This work considers the problem of learning cooperative policies in complex, partially observable domains without explicit communication. We extend three classes of single-agent deep reinforcement learning algorithms based on policy gradient, temporal-difference error, and actor-critic methods to cooperative multi-agent systems. We introduce a set of cooperative control tasks that includes tasks with discrete and continuous actions, as well as tasks that involve hundreds of agents. The three approaches are evaluated against each other using different neural architectures, training procedures, and reward structures. Using deep reinforcement learning with a curriculum learning scheme, our approach can solve problems that were previously considered intractable by most multi-agent reinforcement learning algorithms. We show that policy gradient methods tend to outperform both temporal-difference and actor-critic methods when using feed-forward neural architectures. We also show that recurrent policies, while more difficult to train, outperform feed-forward policies on our evaluation tasks.

Cooperative multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL) has achieved significant results, most notably by leveraging the representation-learning abilities of deep neural networks. However, large centralized approaches quickly become infeasible as the number of agents scale, and fully decentralized approaches can miss important opportunities for information sharing and coordination. Furthermore, not all agents are equal -- in some cases, individual agents may not even have the ability to send communication to other agents or explicitly model other agents. This paper considers the case where there is a single, powerful, \emph{central agent} that can observe the entire observation space, and there are multiple, low-powered \emph{local agents} that can only receive local observations and are not able to communicate with each other. The central agent's job is to learn what message needs to be sent to different local agents based on the global observations, not by centrally solving the entire problem and sending action commands, but by determining what additional information an individual agent should receive so that it can make a better decision. In this work we present our MARL algorithm \algo, describe where it would be most applicable, and implement it in the cooperative navigation and multi-agent walker domains. Empirical results show that 1) learned communication does indeed improve system performance, 2) results generalize to heterogeneous local agents, and 3) results generalize to different reward structures.

我们将记住和忘记的经验重播（Ref-ER）算法扩展到多代理增强学习（MARL）。参考器被证明超过了最先进的算法状态，以连续控制从OpenAI健身房到复杂的流体流动。在MARL中，代理之间的依赖项包括在州值估计器中，环境动力学是通过参考文献使用的重要性权重对其建模的。在协作环境中，当使用个人奖励估算值时，我们发现最佳性能，并且我们忽略了其他动作对过渡图的影响。我们基准在斯坦福大学智能系统实验室（SISL）环境中进行参考文献的性能。我们发现，采用单个馈送前馈神经网络来进行策略和参考文献中的价值函数，优于依靠复杂的神经网络体系结构的最先进的算法状态。

Reinforcement learning in multi-agent scenarios is important for real-world applications but presents challenges beyond those seen in singleagent settings. We present an actor-critic algorithm that trains decentralized policies in multiagent settings, using centrally computed critics that share an attention mechanism which selects relevant information for each agent at every timestep. This attention mechanism enables more effective and scalable learning in complex multiagent environments, when compared to recent approaches. Our approach is applicable not only to cooperative settings with shared rewards, but also individualized reward settings, including adversarial settings, as well as settings that do not provide global states, and it makes no assumptions about the action spaces of the agents. As such, it is flexible enough to be applied to most multi-agent learning problems.

Many real-world problems, such as network packet routing and the coordination of autonomous vehicles, are naturally modelled as cooperative multi-agent systems. There is a great need for new reinforcement learning methods that can efficiently learn decentralised policies for such systems. To this end, we propose a new multi-agent actor-critic method called counterfactual multi-agent (COMA) policy gradients. COMA uses a centralised critic to estimate the Q-function and decentralised actors to optimise the agents' policies. In addition, to address the challenges of multi-agent credit assignment, it uses a counterfactual baseline that marginalises out a single agent's action, while keeping the other agents' actions fixed. COMA also uses a critic representation that allows the counterfactual baseline to be computed efficiently in a single forward pass. We evaluate COMA in the testbed of StarCraft unit micromanagement, using a decentralised variant with significant partial observability. COMA significantly improves average performance over other multi-agent actorcritic methods in this setting, and the best performing agents are competitive with state-of-the-art centralised controllers that get access to the full state.

