Q-Learning equation in Deep Q Network - neural-network

I'm new to reinforcement learning at all, so I may be wrong.
My questions are:
Is the Q-Learning equation ( Q(s, a) = r + y * max(Q(s', a')) ) used in DQN only for computing a loss function?
Is the equation recurrent? Assume I use DQN for, say, playing Atari Breakout, the number of possible states is very large (assuming the state is single game's frame), so it's not efficient to create a matrix of all the Q-Values. The equation should update the Q-Value of given [state, action] pair, so what will it do in case of DQN? Will it call itself recursively? If it will, the quation can't be calculated, because the recurrention won't ever stop.
I've already tried to find what I want and I've seen many tutorials, but almost everyone doesn't show the background, just implements it using Python library like Keras.
Thanks in advance and I apologise if something sounds dumb, I just don't get that.

Is the Q-Learning equation ( Q(s, a) = r + y * max(Q(s', a')) ) used in DQN only for computing a loss function?
Yes, generally that equation is only used to define our losses. More specifically, it is rearranged a bit; that equation is what we expect to hold, but it generally does not yet precisely hold during training. We subtract the right-hand side from the left-hand side to compute a (temporal-difference) error, and that error is used in the loss function.
Is the equation recurrent? Assume I use DQN for, say, playing Atari Breakout, the number of possible states is very large (assuming the state is single game's frame), so it's not efficient to create a matrix of all the Q-Values. The equation should update the Q-Value of given [state, action] pair, so what will it do in case of DQN? Will it call itself recursively? If it will, the quation can't be calculated, because the recurrention won't ever stop.
Indeed the space of state-action pairs is much too large to enumerate them all in a matrix/table. In other words, we can't use Tabular RL. This is precisely why we use a Neural Network in DQN though. You can view Q(s, a) as a function. In the tabular case, Q(s, a) is simply a function that uses s and a to index into a table/matrix of values.
In the case of DQN and other Deep RL approaches, we use a Neural Network to approximate such a "function". We use s (and potentially a, though not really in the case of DQN) to create features based on that state (and action). In the case of DQN and Atari games, we simply take a stack of raw images/pixels as features. These are then used as inputs for the Neural Network. At the other end of the NN, DQN provides Q-values as outputs. In the case of DQN, multiple outputs are provided; one for every action a. So, in conclusion, when you read Q(s, a) you should think "the output corresponding to a when we plug the features/images/pixels of s as inputs into our network".
Further question from comments:
I think I still don't get the idea... Let's say we did one iteration through the network with state S and we got following output [A = 0.8, B = 0.1, C = 0.1] (where A, B and C are possible actions). We also got a reward R = 1 and set the y (a.k.a. gamma) to 0.95 . Now, how can we put these variables into the loss function formula https://imgur.com/a/2wTj7Yn? I don't understand what's the prediction if the DQN outputs which action to take? Also, what's the target Q? Could you post the formula with placed variables, please?
First a small correction: DQN does not output which action to take. Given inputs (a state s), it provides one output value per action a, which can be interpreted as an estimate of the Q(s, a) value for the input state s and the action a corresponding to that particular output. These values are typically used afterwards to determine which action to take (for example by selecting the action corresponding to the maximum Q value), so in some sense the action can be derived from the outputs of DQN, but DQN does not directly provide actions to take as outputs.
Anyway, let's consider the example situation. The loss function from the image is:
loss = (r + gamma max_a' Q-hat(s', a') - Q(s, a))^2
Note that there's a small mistake in the image, it has the old state s in the Q-hat instead of the new state s'. s' in there is correct.
In this formula:
r is the observed reward
gamma is (typically) a constant value
Q(s, a) is one of the output values from our Neural Network that we get when we provide it with s as input. Specifically, it is the output value corresponding to the action a that we have executed. So, in your example, if we chose to execute action A in state s, we have Q(s, A) = 0.8.
s' is the state we happen to end up in after having executed action a in state s.
Q-hat(s', a') (which we compute once for every possible subsequent action a') is, again, one of the output values from our Neural Network. This time, it's a value we get when we provide s' as input (instead of s), and again it will be the output value corresponding to action a'.
The Q-hat instead of Q there is because, in DQN, we typically actually use two different Neural Networks. Q-values are computed using the same Neural Network that we also modify by training. Q-hat-values are computed using a different "Target Network". This Target Network is typically a "slower-moving" version of the first network. It is constructed by occasionally (e.g. once every 10K steps) copying the other Network, and leaving its weights frozen in between those copy operations.

