Adaptive inference through Bayesian and inverse Bayesian inference with symmetry bias in nonstationary environments

This study proposes the novel Bayesian and inverse Bayesian (BIB) inference framework that incorporates symmetry bias into the Bayesian updating process to perform both conventional and inverse Bayesian updates concurrently. Conventional Bayesian inference is constrained by a fundamental trade-off between adaptability to abrupt environmental changes and accuracy during stable periods. The BIB framework addresses this limitation by dynamically modulating the learning rate via inverse Bayesian updates, thereby enhancing adaptability. The BIB model was evaluated in a sequential estimation task involving observations drawn from a Gaussian distribution with a stochastically time-varying mean, where it exhibited spontaneous bursts in the learning rate during environmental transitions, transiently entering high-sensitivity states that facilitated rapid adaptation. This burst-relaxation dynamic serves as a mechanism for balancing adaptability and accuracy. Furthermore, avalanche analysis, detrended fluctuation analysis, and power spectral analysis revealed that the BIB system likely operates near a critical state-a property not observed in standard Bayesian inference. This suggests that the BIB model achieves a coexistence of computational efficiency and critical dynamics, resolving the adaptability-accuracy trade-off while maintaining scale-free behavior. These findings offer a new computational perspective on scale-free dynamics in natural systems. They also provide insights for the design of adaptive inference systems operating in nonstationary environments.