用成批比较优化未知凹函数,提升库存与定价决策效率。
Continuum-armed Bandit Optimization with Batch Pairwise Comparison Oracles
- 通过成批配对比较获取函数差值,结合离散化与多项式逼近。
- 实现接近最优的后悔界,且在库存管理中优于现有方法。
- 适合需要高效决策的运营管理场景,如动态定价与库存补货。
本文研究在未知强凹函数 $f$ 上进行 $T$ 期带通优化的问题,引入一种新型成批配对比较预言机:决策者选择一对动作 $(x, x')$ 并持续执行若干周期,随后获得 $f(x)-f(x')$ 的估计值。该模型在联合定价与库存补货、网络收益管理中有重要应用。挑战在于需同时确定动作对 $(x, x')$ 和查询次数 $n$(停止时间),且由于库存应用场景,差值估计存在偏差,不同于传统随机优化中的无偏预言机。为此,我们提出离散化与局部多项式逼近技术,将问题转化为线性带通问题;再设计交互式批量版的林UCB算法,并结合锦标赛逐次淘汰机制,实现对离散化单元的精准定位。理论分析表明,所提算法的后悔界在多对数因子意义下是紧的。进一步将该算法应用于两类运管问题,结果显著优于现有最优方法。
原文摘要 · Abstract (English)
This paper studies a bandit optimization problem where the goal is to maximize a function $f(x)$ over $T$ periods for some unknown strongly concave function $f$. We consider a new pairwise comparison oracle, where the decision-maker chooses a pair of actions $(x, x')$ for a consecutive number of periods and then obtains an estimate of $f(x)-f(x')$. We show that such a pairwise comparison oracle finds important applications to joint pricing and inventory replenishment problems and network revenue management. The challenge in this bandit optimization is twofold. First, the decision-maker not only needs to determine a pair of actions $(x, x')$ but also a stopping time $n$ (i.e., the number of queries based on $(x, x')$). Second, motivated by our inventory application, the estimate of the difference $f(x)-f(x')$ is biased, which is different from existing oracles in stochastic optimization literature. To address these challenges, we first introduce a discretization technique and local polynomial approximation to relate this problem to linear bandits. Then we developed a tournament successive elimination technique to localize the discretized cell and run an interactive batched version of LinUCB algorithm on cells. We establish regret bounds that are optimal up to poly-logarithmic factors. Furthermore, we apply our proposed algorithm and analytical framework to the two operations management problems and obtain results that improve state-of-the-art results in the existing literature.
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