Gym: Doubts

[mirraaj]

https://github.com/openai/gym/blob/5404b39d06f72012f562ec41f60734bd4b5ceb4b/gym/envs/registration.py#L28

Can somebody please let me know what exactly nondeterministic does?

[vBarbaros]

@mirraaj - nondeterministic means that for the same input A you are not guaranteed to get the same output B; check the definition of the NFAs, for example, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nondeterministic_finite_automaton

[mirraaj]

@vBarbaros , I do understand what does a nondeterministic process mean. I am more worried about the definition of the term here. Could you please let me know what does this line mean, Whether this environment is non-deterministic even after seeding https://github.com/openai/gym/blob/5404b39d06f72012f562ec41f60734bd4b5ceb4b/gym/envs/registration.py#L28

[mimoralea]

What I think that line is saying is if the nondeterministic flag is set don't expect the same next states and rewards even if you seed the environment because the environment is "non-deterministic even after seeding". That is, the internal process of the environment is stochastic and might not return consistent next state, and rewards, whether you seed it or not.

[christopherhesse]

Thanks for answering @mimoralea, I believe you are correct.