We explore deep reinforcement learning methods for multi-agent domains. We begin by analyzing the difficulty of traditional algorithms in the multi-agent case: Q-learning is challenged by an inherent non-stationarity of the environment, while policy gradient suffers from a variance that increases as the number of agents grows. We then present an adaptation of actor-critic methods that considers action policies of other agents and is able to successfully learn policies that require complex multiagent coordination. Additionally, we introduce a training regimen utilizing an ensemble of policies for each agent that leads to more robust multi-agent policies. We show the strength of our approach compared to existing methods in cooperative as well as competitive scenarios, where agent populations are able to discover various physical and informational coordination strategies.

最先进的多机构增强学习（MARL）方法为各种复杂问题提供了有希望的解决方案。然而，这些方法都假定代理执行同步的原始操作执行，因此它们不能真正可扩展到长期胜利的真实世界多代理/机器人任务，这些任务固有地要求代理/机器人以异步的理由，涉及有关高级动作选择的理由。不同的时间。宏观行动分散的部分可观察到的马尔可夫决策过程（MACDEC-POMDP）是在完全合作的多代理任务中不确定的异步决策的一般形式化。在本论文中，我们首先提出了MacDec-Pomdps的一组基于价值的RL方法，其中允许代理在三个范式中使用宏观成果功能执行异步学习和决策：分散学习和控制，集中学习，集中学习和控制，以及分散执行的集中培训（CTDE）。在上述工作的基础上，我们在三个训练范式下制定了一组基于宏观行动的策略梯度算法，在该训练范式下，允许代理以异步方式直接优化其参数化策略。我们在模拟和真实的机器人中评估了我们的方法。经验结果证明了我们在大型多代理问题中的方法的优势，并验证了我们算法在学习具有宏观actions的高质量和异步溶液方面的有效性。

我们开发了一个多功能辅助救援学习（MARL）方法，以了解目标跟踪的可扩展控制策略。我们的方法可以处理任意数量的追求者和目标;我们显示出现的任务，该任务包括高达1000追踪跟踪1000个目标。我们使用分散的部分可观察的马尔可夫决策过程框架来模拟追求者作为接受偏见观察（范围和轴承）的代理，了解使用固定的未知政策的目标。注意机制用于参数化代理的价值函数;这种机制允许我们处理任意数量的目标。熵 - 正规的脱助政策RL方法用于培训随机政策，我们讨论如何在追求者之间实现对冲行为，尽管有完全分散的控制执行，但仍然导致合作较弱的合作形式。我们进一步开发了一个掩蔽启发式，允许训练较少的问题，少量追求目标和在更大的问题上执行。进行彻底的仿真实验，消融研究和对现有技术算法的比较，以研究对不同数量的代理和目标性能的方法和鲁棒性的可扩展性。

In multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL), many popular methods, such as VDN and QMIX, are susceptible to a critical multi-agent pathology known as relative overgeneralization (RO), which arises when the optimal joint action's utility falls below that of a sub-optimal joint action in cooperative tasks. RO can cause the agents to get stuck into local optima or fail to solve tasks that require significant coordination between agents within a given timestep. Recent value-based MARL algorithms such as QPLEX and WQMIX can overcome RO to some extent. However, our experimental results show that they can still fail to solve cooperative tasks that exhibit strong RO. In this work, we propose a novel approach called curriculum learning for relative overgeneralization (CURO) to better overcome RO. To solve a target task that exhibits strong RO, in CURO, we first fine-tune the reward function of the target task to generate source tasks that are tailored to the current ability of the learning agent and train the agent on these source tasks first. Then, to effectively transfer the knowledge acquired in one task to the next, we use a novel transfer learning method that combines value function transfer with buffer transfer, which enables more efficient exploration in the target task. We demonstrate that, when applied to QMIX, CURO overcomes severe RO problem and significantly improves performance, yielding state-of-the-art results in a variety of cooperative multi-agent tasks, including the challenging StarCraft II micromanagement benchmarks.

Deep reinforcement learning is poised to revolutionise the field of AI and represents a step towards building autonomous systems with a higher level understanding of the visual world. Currently, deep learning is enabling reinforcement learning to scale to problems that were previously intractable, such as learning to play video games directly from pixels. Deep reinforcement learning algorithms are also applied to robotics, allowing control policies for robots to be learned directly from camera inputs in the real world. In this survey, we begin with an introduction to the general field of reinforcement learning, then progress to the main streams of value-based and policybased methods. Our survey will cover central algorithms in deep reinforcement learning, including the deep Q-network, trust region policy optimisation, and asynchronous advantage actor-critic. In parallel, we highlight the unique advantages of deep neural networks, focusing on visual understanding via reinforcement learning. To conclude, we describe several current areas of research within the field.

