Related papers: KL-learning: Online solution of Kullback-Leibler c…
We reformulate a class of non-linear stochastic optimal control problems introduced by Todorov (2007) as a Kullback-Leibler (KL) minimization problem. As a result, the optimal control computation reduces to an inference computation and…
This paper considers an online (real-time) control problem that involves an agent performing a discrete-time random walk over a finite state space. The agent's action at each time step is to specify the probability distribution for the next…
Kullback-Leibler (KL) control enables efficient numerical methods for nonlinear optimal control problems. The crucial assumption of KL control is the full controllability of the transition distribution. However, this assumption is often…
Kullback Leibler (KL) control problems allow for efficient computation of optimal control by solving a principal eigenvector problem. However, direct applicability of such framework to continuous state-action systems is limited. In this…
We present two nonparametric approaches to Kullback-Leibler (KL) control, or linearly-solvable Markov decision problem (LMDP) based on Gaussian processes (GP) and Nystr\"{o}m approximation. Compared to recently developed parametric methods,…
We consider the problem of stochastic optimal control, where the state-feedback control policies take the form of a probability distribution and where a penalty on the entropy is added. By viewing the cost function as a Kullback- Leibler…
We consider model-based reinforcement learning in finite Markov De- cision Processes (MDPs), focussing on so-called optimistic strategies. In MDPs, optimism can be implemented by carrying out extended value it- erations under a constraint…
This paper proposes an agent-based optimistic policy iteration (OPI) scheme for learning stationary optimal stochastic policies in multi-agent Markov Decision Processes (MDPs), in which agents incur a Kullback-Leibler (KL) divergence cost…
This paper addresses a new interpretation of the traditional optimization method in reinforcement learning (RL) as optimization problems using reverse Kullback-Leibler (KL) divergence, and derives a new optimization method using forward KL…
Derivative based optimization methods are efficient at solving optimal control problems near local optima. However, their ability to converge halts when derivative information vanishes. The inference approach to optimal control does not…
This paper presents approaches to mean-field control, motivated by distributed control of multi-agent systems. Control solutions are based on a convex optimization problem, whose domain is a convex set of probability mass functions (pmfs).…
Accelerated algorithms for maximum likelihood image reconstruction are essential for emerging applications such as 3D tomography, dynamic tomographic imaging, and other high dimensional inverse problems. In this paper, we introduce and…
Sampling-based model predictive control (MPC) has the potential for use in a wide variety of robotic systems. However, its unstable updates and poor convergence render it unsuitable for real-time control of robotic systems. This study…
We consider Markov Decision Problems defined over continuous state and action spaces, where an autonomous agent seeks to learn a map from its states to actions so as to maximize its long-term discounted accumulation of rewards. We address…
The objective in this paper is to obtain fast converging reinforcement learning algorithms to approximate solutions to the problem of discounted cost optimal stopping in an irreducible, uniformly ergodic Markov chain, evolving on a compact…
We study the estimation of risk-sensitive policies in reinforcement learning problems defined by a Markov Decision Process (MDPs) whose state and action spaces are countably finite. Prior efforts are predominately afflicted by computational…
We study a Q learning algorithm for continuous time stochastic control problems. The proposed algorithm uses the sampled state process by discretizing the state and control action spaces under piece-wise constant control processes. We show…
Many of the recent trajectory optimization algorithms alternate between linear approximation of the system dynamics around the mean trajectory and conservative policy update. One way of constraining the policy change is by bounding the…
In this paper, we provide a novel algorithm for solving planning and learning problems of Markov decision processes. The proposed algorithm follows a policy iteration-type update by using a rank-one approximation of the transition…
We develop a stochastic approximation-type algorithm to solve finite state/action, infinite-horizon, risk-aware Markov decision processes. Our algorithm has two loops. The inner loop computes the risk by solving a stochastic saddle-point…