We show how to take any two parameter-free online learning algorithms with different regret guarantees and obtain a single algorithm whose regret is the minimum of the two base algorithms. Our method is embarrassingly simple: just add the iterates. This trick can generate efficient algorithms that adapt to many norms s…
Proposes Optimistic Pessimistically Initialised Q-Learning (OPIQ) for better exploration in RL.
problem Pessimistic initialisation of Q-values in deep RL leads to poor exploration performance.
method Augments pessimistically initialised Q-values with count-based bonuses to ensure optimism.
result OPIQ outperforms non-optimistic DQN variants in hard exploration tasks.
Optimistic NPG improves policy optimization in online RL with efficient sample complexity.
problem Limited theoretical understanding of policy optimization, especially in online RL.
method Combines natural policy gradient with optimistic policy evaluation.
result Achieves optimal dimension dependence sample complexity for learning near-optimal policies.
New algorithms reduce forecasting errors by leveraging optimistic learning and hinting.
problem Real-time climate forecasting with delayed feedback.
method Developed optimistic online learning algorithms that reduce regret under delayed feedback.
result Optimistic learning algorithms achieve optimal regret guarantees under delayed feedback.
Unified framework for model- and value-optimistic reinforcement learning.
problem Designing and analyzing algorithms for episodic reinforcement learning.
method Lagrangian duality for a unified view of optimism.
result Unified algorithms with both efficient implementation and probabilistic analysis.
Characterizes concept classes for optimistic online learning.
problem Understanding minimal assumptions for online learnability.
method Investigates two questions about concept classes' learnability.
result Characterizes all concept classes for optimistically universal online learnability.
New algorithm reduces regret in sequential decision-making problems.
problem Balancing exploration and exploitation in online sequential decision problems.
method Variational Bayesian optimistic sampling (VBOS) for optimizing policies.
result VBOS achieves i l d e O ( A T ) ilde O(\sqrt{AT}) i l d e O ( A T ) Bayesian regret for stochastic multi-armed bandits. Proposes H-UCRL for efficient model-based RL with sublinear regret.
problem Greedy policy exploration in model-based RL ignores epistemic uncertainty.
method Reparameterizes plausible models, hallucinates control, augments input space, solves with greedy planners.
result H-UCRL achieves provably sublinear regret for Gaussian Process models.
Efficiently solves exploration-exploitation in LQR using Lagrangian relaxation.
problem Exploration-exploitation dilemma in linear quadratic regulator (LQR) setting.
method Relax optimistic optimization into a constrained extended LQR problem, then solve using Riccati equations.
result Computes ε ε ε -optimistic controller efficiently with O ( log ( 1 / ε ) ) O\big(\log(1/ε)\big) O ( log ( 1/ ε ) ) Riccati equations. Optimistic method adapted for faster convex-concave min-max problems.
problem Solving convex-concave min-max optimization problems efficiently.
method Adaptive, line search-free second-order methods combining optimistic updates and second-order information.
result Achieves optimal convergence rate without line search or backtracking.
Accelerates policy optimization in RL with optimistic and adaptive updates.
problem Improving policy optimization methods in reinforcement learning.
method Integrates foresight into policy improvement step via optimistic and adaptive updates.
result Designs an optimistic policy gradient algorithm, adaptive via meta-gradient learning.
New algorithms solve linear bandits in high dimensions efficiently.
problem Maximizing bilinear functions over convex sets and ellipsoids.
method Two novel algorithms for solving the problem efficiently.
result First known method to implement optimistic algorithms for linear bandits in high dimensions.
Optimistic PPO variant solves linear MDPs with improved regret bound.
problem Understanding theoretical limits of PPO in linear MDPs.
method Proposes an optimistic variant of PPO for episodic adversarial linear MDPs with full-information feedback.
result Establishes a i l d e O ( d 3 / 4 H 2 K 3 / 4 ) ilde{\mathcal{O}}(d^{3/4}H^2K^{3/4}) i l d e O ( d 3/4 H 2 K 3/4 ) regret bound. Kernel-based function approximation improves reinforcement learning performance.
problem Average reward reinforcement learning in infinite horizon settings.
method Optimistic algorithm based on kernel ridge regression.
result No-regret performance guarantees and confidence intervals for kernel-based predictions.
Omega method mitigates noise in stochastic game optimization.
problem Noise sensitivity and convergence issues in stochastic game optimization.
method Omega method incorporates EMA of historic gradients in its update rule.
result Omega method outperforms optimistic gradient method in stochastic games.
