11,471 research outputs found
-Learning: A Collaborative Distributed Strategy for Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning Through Consensus + Innovations
The paper considers a class of multi-agent Markov decision processes (MDPs),
in which the network agents respond differently (as manifested by the
instantaneous one-stage random costs) to a global controlled state and the
control actions of a remote controller. The paper investigates a distributed
reinforcement learning setup with no prior information on the global state
transition and local agent cost statistics. Specifically, with the agents'
objective consisting of minimizing a network-averaged infinite horizon
discounted cost, the paper proposes a distributed version of -learning,
-learning, in which the network agents collaborate by means of
local processing and mutual information exchange over a sparse (possibly
stochastic) communication network to achieve the network goal. Under the
assumption that each agent is only aware of its local online cost data and the
inter-agent communication network is \emph{weakly} connected, the proposed
distributed scheme is almost surely (a.s.) shown to yield asymptotically the
desired value function and the optimal stationary control policy at each
network agent. The analytical techniques developed in the paper to address the
mixed time-scale stochastic dynamics of the \emph{consensus + innovations}
form, which arise as a result of the proposed interactive distributed scheme,
are of independent interest.Comment: Submitted to the IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing, 33 page
Distributed Linear Parameter Estimation: Asymptotically Efficient Adaptive Strategies
The paper considers the problem of distributed adaptive linear parameter
estimation in multi-agent inference networks. Local sensing model information
is only partially available at the agents and inter-agent communication is
assumed to be unpredictable. The paper develops a generic mixed time-scale
stochastic procedure consisting of simultaneous distributed learning and
estimation, in which the agents adaptively assess their relative observation
quality over time and fuse the innovations accordingly. Under rather weak
assumptions on the statistical model and the inter-agent communication, it is
shown that, by properly tuning the consensus potential with respect to the
innovation potential, the asymptotic information rate loss incurred in the
learning process may be made negligible. As such, it is shown that the agent
estimates are asymptotically efficient, in that their asymptotic covariance
coincides with that of a centralized estimator (the inverse of the centralized
Fisher information rate for Gaussian systems) with perfect global model
information and having access to all observations at all times. The proof
techniques are mainly based on convergence arguments for non-Markovian mixed
time scale stochastic approximation procedures. Several approximation results
developed in the process are of independent interest.Comment: Submitted to SIAM Journal on Control and Optimization journal.
Initial Submission: Sept. 2011. Revised: Aug. 201
Purely electromagnetic spacetimes
Electrovacuum solutions devoid of usual mass sources are classified in the
case of one, two and three commuting Killing vectors. Three branches of
solutions exist. Electromagnetically induced mass terms appear in some of them.Comment: 8 page
Frequency-dependent (ac) Conduction in Disordered Composites: a Percolative Study
In a recent paper [Phys. Rev. B{\bf57}, 3375 (1998)], we examined in detail
the nonlinear (electrical) dc response of a random resistor cum tunneling bond
network (, introduced by us elsewhere to explain nonlinear response of
metal-insulator type mixtures). In this work which is a sequel to that paper,
we consider the ac response of the -based correlated () model.
Numerical solutions of the Kirchoff's laws for the model give a power-law
exponent (= 0.7 near ) of the modulus of the complex ac conductance at
moderately low frequencies, in conformity with experiments on various types of
disordered systems. But, at very low frequencies, it gives a simple quadratic
or linear dependence on the frequency depending upon whether the system is
percolating or not. We do also discuss the effective medium approximation
() of our and the traditional random network model, and discuss
their comparative successes and shortcomings.Comment: Revised and reduced version with 17 LaTeX pages plus 8 JPEG figure
Global oscillation analysis of solar neutrino data with helioseismically constrained fluxes
A seismic model for the Sun calculated using the accurate helioseismic data
predicts a lower neutrino flux as compared to the standard solar
model (SSM). However, there persists a discrepancy between the predicted and
measured neutrino fluxes and it seems necessary to invoke neutrino oscillations
to explain the measurements. In this work, we have performed a global, unified
oscillation analysis of the latest solar neutrino data (including the results
of SNO charged current rate) using the seismic model fluxes as theoretical
predictions. We determine the best-fit values of the neutrino oscillation
parameters and the for both
and cases and present the allowed parameter
regions in the plane for transition. The results are compared with those obtained using the
latest SSM by Bahcall and his collaborators.Comment: Version to appear in Phys. Rev.
