{"id":"https://openalex.org/W7138216039","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.14608","title":"Delightful Policy Gradient","display_name":"Delightful Policy Gradient","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-03-15","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W7138216039","doi":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.14608"},"language":null,"primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2603.14608","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.14608","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":"2331-8422","issn":["2331-8422"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Preprint"},"type":"preprint","indexed_in":["datacite"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"green","oa_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.14608","any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5015899120","display_name":"Ian Osband","orcid":null},"institutions":[],"countries":[],"is_corresponding":true,"raw_author_name":"Osband, Ian","raw_affiliation_strings":[],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":0,"institutions_distinct_count":0,"corresponding_author_ids":["https://openalex.org/A5015899120"],"corresponding_institution_ids":[],"apc_list":null,"apc_paid":null,"fwci":null,"has_fulltext":false,"cited_by_count":0,"citation_normalized_percentile":null,"cited_by_percentile_year":null,"biblio":{"volume":null,"issue":null,"first_page":null,"last_page":null},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T12101","display_name":"Advanced Bandit Algorithms Research","score":0.7250000238418579,"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":0.7250000238418579,"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/T12026","display_name":"Explainable Artificial Intelligence (XAI)","score":0.053700000047683716,"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"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10462","display_name":"Reinforcement Learning in Robotics","score":0.040800001472234726,"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/action","display_name":"Action (physics)","score":0.6166999936103821},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/context","display_name":"Context (archaeology)","score":0.5313000082969666},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/term","display_name":"Term (time)","score":0.5012999773025513},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/transformer","display_name":"Transformer","score":0.46320000290870667},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/sequence","display_name":"Sequence (biology)","score":0.4453999996185303},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/variance","display_name":"Variance (accounting)","score":0.4237000048160553},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/sigmoid-function","display_name":"Sigmoid function","score":0.399399995803833}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2780791683","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q846785","display_name":"Action (physics)","level":2,"score":0.6166999936103821},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2779343474","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3109175","display_name":"Context (archaeology)","level":2,"score":0.5313000082969666},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C61797465","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1188986","display_name":"Term (time)","level":2,"score":0.5012999773025513},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.4982999861240387},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C66322947","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11658","display_name":"Transformer","level":3,"score":0.46320000290870667},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C2778112365","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3511065","display_name":"Sequence (biology)","level":2,"score":0.4453999996185303},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C196083921","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7915758","display_name":"Variance (accounting)","level":2,"score":0.4237000048160553},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C154945302","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11660","display_name":"Artificial intelligence","level":1,"score":0.41260001063346863},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C144237770","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q747534","display_name":"Mathematical economics","level":1,"score":0.40139999985694885},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C81388566","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q526668","display_name":"Sigmoid function","level":3,"score":0.399399995803833},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C149782125","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q160039","display_name":"Econometrics","level":1,"score":0.391400009393692},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C90673727","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q901718","display_name":"Product (mathematics)","level":2,"score":0.3727000057697296},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C162324750","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8134","display_name":"Economics","level":0,"score":0.3418999910354614},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C33923547","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q395","display_name":"Mathematics","level":0,"score":0.336899995803833},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C112972136","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7595718","display_name":"Stability (learning theory)","level":2,"score":0.33390000462532043},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C115961682","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q860623","display_name":"Image (mathematics)","level":2,"score":0.28540000319480896},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C115680565","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5977448","display_name":"Gradient method","level":2,"score":0.2775000035762787},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C26517878","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q228039","display_name":"Key (lock)","level":2,"score":0.266400009393692},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C11413529","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8366","display_name":"Algorithm","level":1,"score":0.262800008058548},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C109986646","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q546113","display_name":"Public policy","level":2,"score":0.26030001044273376}],"mesh":[],"locations_count":1,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2603.14608","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.14608","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":"2331-8422","issn":["2331-8422"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":null,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Preprint"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"doi:10.48550/arxiv.2603.14608","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2603.14608","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306400194","display_name":"arXiv (Cornell University)","issn_l":"2331-8422","issn":["2331-8422"],"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I205783295","host_organization_name":"Cornell University","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I205783295"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":null,"is_accepted":false,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":null,"raw_type":"Preprint"},"sustainable_development_goals":[{"id":"https://metadata.un.org/sdg/16","score":0.766937255859375,"display_name":"Peace, Justice and strong institutions"}],"awards":[],"funders":[],"has_content":{"pdf":false,"grobid_xml":false},"content_urls":null,"referenced_works_count":0,"referenced_works":[],"related_works":[],"abstract_inverted_index":{"Standard":[0],"policy":[1,60],"gradients":[2],"weight":[3],"each":[4,73],"sampled":[5],"action":[6,15,38,85],"by":[7],"advantage":[8,83],"alone,":[9],"regardless":[10],"of":[11,78,82],"how":[12],"likely":[13],"that":[14],"was":[16],"under":[17],"the":[18,42,52,59,66,80,106,112],"current":[19],"policy.":[20],"This":[21,116],"creates":[22],"two":[23],"pathologies:":[24],"within":[25],"a":[26,35,50,76,98],"single":[27,99],"decision":[28],"context":[29,100],"(e.g.":[30],"one":[31],"image":[32],"or":[33],"prompt),":[34],"rare":[36],"negative-advantage":[37],"can":[39],"disproportionately":[40],"distort":[41],"update":[43],"direction;":[44],"across":[45,102,137],"many":[46],"such":[47],"contexts":[48,58],"in":[49,97],"batch,":[51],"expected":[53,107],"gradient":[54,108],"over-allocates":[55],"budget":[56],"to":[57,111],"already":[61],"handles":[62],"well.":[63],"We":[64],"introduce":[65],"\\textit{Delightful":[67],"Policy":[68],"Gradient}":[69],"(DG),":[70],"which":[71],"gates":[72],"term":[74],"with":[75,126,145],"sigmoid":[77],"\\emph{delight},":[79],"product":[81],"and":[84,134,142],"surprisal":[86],"(negative":[87],"log-probability).":[88],"For":[89],"$K$-armed":[90],"bandits,":[91],"DG":[92,130],"provably":[93],"improves":[94],"directional":[95],"accuracy":[96],"and,":[101],"multiple":[103],"contexts,":[104],"shifts":[105],"strictly":[109],"closer":[110],"supervised":[113],"cross-entropy":[114],"oracle.":[115],"second":[117],"effect":[118],"is":[119],"not":[120],"variance":[121],"reduction:":[122],"it":[123],"persists":[124],"even":[125],"infinite":[127],"samples.":[128],"Empirically,":[129],"outperforms":[131],"REINFORCE,":[132],"PPO,":[133],"advantage-weighted":[135],"baselines":[136],"MNIST,":[138],"transformer":[139],"sequence":[140],"modeling,":[141],"continuous":[143],"control,":[144],"larger":[146],"gains":[147],"on":[148],"harder":[149],"tasks.":[150]},"counts_by_year":[],"updated_date":"2026-07-28T07:46:37.118299","created_date":"2026-03-18T00:00:00"}
