Develops HMRL for sparse reward RL problems, improving meta policy efficiency and transferability.
problem Difficulty in learning meta policies for sparse reward RL problems.
method Hyper-Meta RL framework with cross-environment meta state embedding and shaped meta reward.
result Improves meta policy generalization and efficiency for sparse reward RL problems.
Dealing with sparse rewards is a longstanding challenge in reinforcement learning. The recent use of hindsight methods have achieved success on a variety of sparse-reward tasks, but they fail on complex tasks such as stacking multiple blocks with a robot arm in simulation. Curiosity-driven exploration using the predict…
New RL method uses distance between states instead of rewards for sparse reward environments.
problem Sparse rewards or non-reward environments in reinforcement learning.
method Uses goal-distance gradient and bridge point planning for policy improvement.
result Significantly better performance on sparse reward and local optimal problems in complex environments.
Action guidance helps agents learn true objectives in games with sparse rewards.
problem Training agents in games with sparse rewards requires significant exploration.
method Action guidance, a novel technique that combines exploration with reward shaping.
result Action guidance enables agents to optimize true objectives efficiently.
Proposes a method to boost deep reinforcement learning with sparse rewards.
problem Challenges in learning complex behaviors with long horizons and sparse rewards.
method Predictive coding for reward shaping.
result Achieves better learning by providing reward signals that understand environment dynamics and emphasize useful features.
New approach uses unlabeled prior data to accelerate exploration in sparse reward tasks.
problem Sparse reward tasks in reinforcement learning.
method Learn reward model from online experience, label prior data, and use concurrently.
result Rapid exploration in challenging sparse-reward domains.
PlanGAN uses GANs to plan efficient trajectories for multi-goal tasks in sparse reward environments.
problem Learning with sparse rewards in multi-goal environments.
method PlanGAN combines GANs to generate trajectories leading to specified goals, then combines these into a planning algorithm.
result PlanGAN achieves comparable performance to model-free RL but is 4-8 times more sample efficient.
ETGL-DDPG improves DDPG for sparse reward control with new exploration and replay techniques.
problem Sparse reward continuous control in reinforcement learning.
method Introduces εt-greedy search and GDRB framework for efficient exploration and reward use. result ETGL-DDPG outperforms DDPG and other methods on sparse-reward continuous benchmarks.
Imitation learning is an effective alternative approach to learn a policy when the reward function is sparse. In this paper, we consider a challenging setting where an agent and an expert use different actions from each other. We assume that the agent has access to a sparse reward function and state-only expert observa…
SAIL learns from sub-optimal demonstrations to improve sample efficiency in sparse reward tasks.
problem Reducing sample complexity in sparse-rewarded tasks.
method Self-Adaptive Imitation Learning (SAIL) that exploits sub-optimal demonstrations and efficient exploration.
result Significantly improved sample efficiency and better final performance across various tasks.
We propose Scheduled Auxiliary Control (SAC-X), a new learning paradigm in the context of Reinforcement Learning (RL). SAC-X enables learning of complex behaviors - from scratch - in the presence of multiple sparse reward signals. To this end, the agent is equipped with a set of general auxiliary tasks, that it attempt…
Reinforcement Learning(RL) with sparse rewards is a major challenge. We propose \emph{Hindsight Trust Region Policy Optimization}(HTRPO), a new RL algorithm that extends the highly successful TRPO algorithm with \emph{hindsight} to tackle the challenge of sparse rewards. Hindsight refers to the algorithm's ability to l…
New bandit algorithms improve sparse reward learning.
problem Sparse rewards hinder learning efficiency in real-world bandit applications.
method Developed algorithms based on Upper Confidence Bound and Thompson Sampling for zero-inflated distributions.
result Empirical performance of new algorithms is superior to existing methods.
New RL agent learns sparse rewards efficiently.
problem Sparse-reward environments and computational expense.
method Active inference with novel free energy minimization.
result High sample efficiency and online operation.
A framework helps reinforcement learning agents understand and decompose tasks from human demonstrations.
problem Sparse-reward tasks where demonstrations are used as sources of causal knowledge.
method Develops causal models through observation and reasons from this knowledge to decompose tasks.
result A basic implementation of Reasoning from Demonstration (RfD) is effective in sparse-reward tasks.
