# Optimal Survival Trees

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2012.04284 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2012.04284/

## Key facts

- Cited by 12 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 8 Dec 2020.

## Built on by (most cited first, 12 of 12)

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- [Explainable Predictive Maintenance: A Survey of Current Methods, Challenges and Opportunities](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2401.07871/) (2024)
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- [Interpretable Predictive Maintenance for Hard Drives](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2102.06509/) (2021)
- [A machine learning framework for interpretable predictions in patient pathways: The case of predicting ICU admission for patients with symptoms of sepsis](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2405.13187/) (2024)
- [FastSurvival: Hidden Computational Blessings in Training Cox Proportional Hazards Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2410.19081/) (2024)
- [A novel gradient-based method for decision trees optimizing arbitrary differential loss functions](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2503.17855/) (2025)
- [Enhanced Survival Trees](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2509.18494/) (2025)
- [The Graph-Embedded Hazard Model (GEHM): Stochastic Network Survival Dynamics on Economic Graphs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2512.14705/) (2025)
- [Subgroup Discovery with the Cox Model](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2512.20762/) (2025)
- [Discovering Subgroups with Exceptional Survival Characteristics](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2602.22179/) (2026)
- [Robustifying and Selecting Cohort-Appropriate Prognostic Models under Distributional Shifts](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2604.16537/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Tree-based models are increasingly popular due to their ability to identify complex relationships that are beyond the scope of parametric models. Survival tree methods adapt these models to allow for the analysis of censored outcomes, which often appear in medical data. We present a new Optimal Survival Trees algorithm that leverages mixed-integer optimization (MIO) and local search techniques to generate globally optimized survival tree models. We demonstrate that the OST algorithm improves on the accuracy of existing survival tree methods, particularly in large datasets.