arXiv:2602.18026cs.MAcs.AI2026-02被引 1

提出无需同步的均场强化学习框架,解决大规模多智能体决策难题

Mean-Field Reinforcement Learning without Synchrony

  • 用群体分布替代平均动作作为统计量,适应异步行为
  • 理论证明存在唯一均衡,有限群体近似误差为O(1/√N)
  • 算法在异步场景下性能稳定,适合大规模动态系统建模

均场强化学习(MF-RL)通过将每个智能体对其他智能体的依赖简化为单一统计量——平均动作,实现大规模多智能体强化学习。然而,该方法要求所有智能体在每一步都行动,一旦部分智能体空闲,平均动作即无定义。为应对异步性,需采用不依赖行动频率的统计量:群体分布μ∈Δ(𝒪),即各观测状态下的智能体占比。其维度独立于智能体数量N,且在可交换性假设下能完全决定每个智能体的收益与转移。现有MF-RL理论基于平均动作,无法推广至μ。因此,本文从零构建时间均场(TMF)框架,以μ为核心,统一覆盖从全同步到纯顺序决策的完整场景。证明了TMF均衡的存在性与唯一性,建立了不依赖每步活跃智能体数的O(1/√N)有限群体近似界,并证明策略梯度算法TMF-PG收敛至唯一均衡。在资源选择与动态队列游戏上的实验表明,无论每次仅一个或全部N个智能体行动,TMF-PG性能几乎一致,近似误差按预测的O(1/√N)速率下降。

原文摘要 · Abstract (English)

Mean-field reinforcement learning (MF-RL) scales multi-agent RL to large populations by reducing each agent's dependence on others to a single summary statistic -- the mean action. However, this reduction requires every agent to act at every time step; when some agents are idle, the mean action is simply undefined. Addressing asynchrony therefore requires a different summary statistic -- one that remains defined regardless of which agents act. The population distribution $μ\in Δ(\mathcal{O})$ -- the fraction of agents at each observation -- satisfies this requirement: its dimension is independent of $N$, and under exchangeability it fully determines each agent's reward and transition. Existing MF-RL theory, however, is built on the mean action and does not extend to $μ$. We therefore construct the Temporal Mean Field (TMF) framework around the population distribution $μ$ from scratch, covering the full spectrum from fully synchronous to purely sequential decision-making within a single theory. We prove existence and uniqueness of TMF equilibria, establish an $O(1/\sqrt{N})$ finite-population approximation bound that holds regardless of how many agents act per step, and prove convergence of a policy gradient algorithm (TMF-PG) to the unique equilibrium. Experiments on a resource selection game and a dynamic queueing game confirm that TMF-PG achieves near-identical performance whether one agent or all $N$ act per step, with approximation error decaying at the predicted $O(1/\sqrt{N})$ rate.

多智能体均场强化学习异步决策

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