ResearchResearch paperReinforcement Learning1 source · Oct 14, 2026

Non-asymptotic Convergence of Average-reward Q-learning with Options

We study the finite-sample convergence of Q-learning algorithms for the average-reward formulation of Reinforcement Learning (RL) with options.

Key points

  • While options allow temporarily extended and hierarchical actions, the average-reward formulation incorporates continual tasks beyond discounted and episodic RL.
  • First, we prove that both inter- and intra-option Bellman operators satisfy multi-step span contractions under unichain assumptions.
  • Then, we propose synchronous estimators of these multi-step option Bellman operators leading to two variants of option Q-learning.
  • Finally, we extend the stochastic approximation framework to prove convergence rates of these two algorithms under the minimal assumptions used in the literature.

Sources (1)

  • [1]Non-asymptotic Convergence of Average-reward Q-learning with Options
    arXiv (AI, ML, NLP, CV, robotics, multi-agent) · Oct 14, 03:26 PM
    We study the finite-sample convergence of Q-learning algorithms for the average-reward formulation of Reinforcement Learning (RL) with options.
    While options allow temporarily extended and hierarchical actions, the average-reward formulation incorporates continual tasks beyond discounted and episodic RL.

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