Optimum Distribution of Effort: An Extension of the Koopman Basic Theory

Jacques de Guenin
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Jacques de Guenin: Groupe de Recherche Opérationnelle, Esso Standard, Paris, France

Operations Research, 1961, vol. 9, issue 1, 1-7

Abstract: The fundamental problem of search theory is to allocate a given amount of search effort in such a way as to maximize the over-all probability of discovering an object located in a given space. The problem has already been solved under the assumption that the probability of detecting the object is a negative exponential function of the search effort density, this assumption seems to be fairly realistic in many military applications, but has definite drawbacks in others. In this paper a method is provided for solving the problem in the general case, where no assumption is made concerning the form of the detection probability function. A theorem is derived that gives a general relation governing the optimal solution.

Date: 1961
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