Distributed Constrained Recursive Nonlinear Least-Squares Estimation: Algorithms and Asymptotics
This paper focuses on the problem of recursive nonlinear least squares
parameter estimation in multi-agent networks, in which the individual agents
observe sequentially over time an independent and identically distributed
(i.i.d.) time-series consisting of a nonlinear function of the true but unknown
parameter corrupted by noise. A distributed recursive estimator of the
\emph{consensus} + \emph{innovations} type, namely , is
proposed, in which the agents update their parameter estimates at each
observation sampling epoch in a collaborative way by simultaneously processing
the latest locally sensed information~(\emph{innovations}) and the parameter
estimates from other agents~(\emph{consensus}) in the local neighborhood
conforming to a pre-specified inter-agent communication topology. Under rather
weak conditions on the connectivity of the inter-agent communication and a
\emph{global observability} criterion, it is shown that at every network agent,
the proposed algorithm leads to consistent parameter estimates. Furthermore,
under standard smoothness assumptions on the local observation functions, the
distributed estimator is shown to yield order-optimal convergence rates, i.e.,
as far as the order of pathwise convergence is concerned, the local parameter
estimates at each agent are as good as the optimal centralized nonlinear least
squares estimator which would require access to all the observations across all
the agents at all times. In order to benchmark the performance of the proposed
distributed estimator with that of the centralized nonlinear
least squares estimator, the asymptotic normality of the estimate sequence is
established and the asymptotic covariance of the distributed estimator is
evaluated. Finally, simulation results are presented which illustrate and
verify the analytical findings.Comment: 28 pages. Initial Submission: Feb. 2016, Revised: July 2016,
Accepted: September 2016, To appear in IEEE Transactions on Signal and
Information Processing over Networks: Special Issue on Inference and Learning
over Network
Learning-Based Distributed Detection-Estimation in Sensor Networks with Unknown Sensor Defects
We consider the problem of distributed estimation of an unknown deterministic
scalar parameter (the target signal) in a wireless sensor network (WSN), where
each sensor receives a single snapshot of the field. We assume that the
observation at each node randomly falls into one of two modes: a valid or an
invalid observation mode. Specifically, mode one corresponds to the desired
signal plus noise observation mode (\emph{valid}), and mode two corresponds to
the pure noise mode (\emph{invalid}) due to node defect or damage. With no
prior information on such local sensing modes, we introduce a learning-based
distributed procedure, called the mixed detection-estimation (MDE) algorithm,
based on iterative closed-loop interactions between mode learning (detection)
and target estimation. The online learning step re-assesses the validity of the
local observations at each iteration, thus refining the ongoing estimation
update process. The convergence of the MDE algorithm is established
analytically. Asymptotic analysis shows that, in the high signal-to-noise ratio
(SNR) regime, the MDE estimation error converges to that of an ideal
(centralized) estimator with perfect information about the node sensing modes.
This is in contrast to the estimation performance of a naive average consensus
based distributed estimator (without mode learning), whose estimation error
blows up with an increasing SNR.Comment: 15 pages, 2 figures, submitted to TS
Studies on trematode parasites of air breathing fishes of Awangsoi Lake, Manipur
The present investigation deals with a systematic survey of trematode parasites of air breathing fishes from Awangsoi Lake collected during 2008-2009. The air breathing fishes found in Awangsoi Lake are Channa punctatus, Clarias batrachus, Channa striatus, Channa orientalis, Anabas testudineus and Heteropneustes fossilis. During the study period the following 5 species of trematodes were collected : Clinostomum complanatum, Allocreadium handia, Allocreadium fasciatusi, Astiotrema reniferum and Genarcopsis goppo. The percentage of abundance was found to be maximum in Astiotrema reniferum and Anabas testudineus harbours the maximum number of parasites
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