Adaptability in Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning: A Framework and Unified Review

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Hu, Siyi, Hady, Mohamad A, Qiao, Jianglin, Cao, Jimmy, Pratama, Mahardhika, Kowalczyk, Ryszard
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
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author Hu, Siyi
Hady, Mohamad A
Qiao, Jianglin
Cao, Jimmy
Pratama, Mahardhika
Kowalczyk, Ryszard
author_facet Hu, Siyi
Hady, Mohamad A
Qiao, Jianglin
Cao, Jimmy
Pratama, Mahardhika
Kowalczyk, Ryszard
contents Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning (MARL) has shown clear effectiveness in coordinating multiple agents across simulated benchmarks and constrained scenarios. However, its deployment in real-world multi-agent systems (MAS) remains limited, primarily due to the complex and dynamic nature of such environments. These challenges arise from multiple interacting sources of variability, including fluctuating agent populations, evolving task goals, and inconsistent execution conditions. Together, these factors demand that MARL algorithms remain effective under continuously changing system configurations and operational demands. To better capture and assess this capacity for adjustment, we introduce the concept of \textit{adaptability} as a unified and practically grounded lens through which to evaluate the reliability of MARL algorithms under shifting conditions, broadly referring to any changes in the environment dynamics that may occur during learning or execution. Centred on the notion of adaptability, we propose a structured framework comprising three key dimensions: learning adaptability, policy adaptability, and scenario-driven adaptability. By adopting this adaptability perspective, we aim to support more principled assessments of MARL performance beyond narrowly defined benchmarks. Ultimately, this survey contributes to the development of algorithms that are better suited for deployment in dynamic, real-world multi-agent systems.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2507_10142
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Adaptability in Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning: A Framework and Unified Review
Hu, Siyi
Hady, Mohamad A
Qiao, Jianglin
Cao, Jimmy
Pratama, Mahardhika
Kowalczyk, Ryszard
Artificial Intelligence
Machine Learning
Multiagent Systems
Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning (MARL) has shown clear effectiveness in coordinating multiple agents across simulated benchmarks and constrained scenarios. However, its deployment in real-world multi-agent systems (MAS) remains limited, primarily due to the complex and dynamic nature of such environments. These challenges arise from multiple interacting sources of variability, including fluctuating agent populations, evolving task goals, and inconsistent execution conditions. Together, these factors demand that MARL algorithms remain effective under continuously changing system configurations and operational demands. To better capture and assess this capacity for adjustment, we introduce the concept of \textit{adaptability} as a unified and practically grounded lens through which to evaluate the reliability of MARL algorithms under shifting conditions, broadly referring to any changes in the environment dynamics that may occur during learning or execution. Centred on the notion of adaptability, we propose a structured framework comprising three key dimensions: learning adaptability, policy adaptability, and scenario-driven adaptability. By adopting this adaptability perspective, we aim to support more principled assessments of MARL performance beyond narrowly defined benchmarks. Ultimately, this survey contributes to the development of algorithms that are better suited for deployment in dynamic, real-world multi-agent systems.
title Adaptability in Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning: A Framework and Unified Review
topic Artificial Intelligence
Machine Learning
Multiagent Systems
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2507.10142