Reinforcement Learning: Foundations and Methods

4-0-8 units · Graduate

Examines reinforcement learning (RL) as a methodology for approximately solving sequential decision-making under uncertainty, with foundations in optimal control and machine learning. Provides a mathematical introduction to RL, including dynamic programming, statistical, and empirical perspectives, and special topics. Core topics include: dynamic programming, special structures, finite and infinite horizon Markov Decision Processes, value and policy iteration, Monte Carlo methods, temporal differences, Q-learning, stochastic approximation, and bandits. Also covers approximate dynamic programming, including value-based methods and policy space methods. Applications and examples drawn from diverse domains. Focus is mathematical, but is supplemented with computational exercises. An analysis prerequisite is suggested but not required; mathematical maturity is necessary.