{"id":"https://openalex.org/W2040774021","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1145/1870103.1870106","title":"Approximation algorithms for restless bandit problems","display_name":"Approximation algorithms for restless bandit problems","publication_year":2010,"publication_date":"2010-12-01","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W2040774021","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1145/1870103.1870106","mag":"2040774021"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.1145/1870103.1870106","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1145/1870103.1870106","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S118992489","display_name":"Journal of the ACM","issn_l":"0004-5411","issn":["0004-5411","1557-735X"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310319798","host_organization_name":"Association for Computing Machinery","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310319798"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Association for Computing Machinery"],"type":"journal"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Journal of the ACM","raw_type":"journal-article"},"type":"article","indexed_in":["crossref"],"open_access":{"is_oa":false,"oa_status":"closed","oa_url":null,"any_repository_has_fulltext":false},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5114008024","display_name":"Sudipto Guha","orcid":null},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I79576946","display_name":"University of Pennsylvania","ror":"https://ror.org/00b30xv10","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I79576946"]}],"countries":["US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Sudipto Guha","raw_affiliation_strings":["University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I79576946"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5047351951","display_name":"Kamesh Munagala","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2636-9650"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I170897317","display_name":"Duke University","ror":"https://ror.org/00py81415","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I170897317"]}],"countries":["US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Kamesh Munagala","raw_affiliation_strings":["Duke University, Durham, NC"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Duke University, Durham, NC","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I170897317"]}]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5066086792","display_name":"Peng Shi","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1057-795X"},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I170897317","display_name":"Duke University","ror":"https://ror.org/00py81415","country_code":"US","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I170897317"]}],"countries":["US"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Peng Shi","raw_affiliation_strings":["Duke University, Durham, NC"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Duke University, Durham, NC","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I170897317"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":1,"institutions_distinct_count":3,"corresponding_author_ids":[],"corresponding_institution_ids":[],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":14.4533,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":115,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.98977348,"is_in_top_1_percent":false,"is_in_top_10_percent":true},"cited_by_percentile_year":{"min":94,"max":100},"biblio":{"volume":"58","issue":"1","first_page":"1","last_page":"50"},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T12101","display_name":"Advanced Bandit Algorithms Research","score":1.0,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1803","display_name":"Management Science and Operations Research"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/18","display_name":"Decision Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T12101","display_name":"Advanced Bandit Algorithms Research","score":1.0,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1803","display_name":"Management Science and Operations Research"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/18","display_name":"Decision Sciences"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/2","display_name":"Social Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T12288","display_name":"Optimization and Search Problems","score":0.9983000159263611,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1705","display_name":"Computer Networks and Communications"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10462","display_name":"Reinforcement Learning in Robotics","score":0.9975000023841858,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1702","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/markov-decision-process","display_name":"Markov decision process","score":0.6969101428985596},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/partially-observable-markov-decision-process","display_name":"Partially observable Markov decision process","score":0.6867212057113647},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/mathematical-optimization","display_name":"Mathematical optimization","score":0.620829701423645},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/generalization","display_name":"Generalization","score":0.5075114965438843},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/multi-armed-bandit","display_name":"Multi-armed bandit","score":0.5021505355834961},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/computer-science","display_name":"Computer science","score":0.49018555879592896},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/approximation-algorithm","display_name":"Approximation algorithm","score":0.4851849675178528},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/dynamic-programming","display_name":"Dynamic programming","score":0.4640234112739563},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/decision-problem","display_name":"Decision