Multi-Agent Coordination - (IEEE Press) by Arup Kumar Sadhu & Amit Konar (Hardcover)

About the Book

"This book explores the usage of Reinforcement Learning for Multi-Agent Coordination. Chapter 1 introduces fundamentals of the multi-robot coordination. Chapter 2 offers two useful properties, which have been developed to speed-up the convergence of traditional multi-agent Q-learning (MAQL) algorithms in view of the team-goal exploration, where team-goal exploration refers to simultaneous exploration of individual goals. Chapter 3 proposes the novel consensus Q-learning (CoQL), which addresses the equilibrium selection problem. Chapter 4 introduces a new dimension in the literature of the traditional correlated Q-learning (CQL), in which correlated equilibrium (CE) is computed partly in the learning and the rest in the planning phases, thereby requiring CE computation once only. Chapter 5 proposes an alternative solution to the multi-agent planning problem using meta-heuristic optimization algorithms. Chapter 6 provides the concluding remarks based on the principles and experimental results acquired in the previous chapters. Possible future directions of research are also examined briefly at the end of the chapter."--

From the Back Cover

Discover the latest developments in multi-robot coordination techniques with this insightful and original resource

Multi-Agent Coordination: A Reinforcement Learning Approach delivers a comprehensive, insightful, and unique treatment of the development of multi-robot coordination algorithms with minimal computational burden and reduced storage requirements when compared to traditional algorithms. The accomplished academics, engineers, and authors provide readers with both a high-level introduction to, and overview of, multi-robot coordination, and in-depth analyses of learning-based planning algorithms.

You'll learn about how to accelerate the exploration of the team-goal and alternative approaches to speeding up the convergence of TMAQL by identifying the preferred joint action for the team. The authors also propose novel approaches to consensus Q-learning that address the equilibrium selection problem and a new way of evaluating the threshold value for uniting empires without imposing any significant computation overhead. Finally, the book concludes with an examination of the likely direction of future research in this rapidly developing field.

Readers will discover cutting-edge techniques for multi-agent coordination, including:

• An introduction to multi-agent coordination by reinforcement learning and evolutionary algorithms, including topics like the Nash equilibrium and correlated equilibrium
• Improving convergence speed of multi-agent Q-learning for cooperative task planning
• Consensus Q-learning for multi-agent cooperative planning
• The efficient computing of correlated equilibrium for cooperative q-learning based multi-agent planning
• A modified imperialist competitive algorithm for multi-agent stick-carrying applications

Perfect for academics, engineers, and professionals who regularly work with multi-agent learning algorithms, Multi-Agent Coordination: A Reinforcement Learning Approach also belongs on the bookshelves of anyone with an advanced interest in machine learning and artificial intelligence as it applies to the field of cooperative or competitive robotics.

About the Author

Arup Kumar Sadhu, PhD, received his doctorate in Multi-Robot Coordination by Reinforcement Learning from Jadavpur University in India in 2017. He works as a scientist with Research & Innovation Labs, Tata Consultancy Services.

Amit Konar, PhD, received his doctorate from Jadavpur University, India in 1994. He is Professor with the Department of Electronics and Tele-Communication Engineering at Jadavpur University where he serves as the Founding Coordinator of the M. Tech. program on intelligent automation and robotics.