Papers › DFAC Framework: Factorizing the Value Function via Quantile Mixture for Multi-Agent...

DFAC Framework: Factorizing the Value Function via Quantile Mixture for Multi-Agent Distributional Q-Learning

16 Feb 2021arXiv:2102.07936archive 2025-07-28

Wei-Fang Sun, Cheng-Kuang Lee, Chun-Yi Lee

In fully cooperative multi-agent reinforcement learning (MARL) settings, the environments are highly stochastic due to the partial observability of each agent and the continuously changing policies of the other agents. To address the above issues, we integrate distributional RL and value function factorization methods by proposing a Distributional Value Function Factorization (DFAC) framework to generalize expected value function factorization methods to their DFAC variants. DFAC extends the individual utility functions from deterministic variables to random variables, and models the quantile function of the total return as a quantile mixture. To validate DFAC, we demonstrate DFAC's ability to factorize a simple two-step matrix game with stochastic rewards and perform experiments on all Super Hard tasks of StarCraft Multi-Agent Challenge, showing that DFAC is able to outperform expected value function factorization baselines.

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Tasks

Multi-agent Reinforcement LearningQ-LearningSMACSMAC+Starcraft

Results from the paper archive 2025-07-28

TaskDatasetModelMetricValueRank at snapshotLeaderboardReport
SMAC SMAC 27m_vs_30m DDN Average Score 19.71 #1 of 11 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC 27m_vs_30m DDN Median Win Rate 91.48 #1 of 11 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC 27m_vs_30m DMIX Average Score 19.43 #3 of 11 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC 27m_vs_30m DMIX Median Win Rate 85.45 #3 of 11 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC 27m_vs_30m QMIX Average Score 19.41 #4 of 11 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC 27m_vs_30m QMIX Median Win Rate 84.77 #4 of 11 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC 27m_vs_30m VDN Average Score 18.45 #6 of 11 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC 27m_vs_30m VDN Median Win Rate 63.12 #6 of 11 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC 27m_vs_30m DIQL Average Score 14.45 #9 of 11 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC 27m_vs_30m DIQL Median Win Rate 6.02 #9 of 11 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC 27m_vs_30m IQL Average Score 14.01 #10 of 11 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC 27m_vs_30m IQL Median Win Rate 2.27 #10 of 11 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC 3s5z_vs_3s6z DDN Average Score 20.94 #2 of 13 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC 3s5z_vs_3s6z DDN Median Win Rate 94.03 #2 of 13 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC 3s5z_vs_3s6z DMIX Average Score 19.7 #3 of 13 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC 3s5z_vs_3s6z DMIX Median Win Rate 91.08 #3 of 13 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC 3s5z_vs_3s6z VDN Average Score 19.75 #5 of 13 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC 3s5z_vs_3s6z VDN Median Win Rate 89.2 #5 of 13 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC 3s5z_vs_3s6z QMIX Average Score 20.16 #7 of 13 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC 3s5z_vs_3s6z QMIX Median Win Rate 67.22 #7 of 13 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC 3s5z_vs_3s6z DIQL Average Score 17.52 #8 of 13 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC 3s5z_vs_3s6z DIQL Median Win Rate 62.22 #8 of 13 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC 3s5z_vs_3s6z IQL Average Score 16.54 #9 of 13 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC 3s5z_vs_3s6z IQL Median Win Rate 29.83 #9 of 13 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC 6h_vs_8z DDN Average Score 19.4 #2 of 14 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC 6h_vs_8z DDN Median Win Rate 83.92 #2 of 14 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC 6h_vs_8z DMIX Average Score 17.14 #3 of 14 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC 6h_vs_8z DMIX Median Win Rate 49.43 #3 of 14 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC 6h_vs_8z QMIX Average Score 14.37 #5 of 14 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC 6h_vs_8z QMIX Median Win Rate 12.78 #5 of 14 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC 6h_vs_8z VDN Average Score 15.41 #8 of 14 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC 6h_vs_8z VDN Median Win Rate 0 #8 of 14 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC 6h_vs_8z DIQL Average Score 14.94 #9 of 14 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC 6h_vs_8z DIQL Median Win Rate 0.00 #9 of 14 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC 6h_vs_8z IQL Average Score 13.78 #10 of 14 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC 6h_vs_8z IQL Median Win Rate 0 #10 of 14 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC MMM2 DDN Average Score 20.9 #2 of 14 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC MMM2 DDN Median Win Rate 97.22 #2 of 14 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC MMM2 DMIX Average Score 19.87 #5 of 14 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC MMM2 DMIX Median Win Rate 95.11 #5 of 14 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC MMM2 QMIX Average Score 19.42 #6 of 14 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC MMM2 QMIX Median Win Rate 92.44 #6 of 14 