jmlr jmlr2010 jmlr2010-79 jmlr2010-79-reference knowledge-graph by maker-knowledge-mining

79 jmlr-2010-Near-optimal Regret Bounds for Reinforcement Learning


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Author: Thomas Jaksch, Ronald Ortner, Peter Auer

Abstract: For undiscounted reinforcement learning in Markov decision processes (MDPs) we consider the total regret of a learning algorithm with respect to an optimal policy. In order to describe the transition structure of an MDP we propose a new parameter: An MDP has diameter D if for any pair of states s, s′ there is a policy which moves from s to s′ in at most D steps (on average). √ ˜ We present a reinforcement learning algorithm with total regret O(DS AT ) after T steps for any unknown MDP with S states, A actions per state, and diameter D. A corresponding lower bound of √ Ω( DSAT ) on the total regret of any learning algorithm is given as well. These results are complemented by a sample complexity bound on the number of suboptimal steps taken by our algorithm. This bound can be used to achieve a (gap-dependent) regret bound that is logarithmic in T . Finally, we also consider a setting where the MDP is allowed to change a fixed number of ℓ times. We present a modification of our algorithm that is able to deal with this setting and show a √ ˜ regret bound of O(ℓ1/3 T 2/3 DS A). Keywords: undiscounted reinforcement learning, Markov decision process, regret, online learning, sample complexity


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