6–11 Dec 2026
Stellenbosch University
Africa/Johannesburg timezone

Improved Quantum Algorithms for Reinforcement Learning Under a Generative Model

9 Dec 2026, 12:10
20m
Jan Mouton Learning Centre (Stellenbosch University)

Jan Mouton Learning Centre

Stellenbosch University

Speaker

Joao F. Doriguello (HUN-REN Alfréd Rényi Institute of Mathematics)

Description

Reinforcement learning is a subfield of machine learning that studies how an agent interacts with an environment in order to extract as large a reward as possible. A standard approach to study such interaction is through Markov Decision Processes (MDPs) and the choice for an optimal policy --- a function that tells the agent which action to take. In this work, we study two types of MDPs --- finite-horizon and infinite-horizon discounted --- and propose new quantum algorithms for computing approximate optimal policies. Our quantum algorithms are based on a new combination of standard value iteration and quantum subroutines like quantum mean estimation and quantum minimum finding, overall enhanced with techniques from the sample-optimal classical algorithms. Our resulting query complexities improve upon previous works, thus approaching already established quantum lower bounds.

Topic Quantum algorithms for machine learning applications

Author

Joao F. Doriguello (HUN-REN Alfréd Rényi Institute of Mathematics)

Presentation materials