Application of reinforcement learning for agent-based production scheduling

Reinforcement learning (RL) has received some attention in recent years from agent-based researchers because it deals with the problem of how an autonomous agent can learn to select proper actions for achieving its goals through interacting with its environment. Although there have been several successful examples demonstrating the usefulness of RL, its application to manufacturing systems has not been fully explored yet. In this paper, Q-learning, a popular RL algorithm, is applied to a single machine dispatching rule selection problem. This paper investigates the application potential of Q-learning, a widely used RL algorithm to a dispatching rule selection problem on a single machine to determine if it can be used to enable a single machine agent to learn commonly accepted dispatching rules for three example cases in which the best dispatching rules have been previously defined. This study provided encouraging results that show the potential of RL for application to agent-based production scheduling.     

基于强化学习的数据驱动最优镇定控制及仿真

利用Q-学习算法,针对模型未知只有数据可用的非线性被控对象,解决最优镇定控制问题.由于状态空间和控制空间的连续性,Q-学习只能以近似的方式实现.因此,文中提出的近似Q-学习算法只能获得一个次优控制器.尽管求得的控制器只是次优,但是仿真研究表明,对于强非线性被控对象,相比线性二次型调节器和深度确定性梯度下降方法,文中方法的闭环吸引域更宽广,实际指标函数也更小.     

基于状态回溯代价分析的启发式Q学习

由于强化学习算法动作策略学习比较费时,提出一种基于状态回溯的启发式强化学习方法.分析强化学习过程中重复状态,通过比较状态回溯过程中重复动作的选择策略,引入代价函数描述重复动作的重要性.结合动作奖赏及动作代价提出一种新的启发函数定义.该启发函数在强调动作重要性以加快学习速度的同时,基于代价函数计算动作选择的代价以减少不必要的探索,从而平稳地提高学习效率.对基于代价函数的动作选择策略进行证明.建立两种仿真场景,将算法用于机器人路径规划的仿真实验.实验结果表明基于状态回溯的启发式强化学习方法能平衡考虑获得的奖赏及付出的代价,有效提高Q学习的收敛速度.     

增强Q学习在非确定马尔可夫系统寻优问题中的应用

增强学习属于机器学习的一种,它通过与环境的交互获得策略的改进,其在线学习和自适应学习的特点使其成为解决策略寻优问题有力的工具。多智能体系统是人工智能领域的一个研究热点,对于多智能体学习技术的研究需要建立在系统环境模型的基础之上,由于多个智能体的存在,智能体之间的相互影响使得多智能体系统高度复杂,多智能体系统环境属于非确定马尔可夫模型,因此直接把基于马尔可夫模型的增强学习技术引入多智能体系统是不合适的。论文基于智能体间独立的学习机制,提出了一种改进的多智能体Q学习算法,使其适用于非确定马尔可夫环境,并对该学习技术在多智能体系统RoboCup中的应用进行了研究,实验证明了该学习技术的有效性与泛化能力,最后简要给出了多智能体增强学习研究的方向及进一步的工作。     

Preference-based reinforcement learning: a formal framework and a policy iteration algorithm

This paper makes a first step toward the integration of two subfields of machine learning, namely preference learning and reinforcement learning (RL). An important motivation for a preference-based approach to reinforcement learning is the observation that in many real-world domains, numerical feedback signals are not readily available, or are defined arbitrarily in order to satisfy the needs of conventional RL algorithms. Instead, we propose an alternative framework for reinforcement learning, in which qualitative reward signals can be directly used by the learner. The framework may be viewed as a generalization of the conventional RL framework in which only a partial order between policies is required instead of the total order induced by their respective expected long-term reward. Therefore, building on novel methods for preference learning, our general goal is to equip the RL agent with qualitative policy models, such as ranking functions that allow for sorting its available actions from most to least promising, as well as algorithms for learning such models from qualitative feedback. As a proof of concept, we realize a first simple instantiation of this framework that defines preferences based on utilities observed for trajectories. To that end, we build on an existing method for approximate policy iteration based on roll-outs. While this approach is based on the use of classification methods for generalization and policy learning, we make use of a specific type of preference learning method called label ranking. Advantages of preference-based approximate policy iteration are illustrated by means of two case studies.     

