Abstract
The linear search problem is concerned with the search for a target located randomly on a line. The target being sought for might be on either side of some starting point. A searcher makes for the target with an upper bound on his speed, using a continuous search path in which he changes his direction many times before reaching his goal. The minimality of average distance (time) from the starting point upon reaching the target is the measure of optimality of search paths. We have obtained sufficient conditions that guarantee the minimality of such search paths whenever the target has an absolutely continuous distribution.
Zusammenfassung
Ein Objekt, das sich in zufälliger Position auf einer Strecke befindet, soll gesucht werden; der Startpunkt liegt im Inneren der Strecke. Für die Bewegungsgeschwindigkeit bei der Suche ist eine obere Schranke gegeben; der Suchpfad muß stetig sein, wobei beliebig viele Richtungsänderungen zugelassen sind. Das Ziel ist die Minimierung der erwarteten Zeit bis zum Erreichen des Objekts. Unter der Voraussetzung einer absolut stetigen Verteilung für die Position des Objekts werden hinreichende Bedingungen für die Optimalität eines Suchpfades angegeben.
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Balkhi, Z.T. On the minimality of search paths under absolutely continuous univariate distributions. ZOR - Methods and Models of Operations Research 34, 43–58 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01415950
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01415950