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Curiosity Reinforcement Learning

Visual diagram · (in preparation) · Math · (in preparation) · Worked example · 3 difficulty levels.

TL;DR. A reinforcement learning technique where an agent is intrinsically motivated to explore its environment and learn new information.

Technical Definition

A reinforcement learning technique where an agent is intrinsically motivated to explore its environment and learn new information.

How it works

Instead of relying solely on external rewards, curious agents are rewarded for encountering novel states or predicting outcomes poorly. This encourages exploration in sparse-reward environments, helping the agent to discover more optimal strategies. It mimics human-like curiosity for learning.

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.
  • Intrinsic motivation — A drive in agents to act based on the inherent 'interestingness' or novelty of experiences, akin to curiosity.