Cited by 7Advanced Control Systems OptimizationDistributed Control Multi-Agent SystemsTarget Tracking and Data Fusion in Sensor Networks

Decentralized Stochastic Control with Finite-Dimensional Memories: A Memory Limitation Approach

Open access
Tottori, Takehiro, Kobayashi, Tetsuya J.·2023·Entropy

Abstract

Decentralized stochastic control (DSC) is a stochastic optimal control problem consisting of multiple controllers. DSC assumes that each controller is unable to accurately observe the target system and the other controllers. This setup results in two difficulties in DSC; one is that each controller has to memorize the infinite-dimensional observation history, which is not practical, because the memory of the actual controllers is limited. The other is that the reduction of infinite-dimensional sequential Bayesian estimation to finite-dimensional Kalman filter is impossible in general DSC, even for linear-quadratic-Gaussian (LQG) problems. In order to address these issues, we propose an alternative theoretical framework to DSC—memory-limited DSC (ML-DSC). ML-DSC explicitly formulates the finite-dimensional memories of the controllers. Each controller is jointly optimized to compress the infinite-dimensional observation history into the prescribed finite-dimensional memory and to determine the control based on it. Therefore, ML-DSC can be a practical formulation for actual memory-limited controllers. We demonstrate how ML-DSC works in the LQG problem. The conventional DSC cannot be solved except in the special LQG problems where the information the controllers have is independent or partially nested. We show that ML-DSC can be solved in more general LQG problems where the interaction among the controllers is not restricted.

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Crossref · 10.3390/e25050791

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  • At higher energy availability (Q=1000), Π_zx and Π_zz take nonzero values, and memory-based estimation becomes optimal.

    “In contrast, when more energy is available ( Q = 1000), Π zx and Π zz take nonzero values, and memory-based estimation becomes optimal [Fig. 1(e,f)].”

    From Theoretical Analysis of Resource-Induced Phase Transitions in Estimation Strategies (2026) · cites this paper as [33]

    Section 6.2 (page unavailable) says memory-related elements of Π are not always zero, but does not tie this to energy availability or Q=1000. Section 6.1 (page unavailable) says the Π-based control accounts for state estimation but is not optimal; the optimal control also estimates other controllers’ memories. (LLM, conf=0.84)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Resource limitations induce a phase transition between memoryless and memory-based estimation strategies in a minimal model of biological information processing.

    “By applying this framework to a minimal model of biological information processing, we found that resource limitations induce a phase transition between memoryless and memory-based estimation strategies [Fig. 1] [33, 34].”

    From Theoretical Analysis of Resource-Induced Phase Transitions in Estimation Strategies (2026) · cites this paper as [33]

    The Introduction and Section 3.1 describe a framework that constrains controllers to finite-dimensional memories and optimizes how they use those memories. Section 6.1 compares estimation approaches, but our copy does not report a resource-induced phase transition between memoryless and memory-based strategies or apply the framework to a minimal model of biological information processing. (LLM, conf=0.83)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • As Q increases, nonzero Π_zx and Π_zz emerge discontinuously while Π_zx = Π_zz = 0 remains optimal.

    “As Q increases, Π zx , Π zz = 0 emerge discontinuously, while Π zx = Π zz = 0 remains optimal.”

    From Theoretical Analysis of Resource-Induced Phase Transitions in Estimation Strategies (2026) · cites this paper as [33]

    Section 6.2 reports that memory-related elements of Π are not always zero, which supports the limited point that nonzero elements occur. Neither the numerical experiments in Sections 6.1–6.2 nor the formulation in Section 5.1 reports a discontinuous emergence as Q increases or says that Π_zx = Π_zz = 0 remains optimal. Page numbers are unavailable in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.79)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Increasing M or F induces a transition from memory-based to memoryless estimation.

    “Similar to the transition with respect to Q , those with respect to M and F also occur monotonically but in the opposite direction: increasing M or F induces a transitions from memory-based to memoryless estimation [33, 34].”

    From Theoretical Analysis of Resource-Induced Phase Transitions in Estimation Strategies (2026) · cites this paper as [33]

    Section 6.1 discusses how memory controls affect estimation, but does not describe a transition from memory-based to memoryless estimation. Searches for that transition and for increasing M or F found no passage establishing the claimed direction or monotonicity. (LLM, conf=0.73)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • The state noise D also induces a similar nonmonotonic phase transition.

    “Furthermore, the state noise D also induces a similar nonmonotonic phase transition [33, 34].”

    From Theoretical Analysis of Resource-Induced Phase Transitions in Estimation Strategies (2026) · cites this paper as [33]

    Section 6.2 (page unavailable) says state noise causes the actual state to diverge from its target, but does not describe a phase transition. Searches for “nonmonotonic phase transition” and “state noise D” found no passage linking a noise parameter D to such a transition. (LLM, conf=0.75)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. [47]Puterman M.L. Markov Decision Processes: Discrete Stochastic Dynamic Programming Wiley-Interscience New York, NY, USA 2014

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Authors
Tottori, T., & Kobayashi, T. J.
Affiliations
  • The University of Tokyo (JP)
  • Institute of Industrial Science, The University of Tokyo (JP)
Corresponding author
Tottori, Takehiro
Venue
Entropy
Publisher
MDPI AG
Published
2023-05-12
Volume
25
Issue
5
Pages
791
ISSN
1099-4300 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W4376274848
Cited by
7
References
52
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 3 · 2023: 2
FWCI
0.75
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Entropy (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
  • JSPS Research Fellowship (21J20436, 19H05799, JPMJCR2011)
  • JSPS KAKENHI (21J20436, 19H05799, JPMJCR2011)
  • JST CREST (21J20436, 19H05799, JPMJCR2011)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Control and Systems Engineering › Advanced Control Systems Optimization
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Computer Networks and Communications › Distributed Control Multi-Agent Systems
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Artificial Intelligence › Target Tracking and Data Fusion in Sensor Networks
Keywords
decentralized stochastic control, LQG control, sequential Bayesian inference, Kalman filter, controller interaction

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