A new EM framework for goal-conditioned RL improves performance on sparse reward tasks.
problem Handling sparse rewards in goal-conditioned reinforcement learning.
method A graphical model framework with an EM algorithm that includes a learning-in-hindsight E-step and a supervised M-step.
result hEM significantly outperforms model-free baselines on goal-conditioned benchmarks with sparse rewards.
A new approach for deep exploration in sparse reward reinforcement learning.
problem Slow or no learning in reinforcement learning with rare rewards.
method Long-term visitation count planning and decoupling exploration and exploitation.
result Significantly outperforms existing methods in sparse reward environments.
Sparse rewards with different magnitudes speed up learning in model-based reinforcement learning.
problem Speeding up learning in model-based reinforcement learning methods.
method Add uniformly sampled reward values to sparse binary rewards during training.
result Training can be more efficient and faster with less variability.
Deep learning has achieved remarkable successes in solving challenging reinforcement learning (RL) problems when dense reward function is provided. However, in sparse reward environment it still often suffers from the need to carefully shape reward function to guide policy optimization. This limits the applicability of…
This paper explores how environmental properties can simplify reinforcement learning in non-episodic settings.
problem Challenges in reinforcement learning with continuous interaction and sparse delayed rewards.
method Analysis of environment shaping and dynamism properties to simplify learning.
result Properties like environment shaping and dynamism can significantly ease learning in non-episodic, sparse reward settings.
New RL method MAC improves performance in sparse reward settings.
problem Slow mixing in large state spaces or sparse rewards.
method Multi-level Monte Carlo Actor-Critic (MAC) algorithm.
result Achieves convergence rate comparable to state-of-the-art AC algorithms.
VOQL optimizes RL with sparse rewards using weighted bounds.
problem Sparse rewards and non-linear function approximation in RL.
method VOQL combines Q-learning with weighted bounds for optimal regret. result Achieves asymptotically optimal regret for linear function approximation.
Study intrinsic motivation for synergistic tasks in reinforcement learning.
problem Sparse-reward synergistic tasks where multiple agents must work together.
method Propose incentivizing actions that affect the world in ways not achievable individually, using either true states or a dynamics model.
result Our approach yields more efficient learning than typical methods.
Successfully navigating a complex environment to obtain a desired outcome is a difficult task, that up to recently was believed to be capable only by humans. This perception has been broken down over time, especially with the introduction of deep reinforcement learning, which has greatly increased the difficulty of tas…
Paper explains failures of DDPG in simple deterministic environments.
problem DDPG's failures in trivial environments with sparse rewards.
method Formal explanation through a simple control problem and general analysis.
result DDPG can get stuck in poor solutions in deterministic environments.
R3L uses planning algorithms to efficiently explore sparse reward environments.
problem Balancing exploration and exploitation in sparse reward reinforcement learning.
method Formulate exploration as a search problem using RRT, leverage demonstrations from initial solutions to refine RL policy.
result R3L outperforms classic and intrinsic exploration techniques, requiring fewer samples and achieving better asymptotic performance.
BeBold improves exploration in sparse-reward tasks by regulating visitation counts.
problem Efficient exploration in deep reinforcement learning under sparse rewards.
method Regulated difference of inverse visitation counts.
result BeBold solves 12 challenging tasks in MiniGrid with fewer steps than previous state-of-the-art.
Exploration in environments with continuous control and sparse rewards remains a key challenge in reinforcement learning (RL). Recently, surprise has been used as an intrinsic reward that encourages systematic and efficient exploration. We introduce a new definition of surprise and its RL implementation named Variation…
A new reward shaping method balances learning efficiency and effectiveness for robot manipulation.
problem Efficient and effective learning in robot manipulations with system uncertainty.
method Dense2Sparse reward shaping method combining dense and sparse rewards.
result Dense2Sparse method achieves higher expected reward and better system uncertainty tolerance.
We propose Deep Q-Networks (DQN) with model-based exploration, an algorithm combining both model-free and model-based approaches that explores better and learns environments with sparse rewards more efficiently. DQN is a general-purpose, model-free algorithm and has been proven to perform well in a variety of tasks inc…
The most data-efficient algorithms for reinforcement learning in robotics are model-based policy search algorithms, which alternate between learning a dynamical model of the robot and optimizing a policy to maximize the expected return given the model and its uncertainties. However, the current algorithms lack an effec…
New AI learns like neurons, generalizing from sparse rewards.
problem Designing AI that learns without explicit instructions and applies that learning to sparse reward scenarios.
method Combining neuroscience principles with computational efficiency, creating the Neurons-in-a-Box architecture.
result The architecture can learn efficiently and generalize across various tasks, including challenging environments.
