Density estimation and adaptive control of markov processes: Average and discounted criteria

We consider a class of discrete-time Markov control processes with Borel state and action spaces, and ^d i.i.d. disturbances with unknown distribution . Under mild semi-continuity and compactness conditions, and assuming that is absolutely continuous with respect to Lebesgue measure, we establish the existence of adaptive control policies which are (1) optimal for the average-reward criterion, and (2) asymptotically optimal in the discounted case. Our results are obtained by taking advantage of some well-known facts in the theory of density estimation. This approach allows us to avoid restrictive conditions on the state space and/or on the system's transition law imposed in recent works, and on the other hand, it clearly shows the way to other applications of nonparametric (density) estimation to adaptive control.Research partially supported by The Third World Academy of Sciences under Research Grant No. MP 898-152.     

The umbral calculus and orthogonal polynomials

We determine all orthogonal polynomials having Boas-Buck generating functions g(t)(xf(t)), where% MathType!MTEF!2!1!+-% feaafiart1ev1aaatCvAUfeBSjuyZL2yd9gzLbvyNv2CaerbuLwBLn% hiov2DGi1BTfMBaeXatLxBI9gBaerbd9wDYLwzYbItLDharqqtubsr% 4rNCHbGeaGqiVu0Je9sqqrpepC0xbbL8F4rqqrFfpeea0xe9Lq-Jc9% vqaqpepm0xbba9pwe9Q8fs0-yqaqpepae9pg0FirpepeKkFr0xfr-x% fr-xb9adbaqaaeGaciGaaiaabeqaamaabaabaaGceaqabeaacqqHOo% qwcaGGOaGaamiDaiaacMcacqGH9aqpruqqYLwySbacfaGaa8hiamaa% BeaaleaacaaIWaaabeaakiaadAeacaqGGaWaaSbaaSqaaiaabgdaae% qaaOGaaeikaiaadggacaGGSaGaa8hiaiaadshacaqGPaGaaeilaiaa% bccacaqGGaGaaeiiaiaadggacqGHGjsUcaaIWaGaaiilaiaa-bcacq% GHsislcaaIXaGaaiilaiaa-bcacqGHsislcaaIYaGaaiilaiablAci% ljaacUdaaeaacqqHOoqwcaGGOaGaamiDaiaacMcacqGH9aqpcaWFGa% WaaSraaSqaaiaaicdaaeqaaOGaamOraiaabccadaWgaaWcbaGaaeOm% aaqabaGccaGGOaWaaSqaaSqaaiaaigdaaeaacaaIZaaaaOGaaiilai% aa-bcadaWcbaWcbaGaaGOmaaqaaiaaiodaaaGccaGGSaGaa8hiaiaa% dshacaGGPaGaa8hiamaaBeaaleaacaaIWaaabeaakiaadAeacaqGGa% WaaSbaaSqaaiaabkdaaeqaaOGaaeikamaaleaaleaacaaIYaaabaGa% aG4maaaakiaacYcacaWFGaWaaSqaaSqaaiaaisdaaeaacaaIZaaaaO% Gaaiilaiaa-bcacaWG0bGaaiykaiaacYcacaWFGaWaaSraaSqaaiaa% icdaaeqaaOGaamOraiaabccadaWgaaWcbaGaaeOmaaqabaGccaGGOa% WaaSqaaSqaaiaaisdaaeaacaaIZaaaaOGaaiilaiaa-bcadaWcbaWc% baGaaGynaaqaaiaaiodaaaGccaGGSaGaa8hiaiaadshacaGGPaGaai% 4oaaqaaiabfI6azjaacIcacaWG0bGaaiykaiabg2da9iaa-bcadaWg% baWcbaGaaGimaaqabaGccaWGgbGaaeiiamaaBaaaleaacaqGZaaabe% aakiaacIcadaWcbaWcbaGaaGymaaqaaiaaisdaaaGccaGGSaGaa8hi% amaaleaaleaacaaIYaaabaGaaGinaaaakiaacYcacaWFGaWaaSqaaS% qaaiaaiodaaeaacaaI0aaaaOGaaiilaiaa-bcacaWG0bGaaiykaiaa% -bcadaWgbaWcbaGaaGimaaqabaGccaWGgbGaaeiiamaaBaaaleaaca% qGZaaabeaakiaabIcadaWcbaWcbaGaaGOmaaqaaiaaisdaaaGccaGG% SaGaa8hiamaaleaaleaacaaIZaaabaGaaGinaaaakiaacYcacaWFGa% WaaSqaaSqaaiaaiwdaaeaacaaI0aaaaOGaaiilaiaa-bcacaWG0bGa% aiykaiaacYcaaeaadaWgbaWcbaGaaGimaaqabaGccaWGgbGaaeiiam% aaBaaaleaacaqGZaaabeaakiaacIcadaWcbaWcbaGaaG4maaqaaiaa% isdaaaGccaGGSaGaa8hiamaaleaaleaacaaI1aaabaGaaGinaaaaki% aacYcacaWFGaWaaSqaaSqaaiaaiAdaaeaacaaI0aaaaOGaaiilaiaa% -bcacaWG0bGaaiykaiaacYcacaGGUaGaa8hiamaaBeaaleaacaaIWa% aabeaakiaadAeacaqGGaWaaSbaaSqaaiaabodaaeqaaOGaaeikamaa% leaaleaacaaI1aaabaGaaGinaaaakiaacYcacaWFGaWaaSqaaSqaai% aaiAdaaeaacaaI0aaaaOGaaiilaiaa-bcadaWcbaWcbaGaaG4naaqa% aiaaisdaaaGccaGGSaGaa8hiaiaadshacaGGPaGaaiOlaaaaaa!C1F3!\[\begin{gathered}\Psi (t) = {}_0F{\text{ }}_{\text{1}} {\text{(}}a, t{\text{), }}a \ne 0, - 1, - 2, \ldots ; \hfill \\\Psi (t) = {}_0F{\text{ }}_{\text{2}} (\tfrac{1}{3}, \tfrac{2}{3}, t) {}_0F{\text{ }}_{\text{2}} {\text{(}}\tfrac{2}{3}, \tfrac{4}{3}, t), {}_0F{\text{ }}_{\text{2}} (\tfrac{4}{3}, \tfrac{5}{3}, t); \hfill \\\Psi (t) = {}_0F{\text{ }}_{\text{3}} (\tfrac{1}{4}, \tfrac{2}{4}, \tfrac{3}{4}, t) {}_0F{\text{ }}_{\text{3}} {\text{(}}\tfrac{2}{4}, \tfrac{3}{4}, \tfrac{5}{4}, t), \hfill \\{}_0F{\text{ }}_{\text{3}} (\tfrac{3}{4}, \tfrac{5}{4}, \tfrac{6}{4}, t),. {}_0F{\text{ }}_{\text{3}} {\text{(}}\tfrac{5}{4}, \tfrac{6}{4}, \tfrac{7}{4}, t). \hfill \\\end{gathered}\]We also determine all Sheffer polynomials which are orthogonal on the unit circle. The formula for the product of polynomials of the Boas-Buck type is obtained.     

