针对基于查询表的Dyna优化算法在大规模状态空间中收敛速度慢、环境模型难以表征以及对变化环境的学习滞后性等问题,提出一种新的基于近似模型表示的启发式Dyna优化算法(a heuristic Dyna optimization algorithm using approximate model representation,HDyna-AMR),其利用线性函数近似逼近Q值函数,采用梯度下降方法求解最优值函数.HDyna-AMR算法可以分为学习阶段和规划阶段.在学习阶段,利用agent与环境的交互样本近似表示环境模型并记录特征出现频率;在规划阶段,基于近似环境模型进行值函数的规划学习,并根据模型逼近过程中记录的特征出现频率设定额外奖赏.从理论的角度证明了HDyna-AMR的收敛性.将算法用于扩展的Boyan chain问题和Mountain car问题.实验结果表明,HDyna-AMR在离散状态空间和连续状态空间问题中能学习到最优策略,同时与Dyna-LAPS(Dyna-style planning with linear approximation and prioritized sweeping)和Sarsa(λ)相比,HDyna-AMR具有收敛速度快以及对变化环境的近似模型修正及时的优点.
The main challenge in the area of reinforcement learning is scaling up to larger and more complex problems. Aiming at the scaling problem of reinforcement learning, a scalable reinforcement learning method, DCS-SRL, is proposed on the basis of divide-and-conquer strategy, and its convergence is proved. In this method, the learning problem in large state space or continuous state space is decomposed into multiple smaller subproblems. Given a specific learning algorithm, each subproblem can be solved independently with limited available resources. In the end, component solutions can be recombined to obtain the desired result. To ad- dress the question of prioritizing subproblems in the scheduler, a weighted priority scheduling algorithm is proposed. This scheduling algorithm ensures that computation is focused on regions of the problem space which are expected to be maximally productive. To expedite the learning process, a new parallel method, called DCS-SPRL, is derived from combining DCS-SRL with a parallel scheduling architecture. In the DCS-SPRL method, the subproblems will be distributed among processors that have the capacity to work in parallel. The experimental results show that learning based on DCS-SPRL has fast convergence speed and good scalability.