Software Agent with Reinforcement Learning Approach for Medical Image Segmentation

Many image segmentation solutions are problem-based. Medical images have very similar grey level and texture among the interested objects. Therefore, medical image segmentation requires improvements although there have been researches done since the last few decades. We design a self-learning framework to extract several objects of interest simultaneously from Computed Tomography (CT) images. Our segmentation method has a learning phase that is based on reinforcement learning (RL) system. Each RL agent works on a particular sub-image of an input image to find a suitable value for each object in it. The RL system is define by state, action and reward. We defined some actions for each state in the sub-image. A reward function computes reward for each action of the RL agent. Finally, the valuable information, from discovering all states of the interest objects, will be stored in a Q-matrix and the final result can be applied in segmentation of similar images. The experimental results for cranial CT images demonstrated segmentation accuracy above 95%.     

Continuous-action reinforcement learning with fast policy search and adaptive basis function selection

As an important approach to solving complex sequential decision problems, reinforcement learning (RL) has been widely studied in the community of artificial intelligence and machine learning. However, the generalization ability of RL is still an open problem and it is difficult for existing RL algorithms to solve Markov decision problems (MDPs) with both continuous state and action spaces. In this paper, a novel RL approach with fast policy search and adaptive basis function selection, which is called Continuous-action Approximate Policy Iteration (CAPI), is proposed for RL in MDPs with both continuous state and action spaces. In CAPI, based on the value functions estimated by temporal-difference learning, a fast policy search technique is suggested to search for optimal actions in continuous spaces, which is computationally efficient and easy to implement. To improve the generalization ability and learning efficiency of CAPI, two adaptive basis function selection methods are developed so that sparse approximation of value functions can be obtained efficiently both for linear function approximators and kernel machines. Simulation results on benchmark learning control tasks with continuous state and action spaces show that the proposed approach not only can converge to a near-optimal policy in a few iterations but also can obtain comparable or even better performance than Sarsa-learning, and previous approximate policy iteration methods such as LSPI and KLSPI.     

多Agent协作的强化学习模型和算法

结合强化学习技术讨论了多Agent协作学习的过程,构造了一个新的多Agent协作学习模型。在这个模型的基础上,提出一个多Agent协作学习算法。算法充分考虑了多Agent共同学习的特点,使得Agent基于对动作长期利益的估计来预测其动作策略,并做出相应的决策,进而达成最优的联合动作策略。最后,通过对猎人。猎物追逐问题的仿真试验验证了该算法的收敛性,表明这种学习算法是一种高效、快速的学习方法。     

Minimizing mean weighted tardiness in unrelated parallel machine scheduling with reinforcement learning

We address an unrelated parallel machine scheduling problem with R-learning, an average-reward reinforcement learning (RL) method. Different types of jobs dynamically arrive in independent Poisson processes. Thus the arrival time and the due date of each job are stochastic. We convert the scheduling problems into RL problems by constructing elaborate state features, actions, and the reward function. The state features and actions are defined fully utilizing prior domain knowledge. Minimizing the reward per decision time step is equivalent to minimizing the schedule objective, i.e. mean weighted tardiness. We apply an on-line R-learning algorithm with function approximation to solve the RL problems. Computational experiments demonstrate that R-learning learns an optimal or near-optimal policy in a dynamic environment from experience and outperforms four effective heuristic priority rules (i.e. WSPT, WMDD, ATC and WCOVERT) in all test problems.     

基于高斯回归的连续空间多智能体跟踪学习

提高适应性、实现连续空间的泛化、降低维度是实现多智能体强化学习（Multi-agent reinforcement learning,MARL）在连续系统中应用的几个关键. 针对上述需求,本文提出连续多智能体系统（Multi-agent systems,MAS）环境下基于模型的智能体跟踪式学习机制和算法（MAS MBRL-CPT）.以学习智能体适应同伴策略为出发点,通过定义个体期望即时回报,将智能体对同伴策略的观测融入环境交互效果中,并运用随机逼近实现个体期望即时回报的在线学习.定义降维的Q函数,在降低学习空间维度的同时,建立MAS环境下智能体跟踪式学习的Markov决策过程（Markov decision process,MDP）.在运用高斯回归建立状态转移概率模型的基础上,实现泛化样本集Q值函数的在线动态规划求解.基于离散样本集Q函数运用高斯回归建立值函数和策略的泛化模型. MAS MBRL-CPT在连续空间Multi-cart-pole控制系统的仿真实验表明,算法能够使学习智能体在系统动力学模型和同伴策略未知的条件下,实现适应性协作策略的学习,具有学习效率高、泛化能力强等特点.     

