中文摘要：

尝试运用增强学习方法来研究平行机调度问题，通过定义系统状态、行为和报酬函数，把调度问题转化为平均报酬型半马尔可夫决策过程，并使用结合函数泛化器的R—Learning算法来解决。提出排名算法，并利用它和两种常用的调度规则（最短期望加工时间规则和先进先出规则）来定义增强学习的行为。实验结果表明，R-Learning算法通过仿真实验学习较优的调度策略，在不同的决策状态下选择最优或次优的行为，对每个测试问题的效果都优于以上任何一条调度规则。

英文摘要：

A Reinforcement Learning （RL） method, R-Learning, was used to study parallel machines scheduling problems which was aimed to minimize mean flow time of jobs. The scheduling problem was converted into Semi-Markov Decision Process（SMDP） by defining system state, actions and reward function. It was solved by R- Learning functions. A heuristic, Ranking Algorithm （RA） was proposed and defined as RL as well as two commonly used dispatching rules： Shortest Expected Processing Time （SEPT） and First In First Out （FIFO）. Experiment results demonstrated that R-Learning could learn a near-optimal scheduling policy through simulation, i.e. to select optimal or sub-optimal actions at different states. The conclusion was that R-Learning was superior to the above heuristic rules in all test problems.