Stab-GKnock: Controlled variable selection for partially linear models using generalized knockoffs

Abstract

The recently proposed fixed-X knockoff is a powerful variable selection procedure that controls the false discovery rate (FDR) in any finite-sample setting, yet its theoretical insights are difficult to show beyond Gaussian linear models. In this paper, we make the first attempt to extend the fixed-X knockoff to partially linear models by using generalized knockoff features, and propose a new stability generalized knockoff (Stab-GKnock) procedure by incorporating selection probability as feature importance score. We provide FDR control and power guarantee under some regularity conditions. In addition, we propose a two-stage method under high dimensionality by introducing a new joint feature screening procedure, with guaranteed sure screening property. Extensive simulation studies are conducted to evaluate the finite-sample performance of the proposed method. A real data example is also provided for illustration.