Packt

Advanced Deep RL Algorithms and Applications

Packt

Advanced Deep RL Algorithms and Applications

Included with Coursera Plus

Learn more

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Advanced level

Recommended experience

7 hours to complete
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace
Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.
Advanced level

Recommended experience

7 hours to complete
Flexible schedule
Learn at your own pace

What you'll learn

  • Implement and extend advanced RL algorithms, such as DQN extensions, policy gradients, and actor-critic methods.

  • Optimize RL models and accelerate training for complex, real-world tasks.

  • Apply RL techniques to diverse domains, including stock trading and natural language environments.

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Recently updated!

April 2026

Assessments

7 assignments

Taught in English

See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills

 logos of Petrobras, TATA, Danone, Capgemini, P&G and L'Oreal

Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is part of the Deep Reinforcement Learning Hands-On Specialization
When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.
  • Learn new concepts from industry experts
  • Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
  • Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
  • Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 7 modules in this course

This module explores advanced improvements to the Deep Q-Network (DQN) algorithm, including multi-step learning, noisy networks for enhanced exploration, prioritized replay buffers, and distributional approaches. Learners will gain practical experience implementing these extensions and analyzing their impact on training performance and efficiency.

What's included

1 video9 readings1 assignment

This module explores practical strategies to accelerate reinforcement learning (RL) training, focusing on deep Q-network (DQN) improvements. Learners will investigate performance bottlenecks, experiment with batch sizes and parallelization, and understand the impact of environment wrappers on training efficiency. By the end, you'll be equipped to optimize RL workflows for faster convergence.

What's included

1 video6 readings1 assignment

This module guides learners through applying deep Q-network (DQN) reinforcement learning techniques to real-world stock trading scenarios. You will work with historical Russian stock market data and explore different DQN architectures, including feed-forward and convolutional models, to develop and evaluate trading strategies.

What's included

1 video3 readings1 assignment

This module introduces policy gradient methods as an alternative approach to solving Markov decision process problems in reinforcement learning. Learners will explore the mathematical foundations, implementation details, and practical considerations such as gradient variance and hyperparameter tuning. By working through real-world examples like CartPole, students will gain hands-on experience optimizing policies using neural networks.

What's included

1 video5 readings1 assignment

This module introduces policy-based reinforcement learning through actor-critic methods, focusing on A2C and A3C algorithms. Learners will explore how these methods reduce variance in policy gradients, implement parallel environments, and apply these techniques to classic control and Atari games. Practical coding exercises and performance analysis are included to solidify understanding.

What's included

1 video7 readings1 assignment

This module introduces learners to solving text-based interactive fiction games using reinforcement learning within the TextWorld environment. You will explore game generation, deep NLP fundamentals, word embeddings, and preprocessing pipelines, culminating in training agents and integrating large language models like ChatGPT for automated gameplay. By the end, you'll understand how to process complex textual observations and apply RL techniques to dynamic, language-rich environments.

What's included

1 video12 readings1 assignment

This module explores how reinforcement learning can be applied to web navigation and browser automation tasks. Learners will experiment with simple RL agents in the MiniWoB environment, address challenges unique to browser automation, and enhance agent performance using text descriptions and human demonstrations.

What's included

1 video8 readings1 assignment

Earn a career certificate

Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV. Share it on social media and in your performance review.

Instructor

Packt - Course Instructors
Packt
1,728 Courses488,803 learners

Offered by

Packt

Explore more from Software Development

Why people choose Coursera for their career

Felipe M.

Learner since 2018
"To be able to take courses at my own pace and rhythm has been an amazing experience. I can learn whenever it fits my schedule and mood."

Jennifer J.

Learner since 2020
"I directly applied the concepts and skills I learned from my courses to an exciting new project at work."

Larry W.

Learner since 2021
"When I need courses on topics that my university doesn't offer, Coursera is one of the best places to go."

Chaitanya A.

"Learning isn't just about being better at your job: it's so much more than that. Coursera allows me to learn without limits."
Coursera Plus

Open new doors with Coursera Plus

Unlimited access to 10,000+ world-class courses, hands-on projects, and job-ready certificate programs - all included in your subscription

Advance your career with an online degree

Earn a degree from world-class universities - 100% online

Join over 3,400 global companies that choose Coursera for Business

Upskill your employees to excel in the digital economy

Frequently asked questions