Methods and apparatus for reinforcement learning

1. A method of reinforcement learning, the method comprising:

obtaining training data relating to a subject system being interacted with by a reinforcement learning agent that performs actions from a set of actions to cause the subject system to move from one state to another state;

wherein the training data comprises a plurality of transitions, each transition comprising respective starting state data, action data and next state data defining, respectively, a starting state of the subject system, an action performed by the reinforcement learning agent when the subject system was in the starting state, and a next state of the subject system resulting from the action being performed by the reinforcement learning system; and

training a second neural network used to select actions to be performed by the reinforcement learning agent on the transitions in the training data and, for each transition, a respective target output generated by a first neural network, wherein the first neural network is another instance of the second neural network but with possibly different parameter values than those of the first neural network; and

during the training, periodically updating the parameter values of the first neural network from current parameter values of the second neural network,

wherein the state data and the next state data in each transition are image data.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising, after the training selecting actions to be performed by the reinforcement learning agent using the second neural network and in accordance with trained parameter values of the second neural network.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising generating transitions by storing data defining actions selected using the second neural network in association with data defining respective said starting states and next states for the selected actions.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first neural network and the second neural network receive an input comprising state data and generate as output a respective Q-value for each of one or more of the actions in the set of actions, the method further comprising, for each transition, generating the target output by providing the data defining the actions and the next state data as input to the first neural network.

5. A method as claimed in claim 3 further comprising:

providing the second neural network with particular state data characterizing a particular state of the subject system;

retrieving from the second neural network a respective Q-value for each action of the set of actions; and

selecting an action to be performed by the reinforcement learning agent having a maximum or minimum Q-value as generated by the second neural network.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the transitions in the training data are generated using the second neural network.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the training comprises, for each transition:

providing the first neural network with the next state data;

determining, from the first neural network, a maximum or minimum Q-value for the next state;

determining the target output for the transition from the maximum or minimum Q-value for the next state.

8. A method as claimed in claim 7 wherein the training further comprises, for each transition:

providing the second neural network with the starting state data and adjusting weights of the second neural network to bring a Q-value for the action defined by the action data closer to the target output.

9. A method as claimed in claim 7 wherein each transition further comprises reward data defining a reward value or cost value resulting from the action defined by the action data, and wherein determining the target output comprises adjusting the maximum or minimum parameter-value for the next state by the reward data.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the first and second neural networks comprise deep neural networks with a convolutional neural network input stage.

11. A system comprising one or more computers and one or more storage devices storing instructions that when executed by the one or more computers cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

obtaining training data relating to a subject system being interacted with by a reinforcement learning agent that performs actions from a set of actions to cause the subject system to move from one state to another state;

wherein the training data comprises a plurality of transitions, each transition comprising respective starting state data, action data and next state data defining, respectively, a starting state of the subject system, an action performed by the reinforcement learning agent when the subject system was in the starting state, and a next state of the subject system resulting from the action being performed by the reinforcement learning system; and

training a second neural network used to select actions to be performed by the reinforcement learning agent on the transitions in the training data and, for each transition, a respective target output generated by a first neural network, wherein the first neural network is another instance of the second neural network but with possibly different parameter values than those of the first neural network; and

during the training, periodically updating the parameter values of the first neural network from current parameter values of the second neural network,

wherein the state data and the next state data in each transition are image data.

12. A system as claimed in claim 11 the operations further comprising, after the training selecting actions to be performed by the reinforcement learning agent using the second neural network and in accordance with trained parameter values of the second neural network.

13. A system as claimed in claim 11 , the operations further comprising generating transitions by storing data defining actions selected using the second neural network in association with data defining respective said starting states and next states for the selected actions.

14. A system as claimed in claim 11 wherein the first neural network and the second neural network receive an input comprising state data and generate as output a respective Q-value for each of one or more of the actions in the set of actions, the operations further comprising, for each transition, generating the target output by providing the data defining the action and the next state data as input to the first neural network.

