MLG 029 Reinforcement Learning Intro

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Feb 5, 2018

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ANECDOTE

MuJoCo Rag-Doll Shows Model-Free Power

The Mujoco rag-doll demonstrates surprising capabilities of model-free agents learning complex motor control.
The host used MuJoCo examples to show PPO and DQN can solve high-dimensional control tasks.

INSIGHT

What 'Model' Means In RL

'Model' in model-based RL specifically means a learned model of environment transition dynamics.
Many other internal models (policy, networks) exist even in model-free agents.

ADVICE

Begin With Policy-Gradient Methods

Start your RL study with model-free, policy-gradient methods before moving to model-based planning.
Policy gradients apply standard gradient updates to optimize action policies from reward signals.

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Notes and resources: ocdevel.com/mlg/29

Try a walking desk to stay healthy while you study or work!

Reinforcement Learning (RL) is a fundamental component of artificial intelligence, different from purely being AI itself. It is considered a key aspect of AI due to its ability to learn through interactions with the environment using a system of rewards and punishments.

Links:

Concepts and Definitions

Reinforcement Learning (RL):
- RL is a framework where an "agent" learns by interacting with its environment and receiving feedback in the form of rewards or punishments.
- It is part of the broader machine learning category, which includes supervised and unsupervised learning.
- Unlike supervised learning, where a model learns from labeled data, RL focuses on decision-making and goal achievement.

Comparison with Other Learning Types

Supervised Learning:
- Involves a teacher-student paradigm where models are trained on labeled data.
- Common in applications like image recognition and language processing.
Unsupervised Learning:
- Not commonly used in practical applications according to the experience shared in the episode.
Reinforcement Learning vs. Supervised Learning:
- RL allows agents to learn independently through interaction, unlike supervised learning where training occurs with labeled data.

Applications of Reinforcement Learning

Games and Simulations:
- Deep reinforcement learning is used in games like Go (AlphaGo) and video games, where the environment and possible rewards or penalties are predefined.
Robotics and Autonomous Systems:
- Examples include robotics (e.g., Boston Dynamics mules) and autonomous vehicles that learn to navigate and make decisions in real-world environments.
Finance and Trading:
- Utilized for modeling trading strategies that aim to optimize financial returns over time, although breakthrough performance in trading isn't yet evidenced.

RL Frameworks and Environments

Framework Examples:
- OpenAI Baselines, TensorForce, and Intel's Coach, each with different capabilities and company backing for development.
Environments:
- OpenAI's Gym is a suite of environments used for training RL agents.

Future Aspects and Developments

Model-based vs. Model-free RL:
- Model-based RL involves planning and knowledge of the world dynamics, while model-free is about reaction and immediate responses.
Remaining Challenges:
- Current hurdles in AI include reasoning, knowledge representation, and memory, where efforts are ongoing in institutions like Google DeepMind for further advancement.