1st International Workshop Control over Communication Channels

Research Article

A Graphical Modeling Approach to Simplifying Sequential Teams

  • @INPROCEEDINGS{10.1109/WIOPT.2009.5291560,
        author={Aditya Mahajan and Sekhar Tatikonda},
        title={A Graphical Modeling Approach to Simplifying Sequential Teams},
        proceedings={1st International Workshop Control over Communication Channels},
        publisher={IEEE},
        proceedings_a={CONCOM},
        year={2009},
        month={10},
        keywords={Sequential teams decentralized system stochastic control Markov decision processes partially observable Markov decision processes},
        doi={10.1109/WIOPT.2009.5291560}
    }
    
  • Aditya Mahajan
    Sekhar Tatikonda
    Year: 2009
    A Graphical Modeling Approach to Simplifying Sequential Teams
    CONCOM
    IEEE
    DOI: 10.1109/WIOPT.2009.5291560
Aditya Mahajan1,*, Sekhar Tatikonda1,*
  • 1: Department of Electrical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT -06520, USA
*Contact email: aditya.mahajan@yale.edu, sekhar.tatikonda@yale.edu

Abstract

A graphical model for sequential teams is presented. This model is easy to understand, and at the same time, is general enough to model any finite horizon sequential team with finite valued system variables and unconstrained decision rules. The model can also be represented as a directed acyclic factor graph. This representation makes it easier to visualize and understand the functional dependencies between different system variables. It also helps in identifying data that is irrelevant for a decision maker to take an optimal decision. Such irrelevant data can be identified using algorithms from graphical models. Thus, the structural properties of optimal decision makers in this model for a sequential team can be identified in an automated manner using the directed acyclic factor graph representation of the sequential team.