An Improved Parametrization and Analysis of the EXP3++ Algorithm for Stochastic and Adversarial Bandits

Yevgeny Seldin, Gábor Lugosi

We present a new strategy for gap estimation in randomized algorithms for multiarmed bandits and combine it with the EXP3++ algorithm of Seldin and Slivkins (2014). In the stochastic regime the strategy reduces dependence of regret on a time horizon from (ln⁡t)3(\ln t)^3 to (ln⁡t)2(\ln t)^2 and eliminates an additive factor of order Δe1/Δ2Δe^{1/Δ^2}, where ΔΔ is the minimal gap of a problem instance. In the adversarial regime regret guarantee remains unchanged.