Related papers: Optimal Limited Contingency Planning
We consider the problem of reserving link capacity in a network in such a way that any of a given set of flow scenarios can be supported. In the optimal capacity reservation problem, we choose the reserved link capacities to minimize the…
It is well known that for any finite state Markov decision process (MDP) there is a memoryless deterministic policy that maximizes the expected reward. For partially observable Markov decision processes (POMDPs), optimal memoryless policies…
We present an algorithm that, given a representation of a road network in lane-level detail, computes a route that minimizes the expected cost to reach a given destination. In doing so, our algorithm allows us to solve for the complex…
Robots operate under significant uncertainty, from quantifiable noise to unquantifiable unknowns, and must account for strict operational constraints, such as limited resources. In this paper, we consider the problem of synthesizing robust…
Several concepts borrowed from graph theory are routinely used to better understand the inner workings of the (human) brain. To this end, a connectivity network of the brain is built first, which then allows one to assess quantities such as…
Markov decision processes (MDPs) are the defacto frame-work for sequential decision making in the presence ofstochastic uncertainty. A classical optimization criterion forMDPs is to maximize the expected discounted-sum pay-off, which…
This paper studies temporal planning in probabilistic environments, modeled as labeled Markov decision processes (MDPs), with user preferences over multiple temporal goals. Existing works reflect such preferences as a prioritized list of…
In many real-world decision problems there is partially observed, hidden or latent information that remains fixed throughout an interaction. Such decision problems can be modeled as Latent Markov Decision Processes (LMDPs), where a latent…
In this paper, we consider reinforcement learning of Markov Decision Processes (MDP) with peak constraints, where an agent chooses a policy to optimize an objective and at the same time satisfy additional constraints. The agent has to take…
Deciding which sensing capabilities to deploy on an agent in uncertain domains is a fundamental engineering challenge, in which one balances task achievability against the high costs of hardware and processing. This problem has previously…
In many operations management problems, we need to make decisions sequentially to minimize the cost while satisfying certain constraints. One modeling approach to study such problems is constrained Markov decision process (CMDP). When…
We introduce Option Kernel Bellman Equations (OKBEs) for a new reward-free Markov Decision Process. Rather than a value function, OKBEs directly construct and optimize a predictive map called a state-time option kernel (STOK) to maximize…
Consider a discrete-time system in which a centralized controller (CC) is tasked with assigning at each time interval (or slot) K resources (or servers) to K out of M>=K nodes. When assigned a server, a node can execute a task. The tasks…
In the policy making process a number of disparate and diverse issues such as economic development, environmental aspects, as well as the social acceptance of the policy, need to be considered. A single person might not have all the…
A large number of optimization algorithms have been developed by researchers to solve a variety of complex problems in operations management area. We present a novel optimization algorithm belonging to the class of swarm intelligence…
A standard objective in partially-observable Markov decision processes (POMDPs) is to find a policy that maximizes the expected discounted-sum payoff. However, such policies may still permit unlikely but highly undesirable outcomes, which…
We study optimal transmission strategies in interfering wireless networks, under Quality of Service constraints. A buffered, dynamic network with multiple sources is considered, and sources use a retransmission strategy in order to improve…
Constrained partially observable Markov decision processes (CPOMDPs) have been used to model various real-world phenomena. However, they are notoriously difficult to solve to optimality, and there exist only a few approximation methods for…
A new approach to solving a large class of factorable nonlinear programming (NLP) problems to global optimality is presented in this paper. Unlike the traditional strategy of partitioning the decision-variable space employed in many…
Online linear programming (OLP) has gained significant attention from both researchers and practitioners due to its extensive applications, such as online auction, network revenue management, order fulfillment and advertising. Existing OLP…