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Bellman equation

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TL;DR. A formula in reinforcement learning that defines the value of an action based on immediate rewards and future expected rewards, used in Q-learning.

Technical Definition

A formula in reinforcement learning that defines the value of an action based on immediate rewards and future expected rewards, used in Q-learning.

How it works

The Bellman equation is a fundamental concept in reinforcement learning that relates the value of a state-action pair to the immediate reward received and the expected value of subsequent states. It's crucial for algorithms like Q-learning, which use it to iteratively update their estimates of action values.

Related Concepts

  • Reinforcement Learning — A paradigm where an agent learns to make decisions by receiving rewards or penalties from its environment through trial and error.
  • Q-Learning — A model-free RL algorithm that learns action values without knowing environment dynamics.

Further Reading

  • Google ML Glossary