Systems and methods for providing information incorporating reinforcement-based learning and feedback

A system for providing feedback-driven information in relation to a plurality of information resources, the system comprising:

• an information resource interface for accessing the information resources from one or more information resource repositories to establish a mapping between each information resource and each of the other information resources;
• a ranking engine for maintaining a state table comprising a plurality of state-table records, each state-table record attributing a value to a state-action pair, the state-action pair comprising an indication of a series of one or more actions in relation to the information resources;
• an action interface for monitoring actions of a first user in relation to the information resources;
• a feedback interface for receiving a feedback metric related to interaction of the first user with the information resources;
• wherein the ranking engine is configured to use the feedback metric as a basis for updating the values of a subset of the state-table records, the subset of the state-table records comprising state-action pairs which correspond to the monitored actions of the first user in relation to the information resources;
• and
• a recommendation engine for providing output information related to the information resources based at least in part on one or more of the updated values of the state-table records.

A computer program product comprising computer-readable instructions carried on a computer readable medium which, when executed by the processor of a suitable computer, cause the computer to perform a method for feedback-driven provision of information in relation to a plurality of information resources, the method comprising:

• accessing the information resources from one or more information resource repositories to establish a mapping between each information resource and each of the other information resources;
• maintaining a state table comprising a plurality of state-table records, each state-table record attributing a value to a state-action pair, the state-action pair comprising an indication of a series of one or more actions in relation to the information resources;
• monitoring actions of a first user in relation to the information resources;
• receiving a feedback metric related to interaction of the first user with the information resources;
• using the feedback metric as a basis for updating the values of a subset of the state-table records, the subset of the state-table records comprising state-action pairs which correspond to the monitored actions of the first user in relation to the information resources;
• providing output information related to the information resources based at least in part on one or more of the updated values of the state-table records.