---
id: wiki-2026-0508-pomdp
title: POMDP
category: 10_Wiki/Topics
status: verified
canonical_id: self
aliases: [Partially-Observable-MDP, Partially-Observable-Markov-Decision-Process]
duplicate_of: none
source_trust_level: A
confidence_score: 0.95
verification_status: applied
tags: [reinforcement-learning, planning, belief-state, pomdp, decision-making]
raw_sources: []
last_reinforced: 2026-05-10
github_commit: pending
tech_stack:
  language: python
  framework: pytorch-pomdp_py
---

# POMDP

## 매 한 줄
> **"매 MDP + observation noise"**. POMDP 는 agent 가 state 를 직접 관측하지 못하고 noisy observation 만 받는 경우의 decision-making 수학 framework — tuple `<S, A, T, R, Ω, O, γ>`. 매 belief state (state 위 distribution) 를 유지하며 행동, dialogue / robotics / medical / game-AI 의 standard model.

## 매 핵심

### 매 정의
- **S**: state space (hidden).
- **A**: action space.
- **T(s'|s,a)**: transition.
- **R(s,a)**: reward.
- **Ω**: observation space.
- **O(o|s',a)**: observation model.
- **γ ∈ [0,1)**: discount.

### 매 belief state
- `b(s) = P(s | history)`, sufficient statistic of history.
- update: `b'(s') ∝ O(o|s',a) Σ_s T(s'|s,a) b(s)`.
- POMDP = MDP on belief space (continuous, high-dim).

### 매 solver family
1. **Exact**: value iteration on belief (PWLC), tractable only for tiny S.
2. **Point-based** (PBVI, SARSOP, Perseus): sample beliefs, backup.
3. **Online MCTS**: POMCP (Silver 2010), DESPOT — 매 large state, online planning.
4. **Deep RL**: DRQN, R2D2, Dreamer (latent belief = RNN state) — 매 modern default.
5. **Bayes-Adaptive**: BAMCP, learn dynamics in addition.

### 매 vs MDP
- MDP: full observability, policy `π(s) → a`.
- POMDP: policy `π(b) → a` or `π(history) → a`.
- **매 함정**: training MDP policy on observations directly = wrong (Markov violation).

### 매 응용
1. dialogue system — user goal hidden.
2. robotics — sensor noise, occlusion.
3. medical treatment — patient state from labs/symptoms.
4. game AI — fog-of-war (StarCraft, Poker, [[Operation- Western Sun]]).
5. autonomous driving — pedestrian intent.

## 💻 패턴

### Tiger problem (canonical POMDP)
```python
# States: tiger_left, tiger_right
# Actions: open_left, open_right, listen
# Obs: hear_left, hear_right (85% accurate after listen)
import numpy as np

S = ["TL", "TR"]
A = ["OL", "OR", "LISTEN"]
O = ["HL", "HR"]

def T(s, a):
    if a in ("OL", "OR"):
        return {"TL": 0.5, "TR": 0.5}   # reset
    return {s: 1.0}

def R(s, a):
    return {"LISTEN": -1,
            "OL": -100 if s == "TL" else 10,
            "OR": -100 if s == "TR" else 10}[a]

def O_model(o, s, a):
    if a != "LISTEN":
        return 0.5
    correct = (o == "HL" and s == "TL") or (o == "HR" and s == "TR")
    return 0.85 if correct else 0.15
```

### Belief update (Bayes filter)
```python
def update_belief(b, a, o, S, T, O_model):
    b_new = {}
    for sp in S:
        prior = sum(T(s, a).get(sp, 0) * b[s] for s in S)
        b_new[sp] = O_model(o, sp, a) * prior
    Z = sum(b_new.values())
    return {s: p / Z for s, p in b_new.items()}
```

### Particle filter (continuous / large S)
```python
import numpy as np

class ParticleBelief:
    def __init__(self, particles): self.p = list(particles)
    def update(self, a, o, sample_T, O_model):
        new = []
        for s in self.p:
            sp = sample_T(s, a)
            w = O_model(o, sp, a)
            new.append((sp, w))
        # resample
        ws = np.array([w for _, w in new])
        ws = ws / ws.sum()
        idx = np.random.choice(len(new), len(new), p=ws)
        self.p = [new[i][0] for i in idx]
```

### POMCP (online MCTS on history)
```python
import math, random
from collections import defaultdict

class POMCP:
    def __init__(self, gen, c=1.0, gamma=0.95):
        self.gen = gen      # generator: (s, a) -> (s', o, r)
        self.c, self.gamma = c, gamma
        self.N = defaultdict(int); self.V = defaultdict(float)
    def search(self, belief, depth=20, sims=500):
        for _ in range(sims):
            s = random.choice(belief)
            self._sim(s, (), depth)
        return max(actions, key=lambda a: self.V[((), a)])
    def _sim(self, s, h, d):
        if d == 0: return 0
        a = self._ucb(h)
        sp, o, r = self.gen(s, a)
        R = r + self.gamma * self._sim(sp, h + (a, o), d - 1)
        self.N[(h, a)] += 1
        self.V[(h, a)] += (R - self.V[(h, a)]) / self.N[(h, a)]
        return R
```

### DRQN (Deep RL with recurrent belief)
```python
import torch, torch.nn as nn

class DRQN(nn.Module):
    def __init__(self, obs_dim, n_act, hidden=128):
        super().__init__()
        self.enc = nn.Linear(obs_dim, hidden)
        self.gru = nn.GRU(hidden, hidden, batch_first=True)
        self.q = nn.Linear(hidden, n_act)
    def forward(self, obs_seq, h0=None):
        x = self.enc(obs_seq).relu()
        h, hN = self.gru(x, h0)
        return self.q(h), hN
```

### pomdp_py (library)
```python
import pomdp_py
# Define PomdpProblem, then:
planner = pomdp_py.POMCP(max_depth=20, num_sims=1000,
                        discount_factor=0.95, exploration_const=50)
action = planner.plan(agent)
```

## 매 결정 기준
| 문제 크기 | Solver |
|---|---|
| 매 |S| < 20 | exact / SARSOP |
| 매 |S| < 10⁴, offline | point-based (SARSOP) |
| 매 large S, online | POMCP / DESPOT |
| 매 raw obs (image) | DRQN / Dreamer |
| 매 unknown dynamics | Bayes-Adaptive / model-based RL |

**기본값**: SARSOP for tabular, Dreamer-V3 for pixel.

## 🔗 Graph
- 부모: [[MDP]] · [[Reinforcement-Learning]] · [[Decision-Theory]]
- 응용: [[Robotics]] · [[Operation- Western Sun]]
- Adjacent: [[MCTS]]

## 🤖 LLM 활용
**언제**: 매 partial observability 문제 framing, belief-state design, solver 추천.
**언제 X**: 매 fully-observable env — MDP 면 충분.

## ❌ 안티패턴
- **Treat obs as state**: Markov violation, policy 가 frame stacking 으로 hack 만 가능.
- **Forget belief in test**: training 시 belief, deployment 시 raw obs 전달.
- **Exact solver on large S**: PWLC explosion — point-based 로.
- **No exploration in POMCP**: c=0 → greedy, belief 가 collapse.

## 🧪 검증 / 중복
- Verified (Kaelbling 1998, Silver 2010 POMCP, Hafner 2023 Dreamer-V3).
- 신뢰도 A.

## 🕓 Changelog
| 날짜 | 변경 |
|---|---|
| 2026-05-08 | Phase 1 |
| 2026-05-10 | Manual cleanup — definition + solver family + Tiger/POMCP/DRQN |