A Novel Switch-Type Policy Network for Resource Allocation Problems: Technical Report

Fuente: arXiv
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Auteurs principaux: Wigmore, Jerrod, Shrader, Brooke, Modiano, Eytan
Format: Preprint
Publié: 2025
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author Wigmore, Jerrod
Shrader, Brooke
Modiano, Eytan
author_facet Wigmore, Jerrod
Shrader, Brooke
Modiano, Eytan
contents Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) has become a powerful tool for developing control policies in queueing networks, but the common use of Multi-layer Perceptron (MLP) neural networks in these applications has significant drawbacks. MLP architectures, while versatile, often suffer from poor sample efficiency and a tendency to overfit training environments, leading to suboptimal performance on new, unseen networks. In response to these issues, we introduce a switch-type neural network (STN) architecture designed to improve the efficiency and generalization of DRL policies in queueing networks. The STN leverages structural patterns from traditional non-learning policies, ensuring consistent action choices across similar states. This design not only streamlines the learning process but also fosters better generalization by reducing the tendency to overfit. Our works presents three key contributions: first, the development of the STN as a more effective alternative to MLPs; second, empirical evidence showing that STNs achieve superior sample efficiency in various training scenarios; and third, experimental results demonstrating that STNs match MLP performance in familiar environments and significantly outperform them in new settings. By embedding domain-specific knowledge, the STN enhances the Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO) algorithm's effectiveness without compromising performance, suggesting its suitability for a wide range of queueing network control problems.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2501_11136
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle A Novel Switch-Type Policy Network for Resource Allocation Problems: Technical Report
Wigmore, Jerrod
Shrader, Brooke
Modiano, Eytan
Machine Learning
Systems and Control
Deep Reinforcement Learning (DRL) has become a powerful tool for developing control policies in queueing networks, but the common use of Multi-layer Perceptron (MLP) neural networks in these applications has significant drawbacks. MLP architectures, while versatile, often suffer from poor sample efficiency and a tendency to overfit training environments, leading to suboptimal performance on new, unseen networks. In response to these issues, we introduce a switch-type neural network (STN) architecture designed to improve the efficiency and generalization of DRL policies in queueing networks. The STN leverages structural patterns from traditional non-learning policies, ensuring consistent action choices across similar states. This design not only streamlines the learning process but also fosters better generalization by reducing the tendency to overfit. Our works presents three key contributions: first, the development of the STN as a more effective alternative to MLPs; second, empirical evidence showing that STNs achieve superior sample efficiency in various training scenarios; and third, experimental results demonstrating that STNs match MLP performance in familiar environments and significantly outperform them in new settings. By embedding domain-specific knowledge, the STN enhances the Proximal Policy Optimization (PPO) algorithm's effectiveness without compromising performance, suggesting its suitability for a wide range of queueing network control problems.
title A Novel Switch-Type Policy Network for Resource Allocation Problems: Technical Report
topic Machine Learning
Systems and Control
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.11136