Title: Optimal search strategy for a three-dimensional randomly located target

Authors: Mohamed Abd Allah El-Hadidy; Abd Al-Aziz Hosni El-Bagoury

Addresses: Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt ' Department of Mathematics, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt

Abstract: In this paper, we formulate a new search model that finds a three-dimensional randomly located target in a known zone by a single searcher. The searcher wishes to find the target's position, that is given by the value of the three independent trivariate random variables (X, Y, Z) and they have joint symmetric probability density function f(x, y, z). The purpose is to obtain an optimal search strategy that minimises the expected value of the time required to detect the target, assuming trivariate standard normal distributed estimates of its position. An illustrative example is given to demonstrate the applicability of this technique.

Keywords: optimal search path; revolutions; trivariate standard normal distribution; expected search time; nonlinear optimisation; randomly located targets; probability density function; PDF.

DOI: 10.1504/IJOR.2017.083178

International Journal of Operational Research, 2017 Vol.29 No.1, pp.115 - 126

Received: 19 May 2014
Accepted: 06 Sep 2014
Published online: 22 Mar 2017 *

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