# Strategic inputs: feature selection from game-theoretic perspective

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.24982 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2510.24982/

## Key facts

- No citing papers in the map yet (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 10 of its 21 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 28 Oct 2025.

## Builds on (most cited first, 10 of 10)

- [A Unified Approach to Interpreting Model Predictions](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1705.07874/) (2017)
- ["Why Should I Trust You?": Explaining the Predictions of Any Classifier](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1602.04938/) (2016)
- [Optuna: A Next-generation Hyperparameter Optimization Framework](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1907.10902/) (2019)
- [Revisiting Deep Learning Models for Tabular Data](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2106.11959/) (2021)
- [On Embeddings for Numerical Features in Tabular Deep Learning](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2203.05556/) (2022)
- [TabM: Advancing Tabular Deep Learning with Parameter-Efficient Ensembling](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2410.24210/) (2024)
- [TabReD: Analyzing Pitfalls and Filling the Gaps in Tabular Deep Learning Benchmarks](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2406.19380/) (2024)
- [Data-Efficient Learning via Clustering-Based Sensitivity Sampling: Foundation Models and Beyond](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.17327/) (2024)
- [ShapG: new feature importance method based on the Shapley value](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2407.00506/) (2024)
- [Centrality measures and opinion dynamics in two-layer networks with replica nodes](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2406.18780/) (2024)

## Abstract (arXiv)

The exponential growth of data volumes has led to escalating computational costs in machine learning model training. However, many features fail to contribute positively to model performance while consuming substantial computational resources. This paper presents an end-to-end feature selection framework for tabular data based on game theory. We formulate feature selection procedure based on a cooperative game where features are modeled as players, and their importance is determined through the evaluation of synergistic interactions and marginal contributions. The proposed framework comprises four core components: sample selection, game-theoretic feature importance evaluation, redundant feature elimination, and optimized model training. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method achieves substantial computation reduction while preserving predictive performance, thereby offering an efficient solution of the computational challenges of large-scale machine learning. The source code is available at https://github.com/vectorsss/strategy_inputs.