problem","score":0.4533233046531677},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/mathematics","display_name":"Mathematics","score":0.3942866027355194},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/markov-process","display_name":"Markov process","score":0.37379881739616394},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/algorithm","display_name":"Algorithm","score":0.24076882004737854}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C106189395","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q176789","display_name":"Markov decision process","level":3,"score":0.6969101428985596},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C17098449","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q176814","display_name":"Partially observable Markov decision process","level":4,"score":0.6867212057113647},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C126255220","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q141495","display_name":"Mathematical optimization","level":1,"score":0.620829701423645},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C177148314","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q170084","display_name":"Generalization","level":2,"score":0.5075114965438843},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C123197309","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2882343","display_name":"Multi-armed bandit","level":3,"score":0.5021505355834961},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.49018555879592896},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C148764684","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q621751","display_name":"Approximation algorithm","level":2,"score":0.4851849675178528},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C37404715","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q380679","display_name":"Dynamic programming","level":2,"score":0.4640234112739563},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C115988155","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3262192","display_name":"Decision problem","level":2,"score":0.4533233046531677},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C33923547","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q395","display_name":"Mathematics","level":0,"score":0.3942866027355194},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C159886148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q176645","display_name":"Markov process","level":2,"score":0.37379881739616394},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C11413529","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8366","display_name":"Algorithm","level":1,"score":0.24076882004737854},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C105795698","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12483","display_name":"Statistics","level":1,"score":0.0},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C50817715","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q79895177","display_name":"Regret","level":2,"score":0.0},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C134306372","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7754","display_name":"Mathematical analysis","level":1,"score":0.0},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C119857082","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2539","display_name":"Machine learning","level":1,"score":0.0}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":1,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.1145/1870103.1870106","is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1145/1870103.1870106","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S118992489","display_name":"Journal of the ACM","issn_l":"0004-5411","issn":["0004-5411","1557-735X"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310319798","host_organization_name":"Association for Computing Machinery","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310319798"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Association for Computing Machinery"],"type":"journal"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Journal of the ACM","raw_type":"journal-article"}],"best_oa_location":null,"sustainable_development_goals":[{"id":"https://metadata.un.org/sdg/16","score":0.8100000023841858,"display_name":"Peace, Justice and strong institutions"}],"awards":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/G1103353887","display_name":null,"funder_award_id":"CNS-0540347CCF-0745761","funder_id":"https://openalex.org/F4320337388","funder_display_name":"Division of Computer and Network Systems"},{"id":"https://openalex.org/G6175146944","display_name":null,"funder_award_id":"CNS-0540347CCF-0745761","funder_id":"https://openalex.org/F4320337387","funder_display_name":"Division of Computing and Communication Foundations"}],"funders":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/F4320337387","display_name":"Division of Computing and Communication Foundations","ror":"https://ror.org/01mng8331"},{"id":"https://openalex.org/F4320337388","display_name":"Division of Computer and Network Systems","ror":"https://ror.org/02rdzmk74"}],"has_content":{"grobid_xml":false,"pdf":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":67,"referenced_works":["https://openalex.org/W5220401","https://openalex.org/W86327413","https://openalex.org/W172143579","https://openalex.org/W633194093","https://openalex.org/W1487469129","https://openalex.org/W1490333206","https://openalex.org/W1508384000","https://openalex.org/W1510812122","https://openalex.org/W1563577400","https://openalex.org/W1600904064","https://openalex.org/W1601485248","https://openalex.org/W1601567149","https://openalex.org/W1664597917","https://openalex.org/W1965665090","https://openalex.org/W1973476981","https://openalex.org/W1979675141","https://openalex.org/W1991596659","https://openalex.org/W1992595998","https://openalex.org/W1998498767","https://openalex.org/W2001729421","https://openalex.org/W2004001705","https://openalex.org/W2009551863","https://openalex.org/W2021622496","https://openalex.org/W2025702744","https://openalex.org/W2029199203","https://openalex.org/W2034725503","https://openalex.org/