Policy synthesis for interval MDPs via polyhedral Lyapunov functions

Decision-making under uncertainty is central to many safety-critical applications, where decisions must be guided by probabilistic modeling formalisms. This paper introduces a novel approach to policy synthesis in multi-objective interval Markov decision processes using polyhedral Lyapunov functions. Unlike previous Lyapunov-based methods that mainly rely on quadratic functions, our method utilizes polyhedral functions to enhance accuracy in managing uncertainties within value iteration of dynamic programming. We reformulate the value iteration algorithm as a switched affine system with interval uncertainties and apply control-theoretic stability principles to synthesize policies that guide the system toward a desired target set. By constructing an invariant set of attraction, we ensure that the synthesized policies provide convergence guarantees while minimizing the impact of transition uncertainty in the underlying model. Our methodology removes the need for computationally intensive Pareto curve computations by directly determining a policy that brings objectives within a specified range of their target values. We validate our approach through numerical case studies, including a recycling robot and an electric vehicle battery, demonstrating its effectiveness in achieving policy synthesis under uncertainty.

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Publication Details

Journal
Nonlinear Analysis Hybrid Systems
Published
2026-10-28
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nahs.2026.101821
Primary Topic
Formal Methods in Verification
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00

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article

Policy synthesis for interval MDPs via polyhedral Lyapunov functions

Sadegh Soudjani, Negar Monir
1 links
Nonlinear Analysis Hybrid Systems
Formal Methods in Verification
article

Policy synthesis for interval MDPs via polyhedral Lyapunov functions

Sadegh Soudjani, Negar Monir
article en

Abstract

Decision-making under uncertainty is central to many safety-critical applications, where decisions must be guided by probabilistic modeling formalisms. This paper introduces a novel approach to policy synthesis in multi-objective interval Markov decision processes using polyhedral Lyapunov functions. Unlike previous Lyapunov-based methods that mainly rely on quadratic functions, our method utilizes polyhedral functions to enhance accuracy in managing uncertainties within value iteration of dynamic programming. We reformulate the value iteration algorithm as a switched affine system with interval uncertainties and apply control-theoretic stability principles to synthesize policies that guide the system toward a desired target set. By constructing an invariant set of attraction, we ensure that the synthesized policies provide convergence guarantees while minimizing the impact of transition uncertainty in the underlying model. Our methodology removes the need for computationally intensive Pareto curve computations by directly determining a policy that brings objectives within a specified range of their target values. We validate our approach through numerical case studies, including a recycling robot and an electric vehicle battery, demonstrating its effectiveness in achieving policy synthesis under uncertainty.

Nonlinear Analysis Hybrid SystemsVol. 63
Max Planck Institute for Software Systems (DE), University of Birmingham (GB), Newcastle University (GB)
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, European Research Council, European Innovation Council and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Executive Agency
Openalex Percentile: Top 94%
Formal Methods in Verification
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