Optimistic pricing algorithm handles online dynamic pricing with censored demand.
problem Online dynamic pricing with censoring of potential demand.
method Optimistic estimates of derivatives for pricing algorithm.
result Achieves i l d e O ( T ) ilde{O}(\sqrt{T}) i l d e O ( T ) optimal regret against adversarial inventory series. Optimistic RL algorithms are simplified for deep RL with competitive performance.
problem Achieving accurate optimism in model-based RL for large-scale problems.
method Interpreting scalable optimistic model-based algorithms as solving a tractable noise augmented MDP.
result Competitive regret bound of i l d e O ( ∣ S ∣ H ∣ A ∣ T ) ilde{\mathcal{O}}( |\mathcal{S}|H\sqrt{|\mathcal{A}| T } ) i l d e O ( ∣ S ∣ H ∣ A ∣ T ) for Gaussian noise augmentation. Algorithm converges to Nash equilibria in competitive games.
problem Finding Nash equilibria in decentralized, competitive Markov games.
method Decentralized Optimistic Gradient Descent/Ascent with a critic.
result Converges to the set of Nash equilibria under self-play.
Optimistic Hedge achieves optimal regret bounds in two-player zero-sum games.
problem Achieving optimal regret bounds for optimistic Hedge in two-player zero-sum games.
method Refined regret analysis and optimization problem formulation.
result Optimistic Hedge achieves O ( log m log n ) O(\sqrt{\log m \log n}) O ( log m log n ) regret bounds, matching upper and lower bounds. Unified framework for model-based RL with sample complexity guarantees.
problem Designing efficient posterior sampling methods for model-based RL.
method Optimistic posterior sampling, Hellinger distance reduction, data likelihood measurement.
result Unified algorithms with state-of-the-art sample complexity guarantees.
In this paper, we prove some convergence results of a special case of optimistic policy iteration algorithm for stochastic shortest path problem. We consider both Monte Carlo and T D ( λ ) TD(λ) T D ( λ ) methods for the policy evaluation step under the condition that the termination state will eventually be reached almost surely.
It is well known that in stochastic multi-armed bandits (MAB), the sample mean of an arm is typically not an unbiased estimator of its true mean. In this paper, we decouple three different sources of this selection bias: adaptive \emph{sampling} of arms, adaptive \emph{stopping} of the experiment, and adaptively \emph{…
New method for optimistic planning in MDPs using regularization.
problem Optimistic planning in infinite-horizon discounted MDPs.
method Regularized dynamic programming for approximate value iteration.
result Achieves near-optimal statistical guarantees in learning policies.
Develops ODRPO to improve RL algorithms with better performance and stability.
problem RL algorithms converge to sub-optimal solutions due to limited policy representation.
method Integrates DRO approach to solve trust region constrained optimization problem without parameterizing policies.
result Achieves globally optimal policy update and higher sample efficiency.
Optimistic actor-critic tackles linear MDPs with parametric policies.
problem Theoretical limitations of existing actor-critic methods for linear MDPs.
method Proposes an optimistic actor-critic framework with parametric log-linear policies and approximate Thompson sampling.
result Achieves state-of-the-art sample complexity in both on-policy and off-policy settings.
This paper establishes that optimistic algorithms attain gap-dependent and non-asymptotic logarithmic regret for episodic MDPs. In contrast to prior work, our bounds do not suffer a dependence on diameter-like quantities or ergodicity, and smoothly interpolate between the gap dependent logarithmic-regret, and the $\wid…
StoSOO optimistically maximizes noisy, locally smooth functions.
problem Global maximization of noisy, locally smooth functions with unknown semi-metric.
method StoSOO uses optimistic upper confidence bounds to iteratively decide on the next evaluation point.
result StoSOO performs almost as well as the best tuned algorithms, even without knowing the semi-metric.
Optimistic algorithm reduces regret and constraint violations in online convex optimization with adversarial constraints.
problem Online convex optimization with adversarial constraints.
method Improved algorithm using accurate predictions of loss and constraint functions.
result Improved bounds on regret and cumulative constraint violations.
Develops new algorithms for solving root-finding problems in large-scale settings.
problem Solving nonlinear equations in large-scale settings.
method Randomized block-coordinate optimistic gradient algorithms.
result Achieves convergence rates of O ( 1 / k ) \mathcal{O}(1/k) O ( 1/ k ) and O ( 1 / k 2 ) \mathcal{O}(1/k^2) O ( 1/ k 2 ) for root-finding problems. We consider the problem of online planning in a Markov Decision Process when given only access to a generative model, restricted to open-loop policies - i.e. sequences of actions - and under budget constraint. In this setting, the Open-Loop Optimistic Planning (OLOP) algorithm enjoys good theoretical guarantees but is …
Model-based Bayesian Reinforcement Learning (BRL) allows a found formalization of the problem of acting optimally while facing an unknown environment, i.e., avoiding the exploration-exploitation dilemma. However, algorithms explicitly addressing BRL suffer from such a combinatorial explosion that a large body of work r…
New algorithm reduces regret for logistic bandits without κ κ κ dependency.
