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arXiv research

A locally-built, LLM-digested index of recent arXiv papers in quant finance, geometry/topology, and statistical ML — keyword search served straight from SQLite on this machine.

168,695 papers · 148 categories

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306191121 · Jun 202019922001200920172026
48 results for rewards engineering

Adapts two algorithms for online learning with delayed rewards.

problem Online learning with delayed rewards in generalized linear contextual bandits.
method Modifies upper confidence bounds and Thompson sampling algorithms for delayed rewards.
result Both algorithms can be made robust to delays, improving their performance.

The combination of deep neural network models and reinforcement learning algorithms can make it possible to learn policies for robotic behaviors that directly read in raw sensory inputs, such as camera images, effectively subsuming both estimation and control into one model. However, real-world applications of reinforc…

2019-04-16abs ↗pdf ↗

Framework for optimizing search engine rankings using observational data.

problem Optimizing ranking policies for search engines using limited observational data.
method Formulated expected reward optimization problem, estimated context value distribution, trained ranking policy via Bayesian inference.
result Demonstrated trade-offs in ranking policies trained on empirical reward estimates.

Reinforcement learning usually makes use of numerical rewards, which have nice properties but also come with drawbacks and difficulties. Using rewards on an ordinal scale (ordinal rewards) is an alternative to numerical rewards that has received more attention in recent years. In this paper, a general approach to adapt…

2019-05-06abs ↗pdf ↗

Learning robust value functions given raw observations and rewards is now possible with model-free and model-based deep reinforcement learning algorithms. There is a third alternative, called Successor Representations (SR), which decomposes the value function into two components -- a reward predictor and a successor ma…

2016-06-08abs ↗pdf ↗

SARA uses similarity to learn rewards robustly and adaptively.

problem Robustness to labeler errors and adaptability to diverse feedback formats.
method Contrastive framework that learns latent representations and computes rewards as similarities.
result Strong performance on offline RL benchmarks and diverse applications.

Reinforcement learning algorithms rely on carefully engineering environment rewards that are extrinsic to the agent. However, annotating each environment with hand-designed, dense rewards is not scalable, motivating the need for developing reward functions that are intrinsic to the agent. Curiosity is a type of intrins…

2018-08-13abs ↗pdf ↗

Reward shaping is one of the most effective methods to tackle the crucial yet challenging problem of credit assignment in Reinforcement Learning (RL). However, designing shaping functions usually requires much expert knowledge and hand-engineering, and the difficulties are further exacerbated given multiple similar tas…

2019-01-27abs ↗pdf ↗

This work compares human feedback methods for reward learning in bandits.

problem Understanding how human feedback affects the performance of reward learning methods.
method Theoretical comparison of human feedback approaches in offline contextual bandits.
result Human bias and uncertainty in feedback modeling impact the theoretical guarantees of reward learning methods.

A new estimator reduces variance in slate bandit OPE.

problem Large action spaces in slate bandits cause high variance in OPE.
method Develops Latent IPS (LIPS) to optimize slate abstractions for low variance and bias.
result LIPS substantially outperforms existing estimators in scenarios with non-linear rewards and large slate spaces.

Improved power arbitrage through domain-adapted reinforcement learning.

problem Optimizing profit in the Dutch power market through arbitrage opportunities.
method Dual-agent reinforcement learning with imitation of power traders' behaviors.
result Significant improvement in cumulative profit and loss (P&L) with a three-fold increase.

Quantum model outperforms classical in training but underperforms in real-world metrics.

problem Mismatch between proxy reward signals and true investment objectives in financial domains.
method Hybrid quantum-classical reinforcement learning framework with automated feature engineering.
result Quantum models achieve higher training rewards but underperform in real-world metrics.

Paper presents a modular RL framework for Forex trading, addressing limitations of prior studies.

problem Challenges in applying RL to Forex trading, including unrealistic environments, simplified rewards, and restricted action spaces.
method Integrates three components: a friction-aware execution engine, a decomposable reward architecture, and a discrete action interface.
result Empirical evaluation shows strong non-monotonic reward interactions and optimal Sharpe ratio with the full reward configuration.

In many biomedical, science, and engineering problems, one must sequentially decide which action to take next so as to maximize rewards. One general class of algorithms for optimizing interactions with the world, while simultaneously learning how the world operates, is the multi-armed bandit setting and, in particular,…

2017-09-10abs ↗pdf ↗

A new algorithm uses concavity in Gaussian processes to optimize decisions in bandit problems.

problem Optimizing decisions in sequential problems with context-dependent rewards.
method Proposes a UCB algorithm using a shape-constrained reward function estimator based on a Gaussian Process model with concavity constraints.
result Derives regret bounds for the proposed UCB algorithm.

Shaping in humans and animals has been shown to be a powerful tool for learning complex tasks as compared to learning in a randomized fashion. This makes the problem less complex and enables one to solve the easier sub task at hand first. Generating a curriculum for such guided learning involves subjecting the agent to…

2019-05-17abs ↗pdf ↗

The paper develops a learning framework for diverse legged robots.

problem General and autonomous learning of core skills in locomotion.
method Data-efficient, off-policy multi-task RL algorithm with semantically identical reward functions.
result The same algorithm can learn diverse and reusable locomotion skills across different legged robots.