多代理模糊收益及策略学习

本文研究了基于模糊知识的多代理决策问题。通过建立代理决策目标的模糊知识,我们给出了基于模糊收益的多代理决策模型,并研究了基于梯度的代理策略学习算法。     

可重入生产系统的平均报酬型强化学习调度

在可重入生产系统中,一个重要的问题就是对调度策略进行优化,以提高系统平均输出率.本文采用了一种平均报酬型强化学习算法来解决该问题,直接从所关心的系统品质出发,自动获得具有自适应性 的动态调度策略.仿真结果表明,其性能优于两种熟知的优先权调度策略.     

Robust reinforcement learning

This letter proposes a new reinforcement learning (RL) paradigm that explicitly takes into account input disturbance as well as modeling errors. The use of environmental models in RL is quite popular for both offline learning using simulations and for online action planning. However, the difference between the model and the real environment can lead to unpredictable, and often unwanted, results. Based on the theory of H(infinity) control, we consider a differential game in which a "disturbing" agent tries to make the worst possible disturbance while a "control" agent tries to make the best control input. The problem is formulated as finding a min-max solution of a value function that takes into account the amount of the reward and the norm of the disturbance. We derive online learning algorithms for estimating the value function and for calculating the worst disturbance and the best control in reference to the value function. We tested the paradigm, which we call robust reinforcement learning (RRL), on the control task of an inverted pendulum. In the linear domain, the policy and the value function learned by online algorithms coincided with those derived analytically by the linear H(infinity) control theory. For a fully nonlinear swing-up task, RRL achieved robust performance with changes in the pendulum weight and friction, while a standard reinforcement learning algorithm could not deal with these changes. We also applied RRL to the cart-pole swing-up task, and a robust swing-up policy was acquired.     

Ensemble Algorithms in Reinforcement Learning

This paper describes several ensemble methods that combine multiple different reinforcement learning (RL) algorithms in a single agent. The aim is to enhance learning speed and final performance by combining the chosen actions or action probabilities of different RL algorithms. We designed and implemented four different ensemble methods combining the following five different RL algorithms: $Q$ -learning, Sarsa, actor–critic (AC), $QV$-learning, and AC learning automaton. The intuitively designed ensemble methods, namely, majority voting (MV), rank voting, Boltzmann multiplication (BM), and Boltzmann addition, combine the policies derived from the value functions of the different RL algorithms, in contrast to previous work where ensemble methods have been used in RL for representing and learning a single value function. We show experiments on five maze problems of varying complexity; the first problem is simple, but the other four maze tasks are of a dynamic or partially observable nature. The results indicate that the BM and MV ensembles significantly outperform the single RL algorithms.      

A self-adaptive agent-based fuzzy-neural scheduling system for a wafer fabrication factory

A self-adaptive agent-based fuzzy-neural system is constructed in this study to enhance the performance of scheduling jobs in a wafer fabrication factory. The system integrates dispatching, performance evaluation and reporting, and scheduling policy optimization. Unlike in the past studies a single pre-determined scheduling algorithm is used for all agents, in this study every agent develops and modifies its own scheduling algorithm to adapt it to the local conditions. To stabilize the performance of the self-adaptive agent-based fuzzy-neural scheduling system, some treatments have also been taken. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology and to make comparison with some existing approaches, production simulation is also applied in this study to generate some test data. According to experimental results, the self-adaptive agent-based fuzzy-neural system did improve the performance of scheduling jobs in the simulated wafer fabrication factory, especially with respect to the average cycle time and cycle time standard deviation.     

