ArXiv:2608.20401 Shows Support-Restricted Environment States Factor Through Joint Causal States
ArXiv:2608.20401 formalises three distinct world-model channels and proves that coupling-induced support restriction yields finite canonical models from potentially infinite unrestricted ones. The result supplies a structural test for when joint modelling is required before separate agent or environment abstraction. It directly constrains model-based RL architectures that assume open-loop environment models remain valid under closed-loop deployment.
Next steps include empirical tests on continuous control benchmarks to measure state reduction and sample efficiency gains when support restriction is enforced. Related work on epsilon-machines from Crutchfield 2012 and predictive state representations from Littman 2001 provide the formal backbone.
Baltieri: support-restricted joint models will show at least 3x state reduction versus open-loop PSR on MuJoCo tasks with horizon >=50 within 12 months
Sources (2)
- [1]Primary Source(https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.20401)
- [2]Supporting Source(https://arxiv.org/abs/cond-mat/0406214)