A Generative Approach to Quasi-Random Sampling from Copulas via Space-Filling Designs

arXiv stat.ML / 4/9/2026

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Key Points

  • The paper proposes a quasi-random sampling method for copulas that enables feasible sampling for essentially any copula structure, addressing a key limitation of existing computational approaches.
  • It uses GAN-based generative modeling combined with space-filling designs to learn a mapping from low-dimensional uniform inputs to high-dimensional copula structures and then produce quasi-random samples.
  • Experiments and risk-management implementations indicate improved sampling accuracy and computational efficiency, especially in high-dimensional settings with limited data.
  • The authors provide convergence-rate theory for quasi-Monte Carlo estimators, including rigorous upper bounds on bias and variance.
  • Overall, the framework aims to make copula sampling more broadly usable by integrating generative AI methods with space-filling quasi-random design principles.

Abstract

Exploring the dependence between covariates across distributions is crucial for many applications. Copulas serve as a powerful tool for modeling joint variable dependencies and have been effectively applied in various practical contexts due to their intuitive properties. However, existing computational methods lack the capability for feasible inference and sampling of any copula, preventing their widespread use. This paper introduces an innovative quasi-random sampling approach for copulas, utilizing generative adversarial networks (GANs) and space-filling designs. The proposed framework constructs a direct mapping from low-dimensional uniform distributions to high-dimensional copula structures using GANs, and generates quasi-random samples for any copula structure from points set of space-filling designs. In the high-dimensional situations with limited data, the proposed approach significantly enhances sampling accuracy and computational efficiency compared to existing methods. Additionally, we develop convergence rate theory for quasi-Monte Carlo estimators, providing rigorous upper bounds for bias and variance. Both simulated experiments and practical implementations, particularly in risk management, validate the proposed method and showcase its superiority over existing alternatives.