General sample size analysis for probabilities of causation: a delta method approach

• URL: http://arxiv.org/abs/2602.17070v1
• Date: Thu, 19 Feb 2026 04:25:36 GMT
• Title: General sample size analysis for probabilities of causation: a delta method approach
• Authors: Tianyuan Cheng, Ruirui Mao, Judea Pearl, Ang Li,
• Abstract summary: We propose a general sample size framework based on the delta method.<n>Our approach applies to settings in which the target bounds of PoCs can be expressed as finite minima or maxima of linear combinations of experimental and observational probabilities.
• Score: 12.153332840370998
• License: http://arxiv.org/licenses/nonexclusive-distrib/1.0/
• Abstract: Probabilities of causation (PoCs), such as the probability of necessity and sufficiency (PNS), are important tools for decision making but are generally not point identifiable. Existing work has derived bounds for these quantities using combinations of experimental and observational data. However, there is very limited research on sample size analysis, namely, how many experimental and observational samples are required to achieve a desired margin of error. In this paper, we propose a general sample size framework based on the delta method. Our approach applies to settings in which the target bounds of PoCs can be expressed as finite minima or maxima of linear combinations of experimental and observational probabilities. Through simulation studies, we demonstrate that the proposed sample size calculations lead to stable estimation of these bounds.

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