Online Searching

Patrick Jaillet () and Matthew Stafford ()
Additional contact information
Patrick Jaillet: MSIS Department and Civil Engineering Department, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin Texas 78712
Matthew Stafford: SBC Technology Resources, Inc., 9505 Arboretum Blvd., Austin, Texas 78759

Operations Research, 2001, vol. 49, issue 4, 501-515

Abstract: We consider the problem of searching m branches which, with the exception of a common source s , are disjoint (hereafter called concurrent branches). A searcher, starting at s , must find a given “exit” t whose location, unknown to the searcher, is on one of the m branches. The problem is to find a strategy that minimizes the worst-case ratio between the total distance traveled and the length of the shortest path from s to t . Additional information may be available to the searcher before he begins his search.In addition to finding optimal or near optimal deterministic online algorithms for these problems, this paper addresses the “value” of getting additional information before starting the search.

Keywords: Networks/graph; distance algorithms online searching; Search and surveillance: target discovery in graphs (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2001
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:inm:oropre:v:49:y:2001:i:4:p:501-515

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