Reinforcement learning for multi-agent systems

Reference:
R. Babuska, L. Busoniu, and B. De Schutter, "Reinforcement learning for multi-agent systems," Tech. rep. 06-041, Delft Center for Systems and Control, Delft University of Technology, 7 pp., July 2006. Paper for a keynote presentation at the 11th IEEE International Conference on Emerging Technologies and Factory Automation (ETFA 2006), Prague, Czech Republic, Sept. 2006.

Abstract:
Multi-agent systems are rapidly finding applications in a variety of domains, including robotics, distributed control, telecommunications, etc. Although the individual agents can be programmed in advance, many tasks require that they learn behaviors online. A significant part of the research on multi-agent learning concerns reinforcement learning techniques. This paper gives a survey of multi-agent reinforcement learning, starting with a review of the different viewpoints on the learning goal, which is a central issue in the field. Two generic goals are distinguished: stability of the learning dynamics, and adaptation to the other agents' dynamic behavior. The focus on one of these goals, or a combination of both, leads to a categorization of the methods and approaches in the field. The challenges and benefits of multi-agent reinforcement learning are outlined along with open issues and future research directions.