Reinforcement learning algorithms as function optimizers

Any nonassociative reinforcement learning algorithm can be viewed as a method for performing function optimization through (possibly noise-corrupted) sampling of function values. A description is given of the results of simulations in which the optima of several deterministic functions studied by D.H. Ackley (Ph.D. Diss., Carnegie-Mellon Univ., 1987) were sought using variants of REINFORCE algorithms. Results obtained for certain of these algorithms compare favorably to the best results found by Ackley.<
>