Private Identity Testing for High-Dimensional Distributions

Abstract: In this work we present novel differentially private identity (goodness-of-fit) testers for natural and widely studied classes of multivariate product distributions: Gaussians in $\mathbb{R}^d$ with known covariance and product distributions over ${\pm 1}^{d}$. Our testers have improved sample complexity compared to those derived from previous techniques, and are the first testers whose sample complexity matches the order-optimal minimax sample complexity of $O(d^{1/2}/\alpha^2)$ in many parameter regimes. We construct two types of testers, exhibiting tradeoffs between sample complexity and computational complexity. Finally, we provide a two-way reduction between testing a subclass of multivariate product distributions and testing univariate distributions, and thereby obtain upper and lower bounds for testing this subclass of product distributions.