A novel reinforcement learning-based method for structure optimization

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With the rapid development of deep learning technology, Reinforcement Learning (RL) has garnered considerable acclaim within the realm of structural optimization owing to its excellent exploration mechanism. However, the widespread application of RL in this field is limited owing to the excessive number of iterations required to converge and the expensive computational cost it brings. To address these challenges, this article presents a novel RL framework for structural optimization, combining Monte Carlo tree search with the proximal policy optimization method, called LMPOM. The key contributions of LMPOM encompass: (1) an enhanced Monte Carlo tree search strategy for partitioning the hybrid design space; (2) a strategy for adaptively updating surrogate models to reduce simulation costs; and (3) the introduction of a novel termination condition for the RL algorithms. Through tests on three benchmark problems, compared with previous RL algorithms, LMPOM consistently shows fewer iterations and better optimization results.