独立的强化学习算法没有理论保证，用于在多代理设置中找到最佳策略。然而，在实践中，先前的作品报告了在某些域中的独立算法和其他方面的良好性能。此外，文献中缺乏对独立算法的优势和弱点的全面研究。在本文中，我们对四个Pettingzoo环境进行了独立算法的性能的实证比较，这些环境跨越了三种主要类别的多助理环境，即合作，竞争和混合。我们表明，在完全可观察的环境中，独立的算法可以在协作和竞争环境中与多代理算法进行同步。对于混合环境，我们表明通过独立算法培训的代理商学会单独执行，但未能学会与盟友合作并与敌人竞争。我们还表明，添加重复性提高了合作部分可观察环境中独立算法的学习。

流动性和流量的许多方案都涉及多种不同的代理，需要合作以找到共同解决方案。行为计划的最新进展使用强化学习以寻找有效和绩效行为策略。但是，随着自动驾驶汽车和车辆对X通信变得越来越成熟，只有使用单身独立代理的解决方案在道路上留下了潜在的性能增长。多代理增强学习（MARL）是一个研究领域，旨在为彼此相互作用的多种代理找到最佳解决方案。这项工作旨在将该领域的概述介绍给研究人员的自主行动能力。我们首先解释Marl并介绍重要的概念。然后，我们讨论基于Marl算法的主要范式，并概述每个范式中最先进的方法和思想。在这种背景下，我们调查了MAL在自动移动性场景中的应用程序，并概述了现有的场景和实现。

大型人口系统的分析和控制对研究和工程的各个领域引起了极大的兴趣，从机器人群的流行病学到经济学和金融。一种越来越流行和有效的方法来实现多代理系统中的顺序决策，这是通过多机构增强学习，因为它允许对高度复杂的系统进行自动和无模型的分析。但是，可伸缩性的关键问题使控制和增强学习算法的设计变得复杂，尤其是在具有大量代理的系统中。尽管强化学习在许多情况下都发现了经验成功，但许多代理商的问题很快就变得棘手了，需要特别考虑。在这项调查中，我们将阐明当前的方法，以通过多代理强化学习以及通过诸如平均场游戏，集体智能或复杂的网络理论等研究领域进行仔细理解和分析大型人口系统。这些经典独立的主题领域提供了多种理解或建模大型人口系统的方法，这可能非常适合将来的可拖动MARL算法制定。最后，我们调查了大规模控制的潜在应用领域，并确定了实用系统中学习算法的富有成果的未来应用。我们希望我们的调查可以为理论和应用科学的初级和高级研究人员提供洞察力和未来的方向。

政策梯度方法在多智能体增强学习中变得流行，但由于存在环境随机性和探索代理（即非公平性​​），它们遭受了高度的差异，这可能因信用分配难度而受到困扰。结果，需要一种方法，该方法不仅能够有效地解决上述两个问题，而且需要足够强大地解决各种任务。为此，我们提出了一种新的多代理政策梯度方法，称为强大的本地优势（ROLA）演员 - 评论家。 Rola允许每个代理人将个人动作值函数作为当地评论家，以及通过基于集中评论家的新型集中培训方法来改善环境不良。通过使用此本地批评，每个代理都计算基准，以减少对其策略梯度估计的差异，这导致含有其他代理的预期优势动作值，这些选项可以隐式提高信用分配。我们在各种基准测试中评估ROLA，并在许多最先进的多代理政策梯度算法上显示其鲁棒性和有效性。

多代理深入的强化学习已应用于解决各种离散或连续动作空间的各种复杂问题，并取得了巨大的成功。但是，大多数实际环境不能仅通过离散的动作空间或连续的动作空间来描述。而且很少有作品曾经利用深入的加固学习（DRL）来解决混合动作空间的多代理问题。因此，我们提出了一种新颖的算法：深层混合软性角色 - 批评（MAHSAC）来填补这一空白。该算法遵循集中式训练但分散执行（CTDE）范式，并扩展软actor-Critic算法（SAC），以根据最大熵在多机构环境中处理混合动作空间问题。我们的经验在一个简单的多代理粒子世界上运行，具有连续的观察和离散的动作空间以及一些基本的模拟物理。实验结果表明，MAHSAC在训练速度，稳定性和抗干扰能力方面具有良好的性能。同时，它在合作场景和竞争性场景中胜过现有的独立深层学习方法。

