Countable State Continuous Time Dynamic Programming with Structure

Abstract

The problem P of maximizing the expected discounted reward earned in a continuous time Markov decision process with countable state and finite action space is considered. (The reward rate is merely bounded by a polynomial). By examining a sequence <P sub N> of approximating problems, each of which is a semi-Markov decision process with exponential transition rate Lambda sub N, Lambda sub N nears infinity, the author is able to show that P is obtained as the limit of the P sub N. The value in representing P as the limit of P sub N is that structural properties present in each P sub N persist, both in the finite and in the infinite horizon problem. Three queueing optimization models illustrating the method are given.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 01, 1974
Accession Number
AD0782266

Entities

People

  • Steven A. Lippman

Organizations

  • University of California, Los Angeles

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Human Systems
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Banach Space
  • California
  • Computer Programming
  • Dynamic Programming
  • Equations
  • Intervals
  • Optimization
  • Probability
  • Random Variables
  • Scientific Research
  • Sequences
  • Stationary
  • Structural Properties
  • Time Intervals
  • Transitions

Readers

  • Calculus or Mathematical Analysis
  • Operations Research
  • Statistical inference.

Technology Areas

  • Space