Qualitative reinforcement learning control

An attempt is made to develop a reinforcement learning controller for a system described in more abstract or behavioral terms than those addressed by most controllers. The learning experiments center on the behavior of a ball rolling on a track. The evolution is from prediction to control of the behavior. An attempt is also made to evaluate the experiments in order to think about learning and experimentation at higher levels. The abstract description in the ball system considered is provided by a qualitative behavior of the system, given certain state information and given certain knowledge. The knowledge used is described, and the necessity of solving the problem is explained. The knowledge description is cast as part of a hierarchical controller, and generalizations to higher forms of learning are proposed