Advances in deep generative networks have led to impressive results in recent years. Nevertheless, such models can often waste their capacity on the minutiae of datasets, presumably due to weak inductive biases in their decoders. This is where graphics engines may come in handy since they abstract away low-level detail…

2018-04-03abs ↗pdf ↗

This paper presents a framework to tackle combinatorial optimization problems using neural networks and reinforcement learning. We focus on the traveling salesman problem (TSP) and train a recurrent network that, given a set of city coordinates, predicts a distribution over different city permutations. Using negative t…

2016-11-29abs ↗pdf ↗

We discuss deep reinforcement learning in an overview style. We draw a big picture, filled with details. We discuss six core elements, six important mechanisms, and twelve applications, focusing on contemporary work, and in historical contexts. We start with background of artificial intelligence, machine learning, deep…

2018-10-15abs ↗pdf ↗

Autonomous agents that must exhibit flexible and broad capabilities will need to be equipped with large repertoires of skills. Defining each skill with a manually-designed reward function limits this repertoire and imposes a manual engineering burden. Self-supervised agents that set their own goals can automate this pr…

2019-03-08abs ↗pdf ↗

Reinforcement learning and planning methods require an objective or reward function that encodes the desired behavior. Yet, in practice, there is a wide range of scenarios where an objective is difficult to provide programmatically, such as tasks with visual observations involving unknown object positions or deformable…

2018-09-30abs ↗pdf ↗

ALINE optimizes Bayesian inference and data acquisition by strategically querying informative data.

problem Strategic acquisition of informative data for Bayesian inference in challenging tasks.
method Unified framework combining amortized Bayesian inference and active data acquisition using a transformer architecture trained via reinforcement learning.
result ALINE delivers both instant and accurate inference along with efficient selection of informative points.

We propose a new approach to inverse reinforcement learning (IRL) based on the deep Gaussian process (deep GP) model, which is capable of learning complicated reward structures with few demonstrations. Our model stacks multiple latent GP layers to learn abstract representations of the state feature space, which is link…

2015-12-26abs ↗pdf ↗

Deep RL optimizes dynamic portfolio weights in China's stock market.

problem Traditional portfolio optimization methods struggle with dynamic asset weight adjustments.
method Developed a deep reinforcement learning framework with novel reward functions and random sampling.
result Model outperforms traditional methods in portfolio optimization and risk mitigation.

This work uses RL to optimize batch experiments in SDOE.

problem Maximizing knowledge with limited resources and constraints.
method Reinforcement Learning for batch-sampling in Bayesian SDOE.
result The proposed algorithm optimizes experiment selection for multiple tasks.

This review discusses challenges and solutions for AI in chemical engineering.

problem Challenges in applying classical machine learning to chemical engineering data.
method Identifying four data characteristics and discussing their applications and solutions.
result Current research extends data science and machine learning to handle chemical engineering data challenges.

We study the problem of offline learning in automated decision systems under the contextual bandits model. We are given logged historical data consisting of contexts, (randomized) actions, and (nonnegative) rewards. A common goal is to evaluate what would happen if different actions were taken in the same contexts, so …

2019-01-15abs ↗pdf ↗

Inference-Time Scaling can be extended to domains prone to systematic failure using intrinsic statistics.

problem Scaling inference time in domains prone to systematic failure
method Intrinsic Selection (iS), Intrinsic Particle Filtering (iPF), and Particle Distillation (dPF)
result Intrinsic Selection improves engineering design selection by 20% and pass@1 by 6.1 points on average.

FinRLlama wins FinRL Challenge 2024 by fine-tuning LLMs with market data.

problem Lack of contextual alignment for financial market applications in traditional LLMs.
method Fine-tuning LLaMA-3.2-3B-Instruct model with custom RLMF prompt design integrating historical data and reward feedback.
result RLMF-tuned FinRLlama framework outperforms baseline methods in signal consistency and trading outcomes.

vsOED optimizes experiment design with reinforcement learning for Bayesian models.

problem Optimizing the sequence of experiments in Bayesian models for efficient data collection.
method Reinforcement learning with variational posterior approximations to optimize design policy.
result vsOED achieves superior sample efficiency compared to existing methods.

Generative thermal design learns optimal shapes using multi-agent reinforcement learning.

problem Complex thermal design challenges due to convection-diffusion equation and boundary interactions.
method Cooperative multi-agent deep reinforcement learning with continuous geometric representation.
result Framework learns optimal design strategies without shape derivation or differentiable objectives.

Paper uses deep reinforcement learning for better control of rocket engines during start-up phases.

problem Lack of optimal control during transient phases of liquid rocket engines.
method Deep reinforcement learning approach for optimal control of a gas-generator engine's continuous start-up phase.
result Deep reinforcement learning controller achieves highest performance and minimal computational effort.

Paper proposes verifier engineering for improving foundation models.

problem Challenges in providing effective supervision signals for foundation models.
method Leverages automated verifiers to perform verification tasks and deliver feedback.
result Verifier engineering can enhance foundation models' capabilities.

New metrics quantify implementation risk in portfolio backtesting, revealing systematic differences in engine implementations.

problem Systematic divergence in backtested portfolio metrics due to differences in engine implementations.
method Formalized implementation risk, proposed four metrics, executed 15 strategies through five engines, analyzed source-code defects.
result Implementation risk introduces measurable ambiguity in performance attribution, but does not alter investment decisions.