Scalable Policy Optimization for Networked Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning with Continuous State-Action Spaces
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Abstract (arXiv)
Learning local policies for continuous networked systems requires accounting for the effects of decisions beyond each agent's observation neighborhood. Spatial decay limits these effects, but a finite critic must also control representation and estimation errors throughout policy optimization. We analyze the Continuous Distributed Coupled Policy Gradient (CDCPG) algorithm using local random Fourier features and least-squares temporal-difference critics. For features that retain the boundary inputs required by the local dynamics, we derive an action-value representation with separate spatial and finite-feature residuals. A global integrated transition-approximation bound and a projected Bellman argument control population prediction error without an inverse-conditioning multiplier. We then quantify the dependence of critic estimation on feature excitation and dimension, and construct simultaneous lower confidence bounds for temporal-difference conditioning along the executed iterates. Combining critic error with localized reward aggregation bounds the expected squared projected-gradient mapping by an optimization term and an explicit residual separating spatial approximation, finite features, and omitted distant rewards. For fixed neighborhoods and feature dimension, the shared-oracle sample count is inverse-squared in the excess squared-stationarity accuracy, up to logarithmic factors. The guarantee assumes known local dynamics and rewards, independent discounted-occupancy samples, and stated excitation, decay, and smoothness conditions, and is conditional on favorable feature draws. Numerical studies illustrate related implementations on a linear-coupled-quadratic benchmark.
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- 2020Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning in Stochastic Networked Systemscited by 30
- 2021Sample and Communication-Efficient Decentralized Actor-Critic Algorithms with Finite-Time Analysiscited by 25
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