W2036178425","https://openalex.org/W2041253441","https://openalex.org/W2042789015","https://openalex.org/W2044069028","https://openalex.org/W2044375425","https://openalex.org/W2044502527","https://openalex.org/W2049216612","https://openalex.org/W2055011753","https://openalex.org/W2056921512","https://openalex.org/W2068637807","https://openalex.org/W2077902449","https://openalex.org/W2086226441","https://openalex.org/W2093825590","https://openalex.org/W2093892790","https://openalex.org/W2098432798","https://openalex.org/W2102132526","https://openalex.org/W2102239103","https://openalex.org/W2105556121","https://openalex.org/W2108114251","https://openalex.org/W2116067849","https://openalex.org/W2121950432","https://openalex.org/W2124366921","https://openalex.org/W2139509144","https://openalex.org/W2144002623","https://openalex.org/W2148825261","https://openalex.org/W2151323275","https://openalex.org/W2156107305","https://openalex.org/W2159471113","https://openalex.org/W2168359464","https://openalex.org/W2168405694","https://openalex.org/W2168709337","https://openalex.org/W2404382636","https://openalex.org/W2540877599","https://openalex.org/W2562796107","https://openalex.org/W2611804663","https://openalex.org/W2949923811","https://openalex.org/W4210733276","https://openalex.org/W4235273215","https://openalex.org/W4239944506","https://openalex.org/W4307347247","https://openalex.org/W4389615664"],"related_works":["https://openalex.org/W2096013579","https://openalex.org/W52153049","https://openalex.org/W1760611253","https://openalex.org/W1515117609","https://openalex.org/W1589140671","https://openalex.org/W4323315247","https://openalex.org/W2294884454","https://openalex.org/W3169161914","https://openalex.org/W4321379664","https://openalex.org/W2211790881"],"abstract_inverted_index":{"The":[0,98],"restless":[1,27,233,290,331],"bandit":[2,16,28,234,291],"problem":[3,18,29,49,121,155],"is":[4,30,90,96,100,122,135,198,207,251,274,283,317],"one":[5],"of":[6,11,75,126,190,215,231,271,285,330,336,343],"the":[7,12,26,64,69,94,107,113,148,152,202,232,269,314,323,341],"most":[8],"well-studied":[9],"generalizations":[10],"celebrated":[13],"stochastic":[14,149],"multi-armed":[15],"(MAB)":[17],"in":[19,53,109,138,188,244,298,303,346],"decision":[20],"theory.":[21],"In":[22,59],"its":[23,51,211],"ultimate":[24],"generality,":[25],"known":[31],"to":[32,35,37,81,101,111,159,181,201,254],"be":[33],"PSPACE-Hard":[34],"approximate":[36],"any":[38],"nontrivial":[39,328],"factor,":[40],"and":[41,134,141,176,193,213,247,264,293],"little":[42],"progress":[43],"has":[44],"been":[45],"made":[46],"on":[47],"this":[48,60,182,245,304],"despite":[50],"significance":[52],"modeling":[54],"activity":[55],"allocation":[56],"under":[57],"uncertainty.":[58],"article,":[61],"we":[62,218,224,294],"consider":[63],"Feedback":[65,153],"MAB":[66,150,154],"problem,":[67,151],"where":[68,267],"reward":[70],"obtained":[71],"by":[72],"playing":[73,106,279],"each":[74],"n":[76],"independent":[77,286],"arms":[78,108],"varies":[79],"according":[80],"an":[82,124,272,296],"underlying":[83],"on/off":[84],"Markov":[85,130],"process":[86],"whose":[87],"exact":[88],"state":[89,270],"only":[91],"revealed":[92],"when":[93],"arm":[95,273],"played.":[97],"goal":[99],"design":[102],"a":[103,127,166,173,220,242,275,309],"policy":[104,180,197,240,307],"for":[105,210,288,327],"order":[110],"maximize":[112],"infinite":[114],"horizon":[115],"time":[116],"average":[117],"expected":[118],"reward.":[119],"This":[120],"also":[123,284],"instance":[125],"Partially":[128],"Observable":[129],"Decision":[131],"Process":[132],"(POMDP),":[133],"widely":[136,208],"studied":[137],"wireless":[139],"scheduling":[140],"unmanned":[142],"aerial":[143],"vehicle":[144],"(UAV)":[145],"routing.":[146],"Unlike":[147],"does":[156],"not":[157],"admit":[158],"greedy":[160,179],"index-based":[161],"optimal":[162],"policies.":[163],"We":[164,184,236],"develop":[165],"novel":[167],"duality-based":[168],"algorithmic":[169],"technique":[170,250,282],"that":[171,186,223,238],"yields":[172],"surprisingly":[174],"simple":[175],"intuitive":[177],"(2+\u03f5)-approximate":[178],"problem.":[183,235],"show":[185,237],"both":[187,347],"terms":[189],"approximation":[191,344],"factor":[192,311],"computational":[194],"efficiency,":[195],"our":[196,239,249,306,338],"closely":[199],"related":[200],"Whittle":[203,315],"index":[204,316],",":[205],"which":[206,228],"used":[209],"simplicity":[212],"efficiency":[214],"computation.":[216],"Subsequently":[217],"define":[219],"multi-state":[221],"generalization,":[222],"term":[225],"Monotone":[226],"bandits,":[227],"remains":[229,241],"subclass":[230],"2-approximation":[243],"setting,":[246],"further,":[248],"robust":[252],"enough":[253],"incorporate":[255],"various":[256],"side-constraints":[257],"such":[258],"as":[259,333,335],"blocking":[260],"plays,":[261],"switching":[262],"costs,":[263],"even":[265],"models":[266],"determining":[268],"separate":[276],"operation":[277],"from":[278],"it.":[280],"Our":[281],"interest":[287],"other":[289],"problems,":[292],"provide":[295],"example":[297],"nonpreemptive":[299],"machine":[300],"replenishment.":[301],"Interestingly,":[302],"case,":[305],"provides":[308],"constant":[310],"guarantee,":[312],"whereas":[313],"provably":[318],"polynomially":[319],"worse.":[320],"By":[321],"presenting":[322],"first":[324],"O(1)":[325],"approximations":[326],"instances":[329],"bandits":[332],"well":[334],"POMDPs,":[337],"work":[339],"initiates":[340],"study":[342],"algorithms":[345],"these":[348],"contexts.":[349]},"counts_by_year":[{"year":2026,"cited_by_count":3},{"year":2025,"cited_by_count":7},{"year":2024,"cited_by_count":5},{"year":2023,"cited_by_count":5},{"year":2022,"cited_by_count":2},{"year":2021,"cited_by_count":8},{"year":2020,"cited_by_count":10},{"year":2019,"cited_by_count":4},{"year":2018,"cited_by_count":6},{"year":2017,"cited_by_count":4},{"year":2016,"cited_by_count":5},{"year":2015,"cited_by_count":8},{"year":2014,"cited_by_count":9},{"year":2013,"cited_by_count":9},{"year":2012,"cited_by_count":15}],"updated_date":"2026-06-11T09:08:48.828518","created_date":"2025-10-10T00:00:00"}