A reinforcement learning approach involving a shortest path finding algorithm

Reinforcement learning (RL) has been widely used as a learning mechanism of an artificial life system. However, RL usually suffers from slow convergence to the optimum state-action sequence or a sequence of stimulus-response (SR) behaviors, and may not correctly work in non-Markov processes. In this paper, first, to cope with slow-convergence problem, if some state-action pairs are considered as disturbance for optimum sequence, then they are to be eliminated in long-term memory (LTM), where such disturbances are found by a shortest path-finding algorithm. This process is shown to let the system get an enhanced learning speed. Second, to partly solve non-Markov problem, if a stimulus is frequently met in a searching-process, then the stimulus is classified as a sequential percept for a non-Markov hidden state. And thus, a correct behavior for a non-Markov hidden state can be learned as in a Markov environment. To show the validity of our proposed learning technologies, several simulation results are illustrated.