Related papers: Accelerating Value Iteration with Anchoring

Algorithmic analysis of Markov decision processes (MDP) and stochastic games (SG) in practice relies on value-iteration (VI) algorithms. Since basic VI does not provide guarantees on the precision of the result, variants of VI have been…

In this paper, we study risk-sensitive Reinforcement Learning (RL), focusing on the objective of Conditional Value at Risk (CVaR) with risk tolerance $\tau$. Starting with multi-arm bandits (MABs), we show the minimax CVaR regret rate is…

We introduce a unified framework for iterative reasoning that leverages non-Euclidean geometry via Bregman divergences, higher-order operator averaging, and adaptive feedback mechanisms. Our analysis establishes that, under mild smoothness…

Reinforcement Learning with Verifiable Rewards (RLVR) has become the leading paradigm for enhancing reasoning in Large Language Models (LLMs). However, standard RLVR algorithms suffer from a well-documented pathology: while they improve…

In this paper, we propose the first continuous optimization algorithms that achieve a constant factor approximation guarantee for the problem of monotone continuous submodular maximization subject to a linear constraint. We first prove that…

When faced with a novel scenario, it can be hard to succeed on the first attempt. In these challenging situations, it is important to know how to retry quickly and meaningfully. Retrying behavior can emerge naturally in robots trained on…

This paper considers online optimization of a renewal-reward system. A controller performs a sequence of tasks back-to-back. Each task has a random vector of parameters, called the task type vector, that affects the task processing options…

We introduce an iterative optimization scheme for convex objectives consisting of a linear loss and a non-separable penalty, based on the expectation-consistent approximation and the vector approximate message-passing (VAMP) algorithm.…

Although there is an extensive body of work characterizing the sample complexity of discounted-return offline RL with function approximations, prior work on the average-reward setting has received significantly less attention, and existing…

We study the reinforcement learning problem for discounted Markov Decision Processes (MDPs) under the tabular setting. We propose a model-based algorithm named UCBVI-$\gamma$, which is based on the \emph{optimism in the face of uncertainty…

The optimal execution problem has always been a continuously focused research issue, and many reinforcement learning (RL) algorithms have been studied. In this article, we consider the execution problem of targeting the volume weighted…

This paper develops an online inverse reinforcement learning algorithm aimed at efficiently recovering a reward function from ongoing observations of an agent's actions. To reduce the computation time and storage space in reward estimation,…

This paper introduces novel Bellman mappings (B-Maps) for value iteration (VI) in distributed reinforcement learning (DRL), where agents are deployed over an undirected, connected graph/network with arbitrary topology -- but without a…

This paper deals with a new accelerated path integral method, which iteratively searches optimal controls with a small number of iterations. This study is based on the recent observations that a path integral method for reinforcement…

We study the problem of optimal state-feedback tracking control for unknown discrete-time deterministic systems with input constraints. To handle input constraints, state-of-art methods utilize a certain nonquadratic stage cost function,…

We propose Acc-Sinkhorn, a simple accelerated variant of Sinkhorn for entropy-regularized optimal transport (EOT). The method is derived from a bilevel optimization view: Sinkhorn row scaling solves the inner variable $u$ exactly and…

Most of reinforcement learning algorithms optimize the discounted criterion which is beneficial to accelerate the convergence and reduce the variance of estimates. Although the discounted criterion is appropriate for certain tasks such as…

In this paper, we provide two new stable online algorithms for the problem of prediction in reinforcement learning, \emph{i.e.}, estimating the value function of a model-free Markov reward process using the linear function approximation…

We consider the application of the type-I Anderson acceleration to solving general non-smooth fixed-point problems. By interleaving with safe-guarding steps, and employing a Powell-type regularization and a re-start checking for strong…

We propose a risk-averse statistical learning framework wherein the performance of a learning algorithm is evaluated by the conditional value-at-risk (CVaR) of losses rather than the expected loss. We devise algorithms based on stochastic…