Distributed Nash equilibrium-seeking Reinforcement Learning for N-player Games

理解和协调拥有共享资源的多个智能决策者之间的合作与竞争，可能是我们这个互联社会最关键的挑战。博弈论提供了强大的工具来分析一组代理之间的这种战略决策。它对自主系统和网络中的决策特别有吸引力。这样的系统在我们身边无处不在——它们跨越了工程、物理、生物和社会系统。这些系统中的许多问题都可以建模为多人游戏。例子包括通信网络中的拥塞控制、点对点无线网络、智能电网/电力网络中的需求侧管理、参与搜索和救援任务的自主机器人群体，甚至是用户在社交媒体上的互动。该项目专注于学习和强化学习算法，这些算法可以在多玩家（n玩家）游戏中找到纳什均衡，并为这些算法提供理论。该项目旨在研究的问题是多智能体系统的基础问题，其中智能体/参与者之间的信息可能是完整的，也可能是不完整的。多智能体系统可能是强化学习取得重大突破的下一个大领域。然而，这一领域的理论仍然很少被探索。本研究计划的目标是促进该理论的发展及其在资讯及通讯科技（ICT）的潜在应用。该项目代表了国际公认的博弈论研究者Pavel教授团队与在加拿大拥有强大影响力的全球信息和通信技术领导者华为公司之间的合作伙伴关系。

Understanding and coordinating cooperation and competition between multiple intelligent decision-makers with shared resources is perhaps the most crucial challenge of our connected society. Game theory provides powerful tools to analyze such strategic decision-making among a set of agents. It is especially attractive for decision-making in autonomous systems and networks. Such systems are ubiquitous around us - they are spanning engineered, physical, biological and social systems. Many problems in these systems can be modeled as multi-player games. Examples range from congestion control in communication networks, ad-hoc (peer-to-peer) wireless networks, to demand-side management in smart grid/power networks, groups of autonomous robots engaged in search and rescue missions, and even interaction of users over social media. This project is focused on learning and reinforcement learning algorithms that find Nash equilibrium in multi-player (N-player) games, as well as providing the theory for such algorithms. The problem that the project aims to study is fundamental to multi-agent systems, where information between agents/players may be complete or incomplete. Multi-agent systems may be the next big area where reinforcement learning will have a big breakthrough. However, the theory in this domain has remained very little explored. This research project's goal is to advance the development of such theory and its potential applications in information and communication technologies (ICT). The project represents the partnership between the group of Professor Pavel, an internationally recognized researcher in game theory, and Huwaei, a world leader in information and communication technologies, with strong presence in Canada.