The function $f$ has bounded differences with coefficients $c_i$: changing the $i$-th coordinate of the input changes $f$ by at most $c_i$ in absolute value.
Instances For
The Hoeffding sub-Gaussian parameter $c^2/4$ associated with a bounded random variable of range $c$, packaged as a nonnegative real.
Instances For
The Doob martingale construction for a bounded-differences function: given independent $X_i$ and $f$ with bounded differences $c_i$, the martingale differences $Y_i$ satisfy $\sum_i Y_i = f(X) - \mathbb{E}[f(X)]$ and each $Y_{i+1}$ is conditionally sub-Gaussian with parameter $c_{i+1}^2/4$ given $\mathcal{F}_i$.
Upper-tail bounded differences inequality (Theorem 9.1.3): if $f$ has bounded differences $c_i$ on independent coordinates $X_1, \dots, X_n$, then $\mathbb{P}(f(X) - \mathbb{E}f(X) \geq t) \leq \exp(-2t^2 / \sum_i c_i^2)$.
Lower-tail bounded differences inequality (Theorem 9.1.3): if $f$ has bounded differences $c_i$, then $\mathbb{P}(f(X) - \mathbb{E}f(X) \leq -t) \leq \exp(-2t^2 / \sum_i c_i^2)$.
The two-sided bounded differences inequality (Theorem 9.1.3, McDiarmid): both tails $\mathbb{P}(|f(X) - \mathbb{E}f(X)| \geq t)$ are bounded by $\exp(-2t^2 / \sum_i c_i^2)$.
Bounded differences inequality with uniform constant $c_i = 1$ (Theorem 9.1.1): if $f$ is $1$-Lipschitz per coordinate, then $\mathbb{P}(f(X) - \mathbb{E}f(X) \geq t) \leq \exp(-2t^2/n)$.