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Searching for an Agent Who May OR May Not Want to be Found

Author

Listed:
  • Steve Alpern

    (Department of Mathematics, London School of Economics, Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE, United Kingdom)

  • Shmuel Gal

    (Department of Statistics, University of Haifa, Haifa 31905, Israel)

Abstract

There is an extensive theory regarding optimal continuous path search for a mobile or immobile “target.” The traditional theory assumes that the target is one of three types: (i) an object with a known distribution of paths, (ii) a mobile or immobile hider who wants to avoid or delay capture, or (iii) a rendezvouser who wants to find the searcher. This paper introduces a new type of search problem by assuming that aims of the target are not known to the searcher. The target may be either a type (iii) cooperator (with a known cooperation probability c ) or a type (ii) evader. This formulation models search problems like that for a lost teenager who may be a “runaway,” or a lost intelligence agent who may be a defector. In any given search context, it produces a continuum of search problems (tau)( c ), 0 (le) c (le) 1, linking a zero-sum search game (with c = 0) to a rendezvous problem (with c = 1). These models thus provide a theoretical bridge between two previously distinct parts of search theory, namely search games and rendezvous search.

Suggested Citation

  • Steve Alpern & Shmuel Gal, 2002. "Searching for an Agent Who May OR May Not Want to be Found," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 50(2), pages 311-323, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:oropre:v:50:y:2002:i:2:p:311-323
    DOI: 10.1287/opre.50.2.311.433
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Shmuel Gal, 1999. "Rendezvous Search on the Line," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 47(6), pages 974-976, December.
    2. Edward J. Anderson & Sándor P. Fekete, 2001. "Two Dimensional Rendezvous Search," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 49(1), pages 107-118, February.
    3. Reijnierse, J H & Potters, J A M, 1993. "Search Games with Immobile Hider," International Journal of Game Theory, Springer;Game Theory Society, vol. 21(4), pages 385-394.
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    Cited by:

    1. Kyle Y. Lin & Michael P. Atkinson & Timothy H. Chung & Kevin D. Glazebrook, 2013. "A Graph Patrol Problem with Random Attack Times," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 61(3), pages 694-710, June.
    2. Dinah Rosenberg & Eilon Solan & Nicolas Vieille, 2009. "Protocols with No Acknowledgment," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 57(4), pages 905-915, August.
    3. Johannes Horner & Dinah Rosenberg & Eilon Solan & Nicolas Vieille, 2009. "On a Markov Game with One-Sided Incomplete Information," Cowles Foundation Discussion Papers 1737, Cowles Foundation for Research in Economics, Yale University.
    4. Johannes Hörner & Dinah Rosenberg & Eilon Solan & Nicolas Vieille, 2010. "On a Markov Game with One-Sided Information," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 58(4-part-2), pages 1107-1115, August.
    5. S. Gal & J. V. Howard, 2005. "Rendezvous-Evasion Search in Two Boxes," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 53(4), pages 689-697, August.
    6. Oléron Evans, Thomas P. & Bishop, Steven R., 2013. "Static search games played over graphs and general metric spaces," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 231(3), pages 667-689.
    7. Steven M. Shechter & Farhad Ghassemi & Yasin Gocgun & Martin L. Puterman, 2015. "Technical Note—Trading Off Quick versus Slow Actions in Optimal Search," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 63(2), pages 353-362, April.

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