Discover Local Causal Network around a Target to a Given Depth

For a given target node T and a given depth k ≥ 1, we propose an algorithm for discovering a local causal network around the target T to depth k. In our algorithm, we find parents, children and some descendants (PCD) of nodes stepwise away from the target T until all edges within the depth k local network cannot be oriented further. Our algorithm extends the PCD-by-PCD algorithm for prediction with intervention presented in Yin et al. (2008). Our algorithm can construct a local network to depth k, has a more efficient stop rule and finds PCDs along some but not all paths starting from the target.