Optimal Search for a Moving Target in Discrete Time and Space

Scott Shorey Brown
Additional contact information
Scott Shorey Brown: Daniel H. Wagner, Associates, Paoli, Pennsylvania

Operations Research, 1980, vol. 28, issue 6, 1275-1289

Abstract: We consider optimal search for a moving target in discrete space. A limited amount of search effort is available at each of a fixed number of time intervals and we assume an exponential detection function. We show that a search plan maximizes the overall probability of detection if and only if for each time interval i the search conducted at time i maximizes the probability of detecting a stationary target with the probability that the stationary target occupies cell c equal to the probability that the moving target occupies cell c at time i and is not detected by the search at any time interval other than i . This characterization gives an iterative algorithm to compute optimal search plans. These plans are compared with incrementally optimal plans.

Date: 1980
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (24)

Downloads: (external link)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/opre.28.6.1275 (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:inm:oropre:v:28:y:1980:i:6:p:1275-1289

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in Operations Research from INFORMS Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Chris Asher ().