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC MMM2 VDN Average Score 19.36 #7 of 14 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC MMM2 VDN Median Win Rate 89.2 #7 of 14 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC MMM2 DIQL Average Score 19.21 #8 of 14 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC MMM2 DIQL Median Win Rate 85.23 #8 of 14 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC MMM2 IQL Average Score 17.5 #11 of 14 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC MMM2 IQL Median Win Rate 68.92 #11 of 14 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC corridor DDN Average Score 20 #2 of 13 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC corridor DDN Median Win Rate 95.4 #2 of 13 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC corridor DIQL Average Score 19.68 #3 of 13 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC corridor DIQL Median Win Rate 91.62 #3 of 13 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC corridor DMIX Average Score 19.66 #4 of 13 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC corridor DMIX Median Win Rate 90.45 #4 of 13 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC corridor VDN Average Score 19.47 #5 of 13 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC corridor VDN Median Win Rate 85.34 #5 of 13 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC corridor IQL Average Score 19.42 #6 of 13 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC corridor IQL Median Win Rate 84.87 #6 of 13 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC corridor QMIX Average Score 15.07 #9 of 13 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC SMAC corridor QMIX Median Win Rate 37.61 #9 of 13 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC+ Def_Armored_parallel DMIX Median Win Rate 90.0 #1 of 10 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC+ Def_Armored_parallel DDN Median Win Rate 0.0 #9 of 10 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC+ Def_Armored_parallel DIQL Median Win Rate 0.0 #10 of 10 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC+ Def_Armored_sequential DMIX Median Win Rate 81.3 #5 of 11 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC+ Def_Armored_sequential DDN Median Win Rate 71.9 #6 of 11 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC+ Def_Armored_sequential DIQL Median Win Rate 53.1 #7 of 11 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC+ Def_Infantry_parallel DMIX Median Win Rate 90.0 #5 of 10 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC+ Def_Infantry_parallel DDN Median Win Rate 20.0 #10 of 10 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC+ Def_Infantry_sequential DMIX Median Win Rate 100 #4 of 11 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC+ Def_Infantry_sequential DIQL Median Win Rate 93.8 #8 of 11 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC+ Def_Infantry_sequential DDN Median Win Rate 90.6 #9 of 11 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC+ Def_Outnumbered_parallel DMIX Median Win Rate 5.0 #3 of 10 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC+ Def_Outnumbered_parallel DDN Median Win Rate 0.0 #9 of 10 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC+ Def_Outnumbered_parallel DIQL Median Win Rate 0.0 #10 of 10 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC+ Def_Outnumbered_sequential DDN Median Win Rate 0.0 #9 of 11 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC+ Def_Outnumbered_sequential DIQL Median Win Rate 0.0 #10 of 11 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC+ Def_Outnumbered_sequential DMIX Median Win Rate 0.0 #11 of 11 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC+ Off_Complicated_parallel DDN Median Win Rate 0.0 #8 of 10 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC+ Off_Complicated_parallel DIQL Median Win Rate 0.0 #9 of 10 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC+ Off_Complicated_parallel DMIX Median Win Rate 0.0 #10 of 10 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC+ Off_Distant_parallel DDN Median Win Rate 0.0 #8 of 10 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC+ Off_Distant_parallel DIQL Median Win Rate 0.0 #9 of 10 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC+ Off_Distant_parallel DMIX Median Win Rate 0.0 #10 of 10 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC+ Off_Hard_parallel DDN Median Win Rate 0.0 #8 of 10 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC+ Off_Hard_parallel DIQL Median Win Rate 0.0 #9 of 10 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC+ Off_Hard_parallel DMIX Median Win Rate 0.0 #10 of 10 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC+ Off_Near_parallel DDN Median Win Rate 0.0 #8 of 10 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC+ Off_Near_parallel DIQL Median Win Rate 0.0 #9 of 10 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC+ Off_Near_parallel DMIX Median Win Rate 0.0 #10 of 10 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC+ Off_Superhard_parallel DDN Median Win Rate 0.0 #7 of 10 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC+ Off_Superhard_parallel DIQL Median Win Rate 0.0 #8 of 10 Archive leaderboard report
SMAC+ Off_Superhard_parallel DMIX Median Win Rate 0.0 #9 of 10 Archive leaderboard report

Ranks are positions in the archive's leaderboards as they stood at the 2025-07-28 snapshot. Results published since then are not among these rows, so a rank here is not a current standing.

Methods

Q-Learning

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