Related papers: A policy iteration algorithm for non-Markovian con…
A key problem in reinforcement learning for control with general function approximators (such as deep neural networks and other nonlinear functions) is that, for many algorithms employed in practice, updates to the policy or $Q$-function…
We consider the dynamic inventory problem with non-stationary demands. It has long been known that non-stationary (s, S) policies are optimal for this problem. However, finding optimal policy parameters remains a computational challenge as…
We present for the first time an asymptotic convergence analysis of two time-scale stochastic approximation driven by `controlled' Markov noise. In particular, both the faster and slower recursions have non-additive controlled Markov noise…
This paper investigates the optimal control problem for a class of discrete-time stochastic systems subject to additive and multiplicative noises. A stochastic Lyapunov equation and a stochastic algebra Riccati equation are established for…
We study an optimal control problem for the stochastic wave equation driven by affine multiplicative noise, formulated as a stochastic linear-quadratic (SLQ) problem. By applying a stochastic Pontryagin's maximum principle, we characterize…
We investigate constrained optimal control problems for linear stochastic dynamical systems evolving in discrete time. We consider minimization of an expected value cost over a finite horizon. Hard constraints are introduced first, and then…
In this paper we study a class of time-inconsistent terminal Markovian control problems in discrete time subject to model uncertainty. We combine the concept of the sub-game perfect strategies with the adaptive robust stochastic to tackle…
We propose a PDE-based accelerated gradient algorithm for optimal feedback controls of McKean-Vlasov dynamics that involve mean-field interactions both in the state and action. The method exploits a forward-backward splitting approach and…
Recent non-asymptotic analyses have substantially advanced the theory of distributional policy evaluation, but they largely concern synchronous full-state updates under a generative model, model-based estimators, accelerated variants, or…
We consider an optimal stochastic impulse control problem over an infinite time horizon motivated by a model of irreversible investment choices with fixed adjustment costs. By employing techniques of viscosity solutions and relying on…
An algorithm is proposed, analyzed, and tested experimentally for solving stochastic optimization problems in which the decision variables are constrained to satisfy equations defined by deterministic, smooth, and nonlinear functions. It is…
We propose a novel randomized linear programming algorithm for approximating the optimal policy of the discounted Markov decision problem. By leveraging the value-policy duality and binary-tree data structures, the algorithm adaptively…
This paper considers optimal control of dynamical systems which are represented by nonlinear stochastic differential equations. It is well-known that the optimal control policy for this problem can be obtained as a function of a value…
This paper presents a new fast and robust algorithm that provides fuel-optimal impulsive control input sequences that drive a linear time-variant system to a desired state at a specified time. This algorithm is applicable to a broad class…
This paper concerns discrete-time infinite-horizon stochastic control systems with Borel state and action spaces and universally measurable policies. We study optimization problems on strategic measures induced by the policies in these…
Optimal stopping is a fundamental class of stochastic dynamic optimization problems with numerous applications in finance and operations management. We introduce a new approach for solving computationally-demanding stochastic optimal…
Markov automata combine non-determinism, probabilistic branching, and exponentially distributed delays. This compositional variant of continuous-time Markov decision processes is used in reliability engineering, performance evaluation and…
Motivated by emerging applications in machine learning, we consider an optimization problem in a general form where the gradient of the objective function is available through a biased stochastic oracle. We assume a bias-control parameter…
Stochastic Optimal Control Problems (SOCPs) plays a major role in the sequential decision-making challenges. There exist various iterative algorithms, under framework of stochastic maximum principle, that sequentially find the optimal…
We introduce a class of models for multidimensional control problems which we call skip-free Markov decision processes on trees. We describe and analyse an algorithm applicable to Markov decision processes of this type that are skip-free in…