PyTorch 1.x Reinforcement Learning Cookbook. Over 60 recipes to design, develop, and deploy self-learning AI models using Python

Yuxi (Hayden) Liu

Reinforcement learning (RL) is a branch of machine learning that has gained popularity in recent times. It allows you to train AI models that learn from their own actions and optimize their behavior. PyTorch has also emerged as the preferred tool for training RL models because of its efficiency and ease of use.With this book, you'll explore the important RL concepts and the implementation of algorithms in PyTorch 1.x. The recipes in the book, along with real-world examples, will help you master various RL techniques, such as dynamic programming, Monte Carlo simulations, temporal difference, and Q-learning. You'll also gain insights into industry-specific applications of these techniques. Later chapters will guide you through solving problems such as the multi-armed bandit problem and the cartpole problem using the multi-armed bandit algorithm and function approximation. You'll also learn how to use Deep Q-Networks to complete Atari games, along with how to effectively implement policy gradients. Finally, you'll discover how RL techniques are applied to Blackjack, Gridworld environments, internet advertising, and the Flappy Bird game.By the end of this book, you'll have developed the skills you need to implement popular RL algorithms and use RL techniques to solve real-world problems.

Microsoft Power Platform Enterprise Architecture. Design tailor-made solutions for architects and decision makers to meet complex business requirements - Second Edition

Robert Rybaric

This book is for enterprise architects and decision makers who design solutions for complex business requirements. It teaches you how to use architectural best practices and methodologies to optimize an enterprise-grade solution.You'll gain an understanding of the tools available in the Power Platform suite and how to integrate them seamlessly with various Microsoft 365 and Azure components to create a tailor-made solution. Progressing through the book, you'll discover how to address application lifecycle management, security, extensibility, and data migration. This includes Power BI, which often requires a separate approach to the rest of the Power Platform.This book provides you with practical, essential, and concise information. It follows a complete, end-to-end example in every chapter, with diagrams that illustrate the intricacies of Microsoft cloud structure. It has been created by an experienced enterprise architect who actively creates solutions using Microsoft technology.By the end of this book, you'll have the strategic perspective of an enterprise architect to make accurate architectural decisions for your complex Power Platform projects.Unlike many other overwhelmingly long and unstructured resources, this book covers essential concepts using one concise yet practical example that is revisited throughout the book. You’ll develop the skills you need to architect, design, and manage a complex solution as you follow the journey of a fictitious enterprise customer as they enter the world of Power Platform. Throughout the book, you’ll discover how to combine the functionality of Microsoft Power PI, Power Automate, Power Apps, and Power Virtual Agents with various methodologies to effectively address application lifecycle management, security, and extensibility. You'll also learn how to overcome common challenges in migrating data to and from Microsoft Power Platform using proven techniques.By the end of this Microsoft book, you’ll have the strategic perspective of an enterprise architect, enabling you to make accurate architectural decisions for your complex Power Platform projects.

Moodle 4 Administration. An administrator's guide to configuring, securing, customizing, and extending Moodle - Fourth Edition

Alex Büchner

This updated fourth edition of the classic Moodle Administration guide has been written from the ground up and covers all the new Moodle features in great breadth and depth. The topics have also been augmented with professional diagrams, illustrations, and checklists.The book starts by covering basic tasks such as how to set up and configure Moodle and perform day-to-day administration activities. You’ll then progress to more advanced topics that show you how to customize and extend Moodle, manage authentication and enrolments, and work with roles and capabilities. Next, you'll learn how to configure pedagogical and technical Moodle plugins and ensure your LMS complies with data protection regulations. Then, you will learn how to tighten Moodle’s security, improve its performance, and configure backup and restore procedures. Finally, you'll gain insights on how to compile custom reports, configure learning analytics, enable mobile learning, integrate Moodle via web services, and support different types of multi-tenancy.By the end of this book, you’ll be able to set up an efficient, fully fledged, and secure Moodle system.

Responsive Web Design with HTML5 and CSS. Develop future-proof responsive websites using the latest HTML5 and CSS techniques - Third Edition

Ben Frain

Responsive Web Design with HTML5 and CSS, Third Edition is a renewed and extended version of one of the most comprehensive and bestselling books on the latest HTML5 and CSS tools and techniques for responsive web design.Written in the author's signature friendly and informal style, this edition covers all the newest developments and improvements in responsive web design including better user accessibility, variable fonts and font loading, CSS Scroll Snap, and much, much more. With a new chapter dedicated to CSS Grid, you will understand how it differs from the Flexbox layout mechanism and when you should use one over the other.Furthermore, you will acquire practical knowledge of SVG, writing accessible HTML markup, creating stunning aesthetics and effects with CSS, applying transitions, transformations, and animations, integrating media queries, and more. The book concludes by exploring some exclusive tips and approaches for front-end development from the author.By the end of this book, you will not only have a comprehensive understanding of responsive web design and what is possible with the latest HTML5 and CSS, but also the knowledge of how to best implement each technique.

