Continuous-time Markov decision processes under the risk-sensitive average cost criterion

This paper studies continuous-time Markov decision processes under the risk-sensitive average cost criterion. The state space is a finite set, the action space is a Borel space, the cost and transition rates are bounded, and the risk-sensitivity coefficient can take arbitrary positive real numbers. Under the mild conditions, we develop a new approach to establish the existence of a solution to the risk-sensitive average cost optimality equation and obtain the existence of an optimal deterministic stationary policy.Comment: 14 page

Markov Decision Processes with Risk-Sensitive Criteria: An Overview

The paper provides an overview of the theory and applications of risk-sensitive Markov decision processes. The term 'risk-sensitive' refers here to the use of the Optimized Certainty Equivalent as a means to measure expectation and risk. This comprises the well-known entropic risk measure and Conditional Value-at-Risk. We restrict our considerations to stationary problems with an infinite time horizon. Conditions are given under which optimal policies exist and solution procedures are explained. We present both the theory when the Optimized Certainty Equivalent is applied recursively as well as the case where it is applied to the cumulated reward. Discounted as well as non-discounted models are reviewe

Exit Time Risk-Sensitive Control for Systems of Cooperative Agents

We study sequences, parametrized by the number of agents, of many agent exit time stochastic control problems with risk-sensitive cost structure. We identify a fully characterizing assumption, under which each of such control problem corresponds to a risk-neutral stochastic control problem with additive cost, and sequentially to a risk-neutral stochastic control problem on the simplex, where the specific information about the state of each agent can be discarded. We also prove that, under some additional assumptions, the sequence of value functions converges to the value function of a deterministic control problem, which can be used for the design of nearly optimal controls for the original problem, when the number of agents is sufficiently large

Exit time risk-sensitive stochastic control problems related to systems of cooperative agents

We study sequences, parametrized by the number of agents, of exit time stochastic control problems with risk-sensitive costs structures generate by unbounded costs. We identify a fully characterizing assumption, under which, each of them corresponds to a risk-neutral stochastic control problem with additive cost, and also to a risk-neutral stochastic control problem on the simplex, where the specific information about the state of each agent can be discarded. We finally prove that, under some additional assumptions, the sequence of value functions converges to the value function of a deterministic control problem