15. A system as claimed in claim 14 the operations further comprising:

providing the second neural network with particular state data characterizing a particular state of the subject system;

retrieving from the second neural network a respective Q-value for each action of the set of actions; and

selecting an action to be performed by the reinforcement learning agent having a maximum or minimum Q-value as generated by the second neural network.

16. A system as claimed in claim 11 wherein the transitions in the training data are generated using the second neural network.

17. A system as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the training comprises, for each transition:

providing the first neural network with the next state data;

determining, from the first neural network, a maximum or minimum Q-value for the next state;

determining the target output for the transition from the maximum or minimum Q-value for the next state.

18. A system as claimed in claim 17 wherein the training further comprises, for each transition:

providing the second neural network with the starting state data and adjusting weights of the second neural network to bring a Q-value for the action defined by the action data closer to the target output.

19. A system as claimed in claim 17 wherein each transition further comprises reward data defining a reward value or cost value resulting from the action defined by the action data, and wherein determining the target output comprises adjusting the maximum or minimum parameter-value for the next state by the reward data.

20. A system as claimed in claim 11 wherein the first and second neural networks comprise deep neural networks with a convolutional neural network input stage.

21. One or more non-transitory computer storage media storing instructions that when executed by one or more computers cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

obtaining training data relating to a subject system being interacted with by a reinforcement learning agent that performs actions from a set of actions to cause the subject system to move from one state to another state;

wherein the training data comprises a plurality of transitions, each transition comprising respective starting state data, action data and next state data defining, respectively, a starting state of the subject system, an action performed by the reinforcement learning agent when the subject system was in the starting state, and a next state of the subject system resulting from the action being performed by the reinforcement learning system; and

training a second neural network used to select actions to be performed by the reinforcement learning agent on the transitions in the training data and, for each transition, a respective target output generated by a first neural network, wherein the first neural network is another instance of the second neural network but with possibly different parameter values than those of the first neural network; and

during the training, periodically updating the parameter values of the first neural network from current parameter values of the second neural network,

wherein the state data and the next state data in each transition are image data.

22. The computer storage media as claimed in claim 21 the operations further comprising, after the training selecting actions to be performed by the reinforcement learning agent using the second neural network and in accordance with trained parameter values of the second neural network.

23. The computer storage media as claimed in claim 21 , the operations further comprising generating transitions by storing data defining actions selected using the second neural network in association with data defining respective said starting states and next states for the selected actions.

24. The computer storage media as claimed in claim 21 wherein the first neural network and the second neural network receive an input comprising state data and generate as output a respective Q-value for each of one or more of the actions in the set of actions, the operations further comprising, for each transition, generating the target output by providing the data defining the action and the next state data as input to the first neural network.

25. The computer storage media as claimed in claim 24 the operations further comprising:

providing the second neural network with particular state data characterizing a particular state of the subject system;

retrieving from the second neural network a respective Q-value for each action of the set of actions; and

selecting an action to be performed by the reinforcement learning agent having a maximum or minimum Q-value as generated by the second neural network.

26. The computer storage media as claimed in claim 21 wherein the transitions in the training data are generated using the second neural network.

27. The computer storage media as claimed in claim 21 , wherein the training comprises, for each transition:

providing the first neural network with the next state data;

determining, from the first neural network, a maximum or minimum Q-value for the next state;

determining the target output for the transition from the maximum or minimum Q-value for the next state.

28. The computer storage media as claimed in claim 27 wherein the training further comprises, for each transition:

providing the second neural network with the starting state data and adjusting weights of the second neural network to bring a Q-value for the action defined by the action data closer to the target output.

29. The computer storage media as claimed in claim 27 wherein each transition further comprises reward data defining a reward value or cost value resulting from the action defined by the action data, and wherein determining the target output comprises adjusting the maximum or minimum parameter-value for the next state by the reward data.

30. The computer storage media as claimed in claim 21 wherein the first and second neural networks comprise deep neural networks with a convolutional neural network input stage.