Firstly, the Q function is used both in the loss function and for the policy. Actual output of your Q function and the 'ideal' one is used to calculate a loss. Taking the highest value of the output of the Q function for all possible actions in a state is your policy.
Secondly, no, it's not recurrent. The equation is actually slightly different to what you have posted (perhaps a mathematician can correct me on this). It is actually Q(s, a) := r + y * max(Q(s', a')). Note the colon before the equals sign. This is called the assignment operator and means that we update the left side of the equation so that it is equal to the right side once (not recurrently). You can think of it as being the same as the assignment operator in most programming languages (x = x + 1 doesn't cause any problems).
The Q values will propagate through the network as you keep performing updates anyway, but it can take a while.

Related

Modelica annotation derivative: noDerivative versus zeroDerivative

I have successfully used annotation(derivative) in Modelica functions. Now I have reached a point where I think I need to use zeroDerivative or noDerivative, but from the specification I just do not understand what is the difference, and when to use what.
https://specification.modelica.org/v3.4/Ch12.html#declaring-derivatives-of-functions
It seems zeroDerivative is for time-constant parameters??
Does somebody have a simple example?
Use zeroDerivative to refer to inputs that are non-varying, i.e. parameters or constant values.
Use noDerivative for signals that do not have a derivative value. For example if an input signal comes from an external function.
The important case for noDerivative is when the input is "redundant".
As an example consider the computation of density for some media in MSL:
The density computation is found in Modelica.Media.R134a.R134a_ph.density_ph (note this does not contain any derivative in itself):
algorithm
d := rho_props_ph(
p,
h,
derivsOf_ph(
p,
h,
getPhase_ph(p, h)));
where the top function called is:
function rho_props_ph
"Density as function of pressure and specific enthalpy"
extends Modelica.Icons.Function;
input SI.Pressure p "Pressure";
input SI.SpecificEnthalpy h "Specific enthalpy";
input Common.InverseDerivatives_rhoT derivs
"Record for the calculation of rho_ph_der";
output SI.Density d "Density";
algorithm
d := derivs.rho;
annotation (
derivative(noDerivative=derivs) = rho_ph_der ...);
end rho_props_ph;
So the derivs-argument is sort of redundant and is given by p and h; and we don't need to differentiate it again. If you send in a derivs-argument that isn't given in this way may give unpredictable result, but describing this in detail would be too complicated. (There was some idea of noDerivative=something - but even just specifying it turned out to be too complicated.)
For zeroDerivative the corresponding requirement is that the arguments have zero derivative; that is straightforward to verify and if non-zero we cannot use the specific derivative (it is possible to specify multiple derivatives and use another derivative one for that case).

How Double QN works?