Sparse reward is one of the biggest challenges in reinforcement learning (RL). In this paper, we propose a novel method called Generative Exploration and Exploitation (GENE) to overcome sparse reward. GENE automatically generates start states to encourage the agent to explore the environment and to exploit received rew…
Learning in sparse reward settings remains a challenge in Reinforcement Learning, which is often addressed by using intrinsic rewards. One promising strategy is inspired by human curiosity, requiring the agent to learn to predict the future. In this paper a curiosity-driven agent is extended to use these predictions di…
PixL2R maps natural language to pixel-based rewards for RL, improving sample efficiency.
problem Sparse reward settings in RL limit applicability to complex problems.
method Directly maps natural language descriptions to pixel-based rewards for guiding RL.
result Language-based rewards significantly improve sample efficiency in policy learning.
This thesis proposes a derivatives hedging framework using deep learning and reinforcement learning.
problem Traditional hedging models fail in complex, uncertain markets due to assumptions like continuous trading and zero transaction costs.
method Integrates deep learning and reinforcement learning, using a spatiotemporal attention-based Transformer for probabilistic forecasting and hedging.
result The proposed method significantly outperforms traditional approaches in U.S. and Chinese financial markets.
This study benchmarks AI agents for personalized retail promotions using simulations.
problem Optimizing coupon targeting for sparse customer purchase events.
method Comprehensive simulations of customer shopping behaviors; training RL agents on batch data.
result Contextual bandit and deep RL methods outperform static policies in sparse reward environments.
The estimation of advantage is crucial for a number of reinforcement learning algorithms, as it directly influences the choices of future paths. In this work, we propose a family of estimates based on the order statistics over the path ensemble, which allows one to flexibly drive the learning process, towards or agains…
A method for self-supervised representation learning in partially observable environments.
problem Sparse rewards and stochasticity in partially observable environments.
method World model in latent space for estimating missing information.
result Significant improvement in exploration compared to prior work.
We propose an algorithm for deterministic continuous Markov Decision Processes with sparse rewards that computes the optimal policy exactly with no dependency on the size of the state space. The algorithm has time complexity of O(∣R∣3×∣A∣2) and memory complexity of O(∣R∣×∣A∣), where ∣R∣ is the…
Reinforcement learning agents need exploratory behaviors to escape from local optima. These behaviors may include both immediate dithering perturbation and temporally consistent exploration. To achieve these, a stochastic policy model that is inherently consistent through a period of time is in desire, especially for t…
New algorithm reduces semi-bandit regret using covariance estimates.
problem Complexity of semi-bandits due to joint distribution of outcomes.
method Develops a new sub-exponential distribution family and an algorithm using covariance estimates.
result Proves a new lower bound on expected regret and constructs an algorithm with asymptotic analysis.
This paper proposes an exploration method for deep reinforcement learning based on parameter space noise. Recent studies have experimentally shown that parameter space noise results in better exploration than the commonly used action space noise. Previous methods devised a way to update the diagonal covariance matrix o…
A new method for robot manipulation tasks using imagined object goals.
problem Learning robot manipulation in sparse reward environments.
method Train objects to reach target positions, then use predictions to create a curriculum of tasks.
result Higher success rates in challenging learning scenarios compared to alternatives.
Hindsight Experience Replay (HER) is a multi-goal reinforcement learning algorithm for sparse reward functions. The algorithm treats every failure as a success for an alternative (virtual) goal that has been achieved in the episode. Virtual goals are randomly selected, irrespective of which are most instructive for the…
ESPD improves learning efficiency in sparse reward reinforcement learning.
problem Sparse reward reinforcement learning challenges.
method Evolutionary Stochastic Policy Distillation (ESPD) based on drifted random walk insight.
result High learning efficiency demonstrated in MuJoCo robotics control suite experiments.
Self-supervised reward prediction improves RL in sparse reward settings.
problem Data efficiency and sparse reward signals in reinforcement learning.
method Learning a state representation for reward prediction and using it to shape rewards.
result Self-supervised reward prediction enhances RL algorithms in single-goal environments.
SPReD uses uncertainty to decide imitation from demonstrations.
problem Learning from sparse rewards with few demonstrations.
method Ensemble methods to model Q-value distributions, probabilistic and advantage-based uncertainty quantification.
result Significant gains in reinforcement learning across multiple tasks.