The paper introduces Generalized Implicit Temporal Abstraction (GITA), a method for goal-conditioned reinforcement learning that conditions a single value function on multiple temporal abstraction levels (k). By aggregating advantage-weighted supervision across various k values, GITA preserves both long-range signal and local resolution without committing to a single k. Experiments on OGBench show that GITA outperforms existing offline GCRL baselines, improving average success rates by 25 percentage points over HIQL and 7 percentage points over OTA.
By Pedro Robles Dutenhefner, Dikshant Shehmar, Wagner Meira Jr., Marlos C. Machado
The paper introduces MI‑SARSA, an on‑policy temporal‑difference algorithm that incorporates mutual‑information regularization to model bounded rationality in reinforcement learning. By penalizing state‑specific deviations from a learned marginal action prior, the algorithm selectively uses state information only when the expected return outweighs the informational cost, yielding a reward‑complexity tradeoff. MI‑SARSA also predicts reaction times, showing that stronger information penalties lead to simpler policies, lower control costs, and faster responses, while regularization mitigates performance loss after environmental shifts at the expense of asymptotic return.
By James Wu, Chris R. Sims
arXiv:2407. 21359v2 Announce Type: replace-cross Abstract: Imagining potential outcomes of actions before execution helps agents make more informed decisions, a prospective thinking ability fundamental to human cognition.
By Liangliang Liu, Yi Guan, BoRan Wang, Rujia Shen, Yi Lin, Chaoran Kong, Lian Yan, Jingchi Jiang
arXiv:2608. 08158v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: Sparse, delayed, and weakly informative rewards remain central obstacles to efficient reinforcement learning.
By Fouad Bahrpeyma
The paper introduces Residual Reward Models (RRM) to enhance preference‑based reinforcement learning (PbRL) in robotics. RRMs decompose the true reward into a prior component—such as a heuristic, language‑generated, or IRL‑derived reward—and a learned residual that is trained with human preferences. Experiments on Meta‑World, DM‑Control, and a physical Franka Panda robot show that RRMs markedly improve sample efficiency and accelerate policy learning compared to standard PbRL methods.
By Chenyang Cao, Miguel Rogel-Garc\'ia, Mohamed Nabail, Xueqian Wang, Nicholas Rhinehart
arXiv:2607. 19232v1 Announce Type: new Abstract: Hierarchical Reinforcement Learning (HRL) intends to separate strategic planning from primitive execution.
By Kshitij Kumar Srivastava, Kshitij Jerath