Listen "773: Deep Reinforcement Learning for Maximizing Profits, with Prof. Barrett Thomas"
Episode Synopsis
Dr. Barrett Thomas, an award-winning Research Professor at the University of Iowa, explores the intricacies of Markov decision processes and their connection to Deep Reinforcement Learning. Discover how these concepts are applied in operations research to enhance business efficiency and drive innovations in same-day delivery and autonomous transportation systems.This episode is brought to you by Ready Tensor, where innovation meets reproducibility. Interested in sponsoring a SuperDataScience Podcast episode? Visit passionfroot.me/superdatascience for sponsorship information.In this episode you will learn:• Barrett's start in operations logistics [02:27]• Concorde Solver and the traveling salesperson problem [09:59]• Cross-function approximation explained [19:13]• How Markov decision processes relate to deep reinforcement learning [26:08]• Understanding policy in decision-making contexts [33:40]• Revolutionizing supply chains and transportation with aerial drones [46:47]• Barrett’s career evolution: past changes and future prospects [52:19]Additional materials: www.superdatascience.com/773
More episodes of the podcast Super Data Science: ML & AI Podcast with Jon Krohn
953: Beyond “Agent Washing”: AI Systems That Actually Deliver ROI, with Dell’s Global CTO John Roese
30/12/2025
952: How to Avoid Burnout and Get Promoted, with “The Fit Data Scientist” Penelope Lafeuille
26/12/2025
948: In Case You Missed It in November 2025
12/12/2025
946: How Robotaxis Are Transforming Cities
05/12/2025
945: AI is a Joke, with Joel Beasley
02/12/2025
944: Gemini 3 Pro: Google’s Back on Top
28/11/2025
ZARZA We are Zarza, the prestigious firm behind major projects in information technology.