许多现实世界的应用程序都可以作为多机构合作问题进行配置，例如网络数据包路由和自动驾驶汽车的协调。深入增强学习（DRL）的出现为通过代理和环境的相互作用提供了一种有前途的多代理合作方法。但是，在政策搜索过程中，传统的DRL解决方案遭受了多个代理具有连续动作空间的高维度。此外，代理商政策的动态性使训练非平稳。为了解决这些问题，我们建议采用高级决策和低水平的个人控制，以进行有效的政策搜索，提出一种分层增强学习方法。特别是，可以在高级离散的动作空间中有效地学习多个代理的合作。同时，低水平的个人控制可以减少为单格强化学习。除了分层增强学习外，我们还建议对手建模网络在学习过程中对其他代理的政策进行建模。与端到端的DRL方法相反，我们的方法通过以层次结构将整体任务分解为子任务来降低学习的复杂性。为了评估我们的方法的效率，我们在合作车道变更方案中进行了现实世界中的案例研究。模拟和现实世界实验都表明我们的方法在碰撞速度和收敛速度中的优越性。

将深度强化学习（DRL）扩展到多代理领域的研究已经解决了许多复杂的问题，并取得了重大成就。但是，几乎所有这些研究都只关注离散或连续的动作空间，而且很少有作品曾经使用过多代理的深度强化学习来实现现实世界中的环境问题，这些问题主要具有混合动作空间。因此，在本文中，我们提出了两种算法：深层混合软性角色批评（MAHSAC）和多代理混合杂种深层确定性政策梯度（MAHDDPG）来填补这一空白。这两种算法遵循集中式培训和分散执行（CTDE）范式，并可以解决混合动作空间问题。我们的经验在多代理粒子环境上运行，这是一个简单的多代理粒子世界，以及一些基本的模拟物理。实验结果表明，这些算法具有良好的性能。

在现实设置中跨多个代理的决策同步是有问题的，因为它要求代理等待其他代理人终止和交流有关终止的终止。理想情况下，代理应该学习和执行异步。这样的异步方法还允许暂时扩展的动作，这些操作可能会根据执行的情况和操作花费不同的时间。不幸的是，当前的策略梯度方法不适用于异步设置，因为他们认为代理在每个时间步骤中都同步推理了动作选择。为了允许异步学习和决策，我们制定了一组异步的多代理参与者 - 批判性方法，这些方法使代理可以在三个标准培训范式中直接优化异步策略：分散的学习，集中学习，集中学习和集中培训以进行分解执行。各种现实域中的经验结果（在模拟和硬件中）证明了我们在大型多代理问题中的优势，并验证了我们算法在学习高质量和异步解决方案方面的有效性。

We adapt the ideas underlying the success of Deep Q-Learning to the continuous action domain. We present an actor-critic, model-free algorithm based on the deterministic policy gradient that can operate over continuous action spaces. Using the same learning algorithm, network architecture and hyper-parameters, our algorithm robustly solves more than 20 simulated physics tasks, including classic problems such as cartpole swing-up, dexterous manipulation, legged locomotion and car driving. Our algorithm is able to find policies whose performance is competitive with those found by a planning algorithm with full access to the dynamics of the domain and its derivatives. We further demonstrate that for many of the tasks the algorithm can learn policies "end-to-end": directly from raw pixel inputs.

多代理深度增强学习（Marl）缺乏缺乏共同使用的评估任务和标准，使方法之间的比较困难。在这项工作中，我们提供了一个系统评估，并比较了三种不同类别的Marl算法（独立学习，集中式多代理政策梯度，价值分解）在各种协作多智能经纪人学习任务中。我们的实验是在不同学习任务中作为算法的预期性能的参考，我们为不同学习方法的有效性提供了见解。我们开源EPYMARL，它将Pymarl CodeBase扩展到包括其他算法，并允许灵活地配置算法实现细节，例如参数共享。最后，我们开源两种环境，用于多智能经纪研究，重点关注稀疏奖励下的协调。