ADAPTIVE MODEL LEARNING BASED ON DYNA-Q LEARNING

Dyna-Q, a well-known model-based reinforcement learning (RL) method, interplays offline simulations and action executions to update Q functions. It creates a world model that predicts the feature values in the next state and the reward function of the domain directly from the data and uses the model to train Q functions to accelerate policy learning. In general, tabular methods are always used in Dyna-Q to establish the model, but a tabular model needs many more samples of experience to approximate the environment concisely. In this article, an adaptive model learning method based on tree structures is presented to enhance sampling efficiency in modeling the world model. The proposed method is to produce simulated experiences for indirect learning. Thus, the proposed agent has additional experience for updating the policy. The agent works backwards from collections of state transition and associated rewards, utilizing coarse coding to learn their definitions for the region of state space that tracks back to the precedent states. The proposed method estimates the reward and transition probabilities between states from past experience. Because the resultant tree is always concise and small, the agent can use value iteration to quickly estimate the Q-values of each action in the induced states and determine a policy. The effectiveness and generality of our method is further demonstrated in two numerical simulations. Two simulations, a mountain car and a mobile robot in a maze, are used to verify the proposed methods. The simulation result demonstrates that the training rate of our method can improve obviously.     

分层强化学习综述

强化学习（reinforcement learning）是机器学习和人工智能领域的重要分支,近年来受到社会各界和企业的广泛关注。强化学习算法要解决的主要问题是,智能体如何直接与环境进行交互来学习策略。但是当状态空间维度增加时,传统的强化学习方法往往面临着维度灾难,难以取得好的学习效果。分层强化学习（hierarchical reinforcement learning）致力于将一个复杂的强化学习问题分解成几个子问题并分别解决,可以取得比直接解决整个问题更好的效果。分层强化学习是解决大规模强化学习问题的潜在途径,然而其受到的关注不高。本文将介绍和回顾分层强化学习的几大类方法。     

一种基于动态参数调整的强化学习动作选择机制

强化学习是一种重要的无监督机器学习技术,它能够利用不确定的环境下的奖赏发现最优的行为序列,实现动态环境下的在线学习,被广泛地应用到Agent系统当中。应用强化学习算法的难点之一就是如何平衡强化学习当中探索和利用之间的关系,即如何进行动作选择。结合Q学习在ε-greedy策略基础上引入计数器,从而使动作选择时的参数ε能够分阶段进行调整,从而更好地平衡探索和利用间的关系。通过对方格世界的实验仿真,证明了方法的有效性。     

一种基于自生成样本学习的奖赏塑形方法

强化学习通过从以往的决策反馈中学习,使Agent 做出正确的短期决策,以最大化其获得的累积奖赏值.以往研究发现,奖赏塑形方法通过提供简单、易学的奖赏替代函数(即奖赏塑性函数)来替换真实的环境奖赏,能够有效地提高强化学习性能.然而奖赏塑形函数通常是在领域知识或者最优策略示例的基础上建立的,均需要专家参与,代价高昂.研究是否可以在强化学习过程中自动地学习有效的奖赏塑形函数.通常,强化学习算法在学习过程中会采集大量样本.这些样本虽然有很多是失败的尝试,但对构造奖赏塑形函数可能提供有用信息.提出了针对奖赏塑形的新型最优策略不变条件,并在此基础上提出了RFPotential 方法,从自生成样本中学习奖赏塑形.在多个强化学习算法和问题上进行了实验,其结果表明,该方法可以加速强化学习过程.     

Transfer in variable-reward hierarchical reinforcement learning

Transfer learning seeks to leverage previously learned tasks to achieve faster learning in a new task. In this paper, we consider transfer learning in the context of related but distinct Reinforcement Learning (RL) problems. In particular, our RL problems are derived from Semi-Markov Decision Processes (SMDPs) that share the same transition dynamics but have different reward functions that are linear in a set of reward features. We formally define the transfer learning problem in the context of RL as learning an efficient algorithm to solve any SMDP drawn from a fixed distribution after experiencing a finite number of them. Furthermore, we introduce an online algorithm to solve this problem, Variable-Reward Reinforcement Learning (VRRL), that compactly stores the optimal value functions for several SMDPs, and uses them to optimally initialize the value function for a new SMDP. We generalize our method to a hierarchical RL setting where the different SMDPs share the same task hierarchy. Our experimental results in a simplified real-time strategy domain show that significant transfer learning occurs in both flat and hierarchical settings. Transfer is especially effective in the hierarchical setting where the overall value functions are decomposed into subtask value functions which are more widely amenable to transfer across different SMDPs.