Systems Engineering Demystified. A practitioner's handbook for developing complex systems using a model-based approach

Jon Holt

Systems engineering helps us to understand, specify, and develop complex systems, and is applied across a wide set of disciplines. As systems and their associated problems become increasingly complex in this evermore connected world, the need for more rigorous, demonstrable, and repeatable techniques also increases.Written by Professor Jon Holt – an internationally recognized systems engineering expert – this book provides a blend of technical and business aspects you need to understand in order to develop successful systems. You'll start with systems engineering basics and understand the complexity, communication, and different stakeholders' views of the system. The book then covers essential aspects of model-based systems engineering, systems, life cycles, and processes, along with techniques to develop systems. Moving on, you'll explore system models and visualization techniques, focusing on the SysML, and discover how solutions can be defined by developing effective system design, verification, and validation techniques. The book concludes by taking you through key management processes and systems engineering best practices and guidelines.By the end of this systems engineering book, you'll be able to confidently apply modern model-based systems engineering techniques to your own systems and projects.

The Chief AI Officer's Handbook. Master AI leadership with strategies to innovate, overcome challenges, and drive business growth

Jarrod Anderson, Jeff Winter

Chief Artificial Intelligence Officers (CAIOs) are now imperative for businesses, enabling organizations to achieve strategic goals and unlock transformative opportunities through the power of AI. By building intelligent systems, training models to drive impactful decisions, and creating innovative applications, they empower organizations to thrive in an AI-driven world. Written by Jarrod Anderson, Chief AI Officer at SYRV.AI, this book bridges the gap between visionary leadership and practical execution.This handbook reimagines AI leadership for today’s fast-paced environment, leveraging predictive, deterministic, generative, and agentic AI to address complex challenges and foster innovation. It provides CAIOs with the strategies to develop transformative AI initiatives, build and lead elite teams, and adopt AI responsibly while maintaining compliance. From shaping impactful solutions to achieving measurable business outcomes, this guide offers a roadmap for making AI your organization’s competitive edge.By the end of this book, you’ll have the knowledge and tools to excel as a Chief AI Officer, driving innovation, strategic growth, and lasting success for your organization.

Learning Jupyter. Select, Share, Interact and Integrate with Jupyter Not

Dan Toomey

Jupyter Notebook is a web-based environment that enables interactive computing in notebook documents. It allows you to create and share documents that contain live code, equations, visualizations, and explanatory text. The Jupyter Notebook system is extensively used in domains such as data cleaning and transformation, numerical simulation, statistical modeling, machine learning, and much more.This book starts with a detailed overview of the Jupyter Notebook system and its installation in different environments. Next we’ll help you will learn to integrate Jupyter system with different programming languages such as R, Python, JavaScript, and Julia and explore the various versions and packages that are compatible with the Notebook system. Moving ahead, you master interactive widgets, namespaces, and working with Jupyter in a multiuser mode.Towards the end, you will use Jupyter with a big data set and will apply all the functionalities learned throughout the book.

Photorealistic Materials and Textures in Blender Cycles. Create impressive production-ready projects using one of the most powerful rendering engines - Fourth Edition

Arijan Belec

Blender is one of the most versatile tools in the 3D software industry, and with a growing audience and constantly expanding set of features, it has become more powerful, useful, and in demand than ever before. This updated fourth edition of Photorealistic Materials and Textures in Blender Cycles is an all-inclusive guide to procedural texturing, rendering, and designing materials in Blender, covering all aspects of the 3D texturing workflow.The book begins by introducing you to Blender’s material nodes and material property functions, and then helps you create photorealistic textures by understanding texture maps and mapping them to 3D models. As you advance, you’ll learn to design high-quality environments and lighting using HDRIs and Blender’s lighting options. By exploring, breaking down, and studying the underlying mechanics that allow you to develop these elements, you’ll create any material, texture, or environment and use it to improve your artwork and present them in a professional way. Finally, you’ll discover how to correctly set up scenes and render settings, and get to grips with the key elements of achieving realism.By the end of this book, you’ll have gained a solid understanding of materials, textures, shading, lighting, rendering, and all the critical aspects of achieving the highest quality with your 3D artwork.