What is the idea behind double QN?
The Bellman equation used to calculate the Q values to update the online network follows the equation:
value = reward + discount_factor * target_network.predict(next_state)[argmax(online_network.predict(next_state))]
The Bellman equation used to calculate the Q value updates in the original DQN is:
value = reward + discount_factor * max(target_network.predict(next_state))
but the target network for evaluating the action is updated using weights of the
online_network and the value and fed to the target value is basically old q value of the action.
any ideas how adding another networks based on weights from the first network helps?
I really liked the explanation from here:
https://becominghuman.ai/beat-atari-with-deep-reinforcement-learning-part-2-dqn-improvements-d3563f665a2c
"This is actually quite simple: you probably remember from the previous post that we were trying to optimize the Q function defined as follows:
Q(s, a) = r + γ maxₐ’(Q(s’, a’))
Because this definition is recursive (the Q value depends on other Q values), in Q-learning we end up training a network to predict its own output, as we pointed out last time.
The problem of course is that at each minibatch of training, we are changing both Q(s, a) and Q(s’, a’), in other words, we are getting closer to our target but also moving our target! This can make it a lot harder for our network to converge.
It thus seems like we should instead use a fixed target so as to avoid this problem of the network “chasing its own tail”, but of course that isn’t possible since the target Q function should get better and better as we train."

Inversing the modelica simulation model: steady state model

I want to know if a model can be inversed in modelica. (here inverse means: if in causal statement y= x +a; x and a are input and y is output; but if I want to find 'x' as output and 'y' and 'a' as input, the model is called reversed/inversed model) For example, if I have compressor with input air port and output air port, and port has variables associated with it are pressure(P), temperature(T) and mass flow rate(mdot). I have simple steady state model containing three equations as follow:
OutPort.mdot = InPort.mdot
OutPort.P = rc * InPort.P
OutPort.T = InPort.T * (1 + rc[ (gamma-1)/gamma) - 1][/sup] / eta);
Here, rc, gamma and eta are compression ratio, ratio of specific heat capacitites and efficiency of compressor respectively.
I want to know, if I know values of : gamma, eta, OutPort.mdot, OutPort.P and OutPort.T and InPort.P and InPort.T, can I find the value of rc.
Can I find values of rc and how should be the model of compressor with above equation in Modelica. As far as I know, there are some variables designated as parameters which can not be changed during simulation. How the modelica model should be with above equations
Thanks
Yes, this should not be a problem as long as you make sure that rc is not a parameter, but a normal variable, and you supply the appropriate number of known quantities to achieve a balanced system (roughly, number of unknowns matches number of equations).
E.g. in your case if you know/supply OutPort.P and InPort.P, rc is already determined from eq 2. Then, in the third equation, there are no unknowns left, so either the temperature values are consistent with the equation or you (preferably) leave one temperature value undetermined.
In addition if you only want to compute the parameter rc during steady-state initialization i.e. that nothing changes with time that is also possible:
...
parameter Real rc(fixed=false);
initial equation
Inport.mdot=12; // Or something else indirectly determining rc.
The fixed=false means that rc is indirectly determined from the initialization. However, if the model is not completely stationary it will only find the correct rc during the initialization and then use that afterwards.

Dimensionality reduction using PCA - MATLAB

I am trying to reduce dimensionality of a training set using PCA.
I have come across two approaches.
[V,U,eigen]=pca(train_x);
eigen_sum=0;
for lamda=1:length(eigen)
eigen_sum=eigen_sum+eigen(lamda,1);
if(eigen_sum/sum(eigen)>=0.90)
break;
end
end
train_x=train_x*V(:, 1:lamda);
Here, I simply use the eigenvalue matrix to reconstruct the training set with lower amount of features determined by principal components describing 90% of original set.
The alternate method that I found is almost exactly the same, save the last line, which changes to:
train_x=U(:,1:lamda);
In other words, we take the training set as the principal component representation of the original training set up to some feature lamda.
Both of these methods seem to yield similar results (out of sample test error), but there is difference, however minuscule it may be.
My question is, which one is the right method?
The answer depends on your data, and what you want to do.
Using your variable names. Generally speaking is easy to expect that the outputs of pca maintain
U = train_x * V
But this is only true if your data is normalized, specifically if you already removed the mean from each component. If not, then what one can expect is
U = train_x * V - mean(train_x * V)
And in that regard, weather you want to remove or maintain the mean of your data before processing it, depends on your application.
It's also worth noting that even if you remove the mean before processing, there might be some small difference, but it will be around floating point precision error
((train_x * V) - U) ./ U ~~ 1.0e-15
And this error can be safely ignored

