On the Risk-Sensitive Optimality Criteria for Markov Decision Processes.

Abstract

Discrete dynamic programming models with an exponential utility function are studied with respect to the asymptotic behavior of the dynamic programming recursion for the expected utility. Preliminary results on maximizing the asymptotic growth of the expected utility in the class of stationary policies are presented. Under the condition that there exists a stationary 'optimal' policy with an irreducible, aperiodic transition probability matrix, some nice limiting properties for the maximum expected utilities are established. Moreover, it is shown how to generate a monotonic sequence of lower and upper bounds on the maximum growth rate of the expected utility. Under certain additional assumptions it is possible to extend the obtained results to Markov decision processes with a denumerable state space.

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jun 15, 1975
Accession Number
ADA016234

Entities

People

  • Karel Sladky

Organizations

  • Stanford University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Computer Programming
  • Dynamic Programming
  • Mathematics
  • Probability
  • Sequences
  • Stationary
  • Transitions

Fields of Study

  • Mathematics

Readers

  • Mathematical Modeling and Probability Theory.

Technology Areas

  • Space