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Search for a moving target in a competitive environment

Author

Listed:
  • Benoit Duvocelle
  • J'anos Flesch
  • Hui Min Shi
  • Dries Vermeulen

Abstract

We consider a discrete-time dynamic search game in which a number of players compete to find an invisible object that is moving according to a time-varying Markov chain. We examine the subgame perfect equilibria of these games. The main result of the paper is that the set of subgame perfect equilibria is exactly the set of greedy strategy profiles, i.e. those strategy profiles in which the players always choose an action that maximizes their probability of immediately finding the object. We discuss various variations and extensions of the model.

Suggested Citation

  • Benoit Duvocelle & J'anos Flesch & Hui Min Shi & Dries Vermeulen, 2020. "Search for a moving target in a competitive environment," Papers 2008.09653, arXiv.org, revised Aug 2020.
  • Handle: RePEc:arx:papers:2008.09653
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Duvocelle, Benoit & Flesch, János & Staudigl, Mathias & Vermeulen, Dries, 2022. "A competitive search game with a moving target," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 303(2), pages 945-957.
    2. Bogdan C. Bichescu & Michael J. Fry, 2009. "Vendor-managed inventory and the effect of channel power," Springer Books, in: Herbert Meyr & Hans-Otto Günther (ed.), Supply Chain Planning, pages 247-280, Springer.
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    5. Garrec, Tristan & Scarsini, Marco, 2020. "Search for an immobile hider on a stochastic network," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 283(2), pages 783-794.
    6. Stephen M. Pollock, 1970. "A Simple Model of Search for a Moving Target," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 18(5), pages 883-903, October.
    7. János Flesch & Emin Karagözoǧlu & Andrés Perea, 2009. "Optimal search for a moving target with the option to wait," Naval Research Logistics (NRL), John Wiley & Sons, vol. 56(6), pages 526-539, September.
    8. Tobias Harks & Veerle Timmermans, 2018. "Uniqueness of equilibria in atomic splittable polymatroid congestion games," Journal of Combinatorial Optimization, Springer, vol. 36(3), pages 812-830, October.
    9. Stanley J. Benkoski & Michael G. Monticino & James R. Weisinger, 1991. "A survey of the search theory literature," Naval Research Logistics (NRL), John Wiley & Sons, vol. 38(4), pages 469-494, August.
    10. Koller, Daphne & Megiddo, Nimrod & von Stengel, Bernhard, 1996. "Efficient Computation of Equilibria for Extensive Two-Person Games," Games and Economic Behavior, Elsevier, vol. 14(2), pages 247-259, June.
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    Cited by:

    1. Duvocelle, Benoit & Flesch, János & Staudigl, Mathias & Vermeulen, Dries, 2022. "A competitive search game with a moving target," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 303(2), pages 945-957.
    2. Mikhail Khachumov & Vyacheslav Khachumov, 2023. "Modeling the Solution of the Pursuit–Evasion Problem Based on the Intelligent–Geometric Control Theory," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 11(23), pages 1-26, December.

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