief functions. One is based on Shafer’s semantics of randomly coded messages and the other from the perspective of imprecise probabilities. We show that such basic properties as composition and post-processing also hold for our new definitions. Moreover, we provide a hypothesis testing framework for these definitions and study the effect of "don’t know" in the trade-off between privacy and utility in discrete distribution estimation. Chunlai Zhou, Biao Qin |
AAAI | 2 |
| 2022 | The resilience of conjunctive queries with inequalities
Biao Qin, Deying Li 0001, Chunlai Zhou |
Inf. Sci. | 3 |
| 2020 | Basic Utility Theory for Belief Functions
Chunlai Zhou, Biao Qin, Deying Li 0001, Xiaoyong Du 0001 |
ECAI | 1 |
| 2018 | A Savage-style Utility Theory for Belief FunctionsabstractIn this paper, we provide an axiomatic justification for decision making with belief functions by studying the belief-function counterpart of Savage's Theorem where the state space is finite and the consequence set is a continuum [l, M] (l Chunlai Zhou, Biao Qin, Xiaoyong Du 0001 |
IJCAI | 1 |
| 2017 | Plato's Cave in the Dempster-Shafer land-the Link between Pignistic and Plausibility TransformationsabstractIn reasoning under uncertainty in AI, there are (at least) two useful and different ways of understanding beliefs: the first is as absolute belief or degree of belief in propositions and the second is as belief update or measure of change in belief. Pignistic and plausibility transformations are two well-known probability transformations that map belief functions to probability functions in the Dempster-Shafer theory of evidence. In this paper, we establish the link between pignistic and plausibility transformations by devising a belief-update framework for belief functions where plausibility transformation works on belief update while pignistic transformation operates on absolute belief. In this framework, we define a new belief-update operator connecting the two transformations, and interpret the framework in a belief-function model of parametric statistical inference. As a metaphor, these two transformations projecting the belief-update framework for belief functions to that for probabilities are likened to the fire projecting reality into shadows on the wall in Plato's cave. Chunlai Zhou, Biao Qin, Xiaoyong Du 0001 |
IJCAI | 1 |
| 2017 | The Total Belief Theorem
Chunlai Zhou, Fabio Cuzzolin |
UAI | 1 |
| 2015 | Extend Transferable Belief Models with Probabilistic Priors
Chunlai Zhou, Yuan Feng 0001 |
UAI | 1 |
| 2014 | Belief-Kinematics Jeffrey-s Rules in the Theory of Evidence
Chunlai Zhou, Biao Qin |
UAI | 1 |
| 2013 | Belief functions on distributive lattices
Chunlai Zhou |
Artif. Intell. | 1 |
| 2012 | Belief Functions on Distributive LatticesabstractThe Dempster-Shafer theory of belief functions is an important approach to deal with uncertainty in AI.In the theory, belief functions are defined on Boolean algebras of events. In many applications of belief functions in real world problems, however, the objects that we manipulateis no more a Boolean algebra but a distributive lattice. In this paper, we extend the Dempster-Shafer theory to the setting of distributive lattices, which has a mathematical theory as attractive as in that of Boolean algebras.Moreover, we apply this more general theory to a simple epistemic logic the first-degree-entailment fragment of relevance logic R, provide a sound and complete axiomatization for reasoning about belief functions for this logic and show that the complexity of the satisfiability problem of a belief formula with respect to the class of the corresponding Dempster-Shafer structures is NP-complete. Chunlai Zhou |
AAAI | 1 |
| 2012 | Approximating Markov processes through filtration
Chunlai Zhou, Mingsheng Ying |
Theor. Comput. Sci. | 1 |
| 2011 | Intuitive Probability Logic
Chunlai Zhou |
TAMC | 1 |
| 2009 | A Complete Deductive System for Probability LogicabstractIn this article, we provide a complete deductive system Σ+ for probability logic that is different from the systems by Fagin and Halpern and by Heifetz and Mongin in the literature. The most important principle of the axiomatization is an infinitary Archimedean rule (ARCH). Our proof of the completeness of Σ+ is in keeping with the Kripke-style proof of completeness in modal logic. With the Fourier–Motzkin elimination method, we show both the decidability and Moss's conjecture that the rule (ARCH) is essentially finitary. The perspective of this article is mainly logical. At the end, we point to some further research continuing this piece of work from a coalgebraic perspective. Chunlai Zhou |
J. Log. Comput. | 1 |