Multi-Agent Deep Reinforcement Learning for Distributed Resource Management in Wirelessly Powered Communication Networks

Abstract: This paper studies multi-agent deep reinforcement learning (MADRL) based resource allocation methods for multi-cell wireless powered communication networks (WPCNs) where multiple hybrid access points (H-APs) wirelessly charge energy-limited users to collect data from them. We design a distributed reinforcement learning strategy where H-APs individually determine time and power allocation variables. Unlike traditional centralized optimization algorithms which require global information collected at a central unit, the proposed MADRL technique models an H-AP as an agent producing its action based only on its own locally observable states. Numerical results verify that the proposed approach can achieve comparable performance of the centralized algorithms.