Efficient Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning through Automated Supervision

Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning (MARL) algorithms suffer from slow convergence and even divergence, especially in large-scale systems. In this work, we develop a supervision framework to speed up the convergence of MARL algorithms in a network of agents. The framework defines an organizational structure for automated supervision and a communication protocol for exchanging information between lower-level agents and higher-level supervising agents. The abstracted states of lower-level agents travel upwards so that higher-level supervising agents generate a broader view of the state of the network. This broader view is used in creating supervisory information which is passed down the hierarchy. We present a generic extension to MARL algorithms that integrates supervisory information into the learning process, guiding agents’ exploration of their stateaction space.

Authors

• Chongjie Zhang Washington University in St. Louis
• Sherief Abdallah
• Victor Lesser University of Massachusetts at Amherst

Keywords

• Reinforcement Learning
• Multiagent Systems
• Supervision
• Heuristics