Game-theoretical control with continuous action sets

Motivated by the recent applications of game-theoretical learning techniques to the design of distributed control systems, we study a class of control problems that can be formulated as potential games with continuous action sets, and we propose an actor-critic reinforcement learning algorithm that provably converges to equilibrium in this class of problems. The method employed is to analyse the learning process under study through a mean-field dynamical system that evolves in an infinite-dimensional function space (the space of probability distributions over the players' continuous controls). To do so, we extend the theory of finite-dimensional two-timescale stochastic approximation to an infinite-dimensional, Banach space setting, and we prove that the continuous dynamics of the process converge to equilibrium in the case of potential games. These results combine to give a provably-convergent learning algorithm in which players do not need to keep track of the controls selected by the other agents.Comment: 19 page

The impact of higher education for part-time students

This report discusses the findings of a study undertaken by Birkbeck, University of London and the National Institute for Economic and Social Research, commissioned by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills to examine the impact of higher education (HE) on the labour market experiences of graduates who studied part-time and full-time as undergraduates

Perturbative expansion of N<8 Supergravity

We characterise the one-loop amplitudes for N=6 and N=4 supergravity in four dimensions. For N=6 we find that the one-loop n-point amplitudes can be expanded in terms of scalar box and triangle functions only. This simplification is consistent with a loop momentum power count of n-3, which we would interpret as being n+4 for gravity with a further -7 from the N=6 superalgebra. For N=4 we find that the amplitude is consistent with a loop momentum power count of n, which we would interpret as being n+4 for gravity with a further -4 from the N=4 superalgebra. Specifically the N=4 amplitudes contain non-cut-constructible rational terms.Comment: 13 pages. v2 adds analytic expression for rational parts of 5-pt 1-loop N=4 SUGRA amplitude; v3 normalisations clarifie

Obtaining One-loop Gravity Amplitudes Using Spurious Singularities

The decomposition of a one-loop scattering amplitude into elementary functions with rational coefficients introduces spurious singularities which afflict individual coefficients but cancel in the complete amplitude. These cancellations create a web of interactions between the various terms. We explore the extent to which entire one-loop amplitudes can be determined from these relationships starting with a relatively small input of initial information, typically the coefficients of the scalar integral functions as these are readily determined. In the context of one-loop gravity amplitudes, of which relatively little is known, we find that some amplitudes with a small number of legs can be completely determined from their box coefficients. For increasing numbers of legs, ambiguities appear which can be determined from the physical singularity structure of the amplitude. We illustrate this with the four-point and N=1,4 five-point (super)gravity one-loop amplitudes.Comment: Minor corrections. Appendix adde

Supersymmetric Ward Identities and NMHV Amplitudes involving Gluinos

We show how Supersymmetric Ward identities can be used to obtain amplitudes involving gluinos or adjoint scalars from purely gluonic amplitudes. We obtain results for all one-loop six-point NMHV amplitudes in \NeqFour Super Yang-Mills theory which involve two gluinos or two scalar particles. More general cases are also discussed.Comment: 32 pages, minor typos fixed; one reference adde