Stochastic Learning and Optimization: A Sensitivity-Based Approach

by Xi-Ren Cao

Overview

Performance optimization is vital in the design and operation of modern engineering systems, including communications, manufacturing, robotics, and logistics. Most engineering systems are too complicated to model, or the system parameters cannot be easily identified, so learning techniques have to be applied.

This is a multi-disciplinary area which has been attracting wide attention across many disciplines. Areas such as perturbation analysis (PA) in discrete event dynamic systems (DEDSs), Markov decision processes (MDPs) in operations research, reinforcement learning (RL) or neuro-dynamic programming (NDP) in computer science, identification and adaptive control (I&AC) in control systems, share the common goal: to make the "best decision" to optimize system performance.

This book provides a unified framework based on a sensitivity point of view. It also introduces new approaches and proposes new research topics within this sensitivity-based framework.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781441942227
Publisher:	Springer US
Publication date:	10/29/2010
Edition description:	Softcover reprint of hardcover 1st ed. 2007
Pages:	566
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.25(h) x 0.24(d)

Table of Contents

Four Disciplines in Learning and Optimization.- Perturbation Analysis.- Learning and Optimization with Perturbation Analysis.- Markov Decision Processes.- Sample-Path-Based Policy Iteration.- Reinforcement Learning.- Adaptive Control Problems as MDPs.- The Event-Based Optimization - A New Approach.- Event-Based Optimization of Markov Systems.- Constructing Sensitivity Formulas.

Editorial Reviews

From the reviews:

"The book is written by known contributor to the theory of Markov decision problems and the theory of queueing systems and it is chiefly based on recent results obtained by the author. … The book provide good introductory materials for graduate students and engineers who wish to have an overview of learning and optimization theory, the related methodologies in different disciplines and their relations. Moreover, the book is useful in finding new research topics and in practical applications." (Vladimir Sobolev, Zentralblatt MATH, Vol. 1130, 2008)

"The systems studied in this book are shastic dynamic systems … . The book is very well written, and … they are often presented in an intuitive way so that the study is really enjoyable. … the subject of the book is very important and very interesting. … It is intended for teachers, researchers, and graduate students who can recognize the practical and theoretical value of the methods described … . strongly recommended for scholars in engineering, mathematics, computer science, artificial intelligence, and machine learning." (Lefteris Angelis, ACM Computing Reviews, Vol. 49 (12), December, 2008)

"The key point of this monograph is perturbation analysis … . The book has appendices on Markov processes, shastic matrices and queueing theory. Every chapter contains a number of problems for self-study. Along with known/proved statements, the reader can find many open problems for future research. Finally, the book can become the basis for several undergraduate lecture courses." (Aleksey B. Piunovskiy, Mathematical Reviews, Issue 2009 f)

From the Publisher