Modelica - Modeling a slider element in OpenModelica

Rheological models are usually build using three (or four) basics elements, which are :
The spring (existing in Modelica.Mechanics.Translational.Components for example). Its equation is f = c * (s_rel - s_rel0);
The damper (dashpot) (also existing in Modelica.Mechanics.Translational.Components). Its equation is f = d * v_rel; for a linear damper, an could be easily modified to model a non-linear damper : f = d * v_rel^(1/n);
The slider, not existing (as far as I know) in this library... It's equation is abs(f)<= flim. Unfortunately, I don't really understand how I could write the corresponding Modelica model...
I think this model should extend Modelica.Mechanics.Translational.Interfaces.PartialCompliant, but the problem is that f (the force measured between flange_b and flange_a) should be modified only when it's greater than flim...
If the slider extends PartialCompliant, it means that it already follows the equations flange_b.f = f; and flange_a.f = -f;
Adding the equation f = if abs(f)>flim then sign(f)*flim else f; gives me an error "An independent subset of the model has imbalanced number of equations and variables", which I couldn't really explain, even if I understand that if abs(f)<=flim, the equation f = f is useless...
Actually, the slider element doesn't generate a new force (just like the spring does, depending on its strain, or just like the damper does, depending on its strain rate). The force is an input for the slider element, which is sometime modified (when this force becomes greater than the limit allowed by the element). That's why I don't really understand if I should define this force as an input or an output....
If you have any suggestion, I would greatly appreciate it ! Thanks
After the first two comments, I decided to add a picture that, I hope, will help you to understand the behaviour I'm trying to model.
On the left, you can see the four elements used to develop rheological models :
a : the spring
b : the linear damper (dashpot)
c : the non-linear damper
d : the slider
On the right, you can see the behaviour I'm trying to reproduce : a and b are two associations with springs and c and d are respectively the expected stress / strain curves. I'm trying to model the same behaviour, except that I'm thinking in terms of force and not stress. As i said in the comment to Marco's answer, the curve a reminds me the behaviour of a diode :
if the force applied to the component is less than the sliding limit, there is no relative displacement between the two flanges
if the force becomes greater than the sliding limit, the force transmitted by the system equals the limit and there is relative displacement between flanges
I can't be sure, but I suspect what you are really trying to model here is Coulomb friction (i.e. a constant force that always opposes the direction of motion). If so, there is already a component in the Modelica Standard Library, called MassWithStopAndFriction, that models that (and several other flavors of friction). The wrinkle is that it is bundled with inertia.
If you don't want the inertia effect it might be possible to set the inertia to zero. I suspect that could cause a singularity. One way you might be able to avoid the singularity is to "evaluate" the parameter (at least that is what it is called in Dymola when you set the Evaluate flat to be true in the command line). No promises whether that will work since it is model and tool dependent whether such a simplification can be properly handled.
If Coulomb friction is what you want and you really don't want inertia and the approach above doesn't work, let me know and I think I can create a simple model that will work (so long as you don't have inertia).
A few considerations:
- The force is not an input and neither an output, but it is just a relation that you add into the component in order to define how the force will be propagated between the two translational flanges of the component. When you deal with acausal connectors I think it is better to think about the degrees of freedom of your component instead of inputs and outputs. In this case you have two connectors and independently at which one of the two frames you will recieve informations about the force, the equation you implement will define how that information will be propagated to the other frame.
- I tested this:
model slider
extends
Modelica.Mechanics.Translational.Interfaces.PartialCompliantWithRelativeStates;
parameter Real flim = 1;
equation
f = if abs(f)>flim then sign(f)*flim else f;
end slider;
on Dymola and it works. It is correct modelica code so it should be work also in OpenModelica, I can't think of a reason why it should be seen as an unbalance mathematical model.
I hope this helps,
Marco