We propose minimum empirical divergence (MED) policy for the multiarmed bandit problem. We prove asymptotic optimality of the proposed policy for the case of finite support models. In our setting, Burnetas and Katehakis [3] has already proposed an asymptotically optimal policy. For choosing an arm our policy uses a criterion which is dual to the quantity used in [3]. Our criterion is easily com...

The paper focuses on regional trade agreements and economic co-operation and develops a new appropriate approach to study their impact on growth and trade. The approach is based on an endogenous trade-growth theory and novelly specified in an economic integration (expenditure) framework which is the conceptual foundation of regional trade agreements. Importantly, it also appropriately takes int...

Background The main purpose of this study was to identify factors that influence healthcare quality in the Iranian context.   Methods Exploratory in-depth individual and focus group interviews were conducted with 222 healthcare stakeholders including healthcare providers, managers, policy-makers, and payers to identify factors affecting the quality of healthcare services provided in Iranian hea...

In this paper, I attempt to bring together approaches to literacy in theory and in practice, drawing upon various activities I have been involved in over the years–research in Iranian villages during the 1970s; linking research and theory to literacy policy, with particular reference to a contribution to the Unesco Global Monitoring Report in 2004 and involvement in an ongoing adult literacy tr...

Informational conflicts in operational policies cause agents to run into situations where responding based on the rules in one policy violates the same or another policy. Static checking of these conflicts is infeasible and impractical in a dynamic environment. This paper discusses a practical approach to handling policy conflicts in real-time domains within the context of a hierarchical milita...

Contrary to the claims that Hayek’s views on monetary policy were inconsistent, we show that Hayek was never an advocate of any particular monetary policy. In particular, we reject the view that early Hayek was a money stream stabilizer, while late Hayek was a price level stabilizer. We argue that Hayek was always aware that each practical monetary policy involves difficult trade-offs and was t...

We present a survey of policy search algorithms in reinforcement learning. The foundations of reinforcement learning and the historical development of policy search are discussed. Policy search algorithms are divided and examined along three axes. First, we examine the search methodology utilized by the algorithm. Second, we examine the representational structure of the policy. Finally, we exam...

During the last two decades, product labeling has become an increasingly used policy tool, particularly with respect to the provision of health and environmerrtd information. Theory holds that the flow of information among market participants plays a critical role in the efficient operation of markets. This paper explores the role of product labeling policy in ameliorating two potential market ...

Written by a group of political science researchers, this commentary focuses on the contributions of political science to public health and proposes research avenues to increase those contributions. Despite progress, the links between researchers from these two fields develop only slowly. Divergences between the approach of political science to public policy and the expectations that public hea...

Run-time monitors ensure that untrusted software and system behavior adheres to a security policy. This paper defines an expressive formal framework, based on I/O automata, for modeling systems, policies, and run-time monitors in more detail than is typical. We explicitly model, for example, the environment, applications, and the interaction between them and monitors. The fidelity afforded by t...