Continuous-time Markov decision processes under the risk-sensitive average cost criterion

Abstract

This paper studies continuous-time Markov decision processes under the risk-sensitive average cost criterion. The state space is a finite set, the action space is a Borel space, the cost and transition rates are bounded, and the risk-sensitivity coefficient can take any positive real number. Under the mild conditions, we develop a new approach to establish the existence of a solution to the risk-sensitive average cost optimality equation and obtain the existence of an optimal deterministic stationary policy.