problem Logistic bandits have poor frequentist regret guarantees due to large κ κ κ . method Optimistic algorithm based on self-normalized martingale tail-inequality.
result Achieves i l d e O ( T ) ilde{\mathcal{O}}(\sqrt{T}) i l d e O ( T ) regret with no κ κ κ dependency. Bayesian classifier improves robustness with optimistic score ratio.
problem Limited information on class-conditional distribution.
method Optimistic score ratio for robust binary classification.
result Bayesian classifier using optimistic score ratio is robust and computationally tractable.
New RL algorithm optimizes policies with bandit feedback, matching previous bounds.
problem Optimizing policies with unknown transitions and bandit feedback.
method Optimistic Trust Region Policy Optimization (TRPO) algorithm.
result Sub-linear regret bounds for both stochastic and adversarial rewards.
New algorithm reduces reinforcement learning regret to sqrt(d^3T).
problem Efficient reinforcement learning with generalized linear function approximation.
method Optimistic closure assumption for generalized linear functions.
result Proved regret bound of O(sqrt(d^3T)).
We show that the optimistic limits of the colored Jones polynomials of the hyperbolic knots coincide with the optimistic limits of the Kashaev invariants modulo 4 π 2 4π^2 4 π 2 .
A new clustering method handles uncertain covariates efficiently.
problem Clustering with uncertain covariates in datasets.
method Greedy and optimistic clustering algorithm using non-linear transformation and empirical uncertainty sets.
result Improved performance in finding sibling stars.
We discuss the relative merits of optimistic and randomized approaches to exploration in reinforcement learning. Optimistic approaches presented in the literature apply an optimistic boost to the value estimate at each state-action pair and select actions that are greedy with respect to the resulting optimistic value f…
Novel approach to universal online learning for bounded losses, closing open problems.
problem Characterizing processes for universal online learning under non-i.i.d. conditions.
method Characterization of processes admitting strong and weak universal learning, introduction of optimistically universal learning rule.
result Introduction of a novel 1NN algorithm that is optimistically universal for bounded losses.
We address the issue of limit cycling behavior in training Generative Adversarial Networks and propose the use of Optimistic Mirror Decent (OMD) for training Wasserstein GANs. Recent theoretical results have shown that optimistic mirror decent (OMD) can enjoy faster regret rates in the context of zero-sum games. WGANs …
The optimistic limit is the mathematical formulation of the classical limit which is a physical method to expect the actual limit by using saddle point method of certain potential function. The original optimistic limit of the Kashaev invariant was formulated by Yokota, and a modified formulation was suggested by the a…
PROPO tackles non-stationary MDPs with efficient policy optimization.
problem Non-stationary MDPs with varying reward and transition kernels.
method PROPO, a periodic restarted optimistic policy optimization algorithm with sliding-window-based policy evaluation and improvement.
result PROPO achieves near-optimal performance in non-stationary MDPs.
Optimistic estimate predicts best fitting performance of nonlinear models.
problem Evaluating the potential of nonlinear models in fitting.
method Proposes an optimistic estimate to quantify the smallest sample size for fitting nonlinear models.
result Predicts specific subsets of targets that can be fitted at overparameterization.
New algorithm reduces reinforcement learning regret to sqrt(T) without strong dynamics assumptions.
problem Infinite-horizon average-reward reinforcement learning with linear MDPs.
method Approximate by discounted-reward MDPs and apply optimistic value iteration.
result Achieves O(sqrt(T)) regret with polynomial complexity.
Optimizes algorithms for non-concave bandit problems.
problem Optimizing algorithms for non-concave bandit problems.
method Unified zeroth-order optimization paradigm.
result Minimax-optimal algorithms in the dimension for low-rank generalized linear bandit problems.
In this paper we consider solving saddle point problems using two variants of Gradient Descent-Ascent algorithms, Extra-gradient (EG) and Optimistic Gradient Descent Ascent (OGDA) methods. We show that both of these algorithms admit a unified analysis as approximations of the classical proximal point method for solving…
New RL algorithm tackles online robust MDPs with uncertainty.
problem Developing robust reinforcement learning models for real-world environments.
method Proposes a robust optimistic policy optimization algorithm for online robust MDPs.
result Establishes the first regret bound for online robust MDPs.
We propose a new variant of AMSGrad, a popular adaptive gradient based optimization algorithm widely used for training deep neural networks. Our algorithm adds prior knowledge about the sequence of consecutive mini-batch gradients and leverages its underlying structure making the gradients sequentially predictable. By …