Optimistic and Pessimistic Actor in RL:Decoupling Exploration and Utilization

Deep neural network(DNN) generalization is limited by the over-reliance of current offline reinforcement learning techniques on conservative processing of existing datasets. This method frequently results in algorithms that settle for suboptimal solutions that only adjust to a certain dataset. Similarly, in online reinforcement learning, the previously imposed punitive pessimism also deprives the model of its exploratory potential. Our research proposes a novel framework, Optimistic and Pessimistic Actor Reinforcement Learning (OPARL). OPARL employs a unique dual-actor approach: an optimistic actor dedicated to exploration and a pessimistic actor focused on utilization, thereby effectively differentiating between exploration and utilization strategies. This unique combination in reinforcement learning methods fosters a more balanced and efficient approach. It enables the optimization of policies that focus on actions yielding high rewards through pessimistic utilization strategies, while also ensuring extensive state coverage via optimistic exploration. Experiments and theoretical study demonstrates OPARL improves agents' capacities for application and exploration. In the most tasks of DMControl benchmark and Mujoco environment, OPARL performed better than state-of-the-art methods. Our code has released on https://github.com/yydsok/OPARL