Krichever-Novikov algebras for more than two points

Krichever-Novikov algebras of meromorphic vector fields with more than two poles on higher genus Riemann surfaces are introduced. The structure of these algebras and their induced modules of forms of weight is studied.     

A new Pythagorean functional equation

The purpose of this paper is to solve the following Pythagorean functional equation:(e ^p(x,y) ) ² ) = q(x,y) ² + r(x, y) ², where each ofp(x,y), q(x, y) andr(x, y) is a real-valued unknown harmonic function of the real variablesx, y on the wholexy-planeR ².The result is as follows.     

Finding numerical solution of linear partial differential equations of first order with real coefficients

Applying Bittner's operational calculus we present a method to give approximate solutions of linear partial differential equations of first order

Variations on the theme of repeated distances

We give an asymptotically sharp estimate for the error term of the maximum number of unit distances determined byn points in ^{d, d}4. We also give asymptotically tight upper bounds on the total number of occurrences of the favourite distances fromn points in ^{d, d}4. Related results are proved for distances determined byn disjoint compact convex sets in ².At the time this paper was written, both authors were visiting the Technion — Israel Institute of Technology.     

Heat “polynomials” for a singular differential operator on (0, ∞)

We generalize the theory of the heat polynomials introduced by P. V. Rosenbloom and D. V. Widder for a more general class of singular differential operator on (0, ). The heat polynomials associated with the Bessel operator and studied by D. T. Haimo appear as a particular case in this paper. In the special cases of second derivative and Bessel operators the heat polynomials are in fact polynomials inx andt, however, this property does not hold in general.Communicated by Tom. H. Koornwinder.     

Lower bound of overall exponential sums for polynomialsϕ(x d )

LetS ⁽¹⁾ (n, Q) denote the maximum module of exponential sums for polynomials of degree n over the Galois fieldF _Q . In a previous paper the transition to the multiple exponential sums allowed us to obtain a good lower bound of the valueS ⁽¹⁾ (n, Q), which coincides with Weil's bound whenn = q ^(m-1)/2 + 1, whereq, m are odd andm 3. Here the same approach is used for the estimation of the valueS ^(d) (n, Q), which corresponds to polynomials(x ^d ) overF _Q , whered is any divisor ofq – 1.     

The many limits of mixed means

The sequences introduced by Carlson (1971) are variants of the Gauss arithmetic geometric sequences (which have been elegantly discussed by D. A. Cox (1984, 1985)). Given (complex)a ₀,b ₀ we define