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Solution to the risk-sensitive average optimality equation in communicating Markov decision chains with finite state space: An alternative approach

Author

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  • Rolando Cavazos-Cadena
  • Daniel Hernández-Hernández

Abstract

This note concerns Markov decision chains with finite state and action sets. The decision maker is assumed to be risk-averse with constant risk sensitive coefficient λ, and the performance of a control policy is measured by the risk-sensitive average cost criterion. In their seminal paper Howard and Matheson established that, when the whole state space is a communicating class under the action of each stationary policy, then there exists a solution to the optimality equation for every λ>0. This paper presents an alternative proof of this fundamental result, which explicitly highlights the essential role of the communication properties in the analysis of the risk-sensitive average cost criterion. Copyright Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2003

Suggested Citation

  • Rolando Cavazos-Cadena & Daniel Hernández-Hernández, 2003. "Solution to the risk-sensitive average optimality equation in communicating Markov decision chains with finite state space: An alternative approach," Mathematical Methods of Operations Research, Springer;Gesellschaft für Operations Research (GOR);Nederlands Genootschap voor Besliskunde (NGB), vol. 56(3), pages 473-479, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:mathme:v:56:y:2003:i:3:p:473-479
    DOI: 10.1007/s001860200229
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Daniel Hernández Hernández & Diego Hernández Bustos, 2017. "Local Poisson Equations Associated with Discrete-Time Markov Control Processes," Journal of Optimization Theory and Applications, Springer, vol. 173(1), pages 1-29, April.
    2. Karel Sladký, 2013. "Risk-Sensitive and Mean Variance Optimality in Markov Decision Processes," Czech Economic Review, Charles University Prague, Faculty of Social Sciences, Institute of Economic Studies, vol. 7(3), pages 146-161, November.
    3. Selene Chávez-Rodríguez & Rolando Cavazos-Cadena & Hugo Cruz-Suárez, 2015. "Continuity of the optimal average cost in Markov decision chains with small risk-sensitivity," Mathematical Methods of Operations Research, Springer;Gesellschaft für Operations Research (GOR);Nederlands Genootschap voor Besliskunde (NGB), vol. 81(3), pages 269-298, June.
    4. Rolando Cavazos-Cadena & Daniel Hernández-Hernández, 2011. "Discounted Approximations for Risk-Sensitive Average Criteria in Markov Decision Chains with Finite State Space," Mathematics of Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 36(1), pages 133-146, February.
    5. Rolando Cavazos-Cadena, 2009. "Solutions of the average cost optimality equation for finite Markov decision chains: risk-sensitive and risk-neutral criteria," Mathematical Methods of Operations Research, Springer;Gesellschaft für Operations Research (GOR);Nederlands Genootschap voor Besliskunde (NGB), vol. 70(3), pages 541-566, December.
    6. Rolando Cavazos-Cadena & Raúl Montes-de-Oca, 2003. "The Value Iteration Algorithm in Risk-Sensitive Average Markov Decision Chains with Finite State Space," Mathematics of Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 28(4), pages 752-776, November.

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