root/ggpa/QFunction.h

/*
 * QFunction.h
 * Abstract class - do not implement
 * This will be a superclass of a set of classes that will serve to represent
 * the approximation to the Q-function for the Q-learning algorithm.  For
 * example, we will have a table version, a neural network version, and a 
 * version that will use several neural networks, one for each action.
 */

#ifndef QFUNCTION_H
#define QFUNCTION_H

#include <string>

#include "State.h"
#include "Action.h"

class QFunction {

private: 

    // Declare any private variables here


public:

    
    virtual ~QFunction() {};


    /*********************************************************************
     * Do not modify these functions unless it is absolutely necessary.
     * Any subclasses should implement these functions.
     *********************************************************************/

    /*
     * update
     * Parameters:   state - a State object that represents a state in the game
     *               action - an Action object that represents an action in the
     *                        game
     *               utility - a double that represents the utility to insert
     *                         for this State/Action pair
     * No return value
     *
     * Updates the entry for the given State/Action pair.
     */
    virtual void update(State &state, Action &action, double utility) = 0;

    /*
     * getValue
     * Parameters:   state - a State object that represents a state in the game
     *               action - an Action object that represents an action in the
     *                        game
     * Return value: a double representing the utility of the given State/
     *   Action pair.
     * This function will return the current utility of the given State/Action 
     *   pair.  In other words, it will return a value representing how good 
     *   the action is from the state.
     */
    virtual double getValue(State &state, Action &action) = 0;

    /*
     * writeToFile
     *
     * Parameters:   file - String containing the name of the file to write to.
     * Return value: none
     *
     * Writes the QFunction to the given file.  If the file does not exist, it
     *   will be created.  If it does exist, then it will be written to the 
     *   end of the file
     */
    virtual void writeToFile(string filename) = 0;

    /* 
     * readFromFile
     *
     * Parameters:   file - string containing the name of the file to read from
     * Return value: none
     * 
     * Reads in a QFunction from a file.  The current QFunction will be set to 
     *    be this saved QFunction
     */
    virtual void readFromFile(string filename) = 0;
};

#endif