Rendezvous of three agents on the line

This paper considers a three‐person rendezvous problem on the line which was introduced earlier by the authors. Three agents are placed at three consecutive integer value points on the real line, say 1, 2, and 3. Each agent is randomly faced towards the right or left. Agents are blind and have a maximum speed of 1. Their common aim is to gather at a common location as quickly as possible. The main result is the proof that a strategy given by V. Baston is the unique minimax strategy. Baston's strategy ensures a three way rendezvous in time at most 3.5 for any of the 3!2³ = 48 possible initial configurations corresponding to positions and directions of each agent. A connection is established between the above rendezvous problem and a search problem of L. Thomas in which two parents search separately to find their lost child and then meet again. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 49: 244–255, 2002; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/nav.10005     

New results on rendezvous search on the interval

In a rendezvous search problem, two players are placed in a network and must try to meet each other in the least possible expected time. We look at rendezvous search on a discrete interval in which the players are initially placed using independent draws (usually assumed to be from the same distribution). Some optimal solutions are known if this distribution is uniform, and also for certain other special types of distribution. In this article, we present two new results. First, we characterize the complete set of solutions for the uniform case, showing that all optimal strategies must have two specific properties (namely, of being swept and strictly geodesic). Second, we relate search strategies on the interval to proper binary trees, and use this correspondence to derive a recurrence relation for solutions to the symmetric rendezvous problem for any initial distribution. This relation allows us to solve any such problem computationally by dynamic programming. Finally, some ideas for future research are discussed. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 60: 454–467, 2013     

Many‐player rendezvous search: Stick together or split and meet?

Rendezvous search finds the strategies that players should use in order to find one another when they are separated in a region. Previous papers have concentrated on the case where there are two players searching for one another. This paper looks at the problem when there are more than two players and concentrates on what they should do if some but not all of them meet together. It looks at two strategies—the stick together one and the split up and meet again one. This paper shows that the former is optimal among the class of strategies which require no memory and are stationary, and it gives a method of calculating the expected rendezvous time under it. However, simulation results comparing both strategies suggest that in most situations the split up and meet again strategy which requires some memory leads to faster expected rendezvous times. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 48:710–721, 2001     

Note: Two rendezvous search problems on the line

A new upper bound is obtained for the two‐person symmetric rendezvous value on the real line when the distribution function of their initial distance apart is bounded. A second result shows that if three players are placed randomly on adjacent integers on the real line facing in random directions and able to move at a speed of at most 1, then they can ensure a three‐way meeting time of at most 7/2; the fact that 7/2 is a best possible result follows from work already in the literature. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 46: 335–340, 1999     

搜索路径给定时的搜索对策问题及其应用

搜索路径给定时的最优搜索方案问题,也可以理解为是关于搜索者和目标的二人对策问题,主要讨论了当搜索路径给定时的单个搜索者和单个目标的搜索对策问题。首先根据问题的特点,利用动态规划和迭代的方法,确定关于目标逃逸路径混合策略的最优分区,证明该分区是多面体凸集;针对目标不同逃逸路径的分区,求出搜索者的最大期望收益,再将问题转化为二人有限零和对策,计算出搜索者的支付矩阵,确定最优搜索策略。最后结合海军护航行动,对我舰载直升机搜索小型海盗船进行分析和计算,说明搜索路径给定时的最优搜索对策对于双方的资源分配和提高搜索效率具有一定的应用价值。     

对运动目标螺旋搜索误区分析

对运动目标搜索是军事系统工程的一个重要内容,其在很多领域具有广泛应用,如对潜艇搜索、对失事舰船飞机搜救、制导武器搜索捕捉目标等.用运动学和数学的有关知识分析了目标定速直航机动时的分布函数以及搜索者与其可相遇的条件,提出了对运动目标按螺旋线搜索的另一种证明方法,建立了直线搜索时目标可能位置点的数学模型,并以此为依据分析了对运动目标螺旋搜索模式的一个误区.     

Heuristics for the location of inspection stations on a network

This article considers the preventive flow interception problem (FIP) on a network. Given a directed network with known origin‐destination path flows, each generating a certain amount of risk, the preventive FIP consists of optimally locating m facilities on the network in order to maximize the total risk reduction. A greedy search heuristic as well as several variants of an ascent search heuristic and of a tabu search heuristic are presented for the FIP. Computational results indicate that the best versions of the latter heuristics consistently produce optimal or near optimal solutions on test problems. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 47: 287–303, 2000     

Models and algorithms for shuffling problems in steel plants

In this article, we study item shuffling (IS) problems arising in the logistics system of steel production. An IS problem here is to optimize shuffling operations needed in retrieving a sequence of steel items from a warehouse served by a crane. There are two types of such problems, plate shuffling problems (PSP) and coil shuffling problems (CSP), considering the item shapes. The PSP is modeled as a container storage location assignment problem. For CSP, a novel linear integer programming model is formulated considering the practical stacking and shuffling features. Several valid inequalities are constructed to accelerate the solving of the models. Some properties of optimal solutions of PSP and CSP are also derived. Because of the strong NP‐hardness of the problems, we consider some special cases of them and propose polynomial time algorithms to obtain optimal solutions for these cases. A greedy heuristic is proposed to solve the general problems and its worst‐case performances on both PSP and CSP are analyzed. A tabu search (TS) method with a tabu list of variable length is proposed to further improve the heuristic solutions. Without considering the crane traveling distance, we then construct a rolling variable horizon heuristic for the problems. Numerical experiments show that the proposed heuristic algorithms and the TS method are effective. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2012     

基于组合机动的空间V-bar交会策略

提出了一种基于切向脉冲与径向连续常推力组合机动的空间V-bar交会策略。从绝对运动与相对运动两方面推导了维持追踪航天器圆轨道运行的组合机动的运动规律,给出了V-bar接近段与逼近段的制导律。在接近段,匀速直线接近,无需考虑视界约束的限制,转移时间控制灵活;在逼近段,先以大速率等速逼近,再切换为小速率等速逼近,切换过程可以灵活控制,制导简单,自然满足直线型标称轨迹要求,安全性好。     

Discrete search allocation game with false contacts

This paper deals with a two‐person zero‐sum game called a search allocation game, where a searcher and a target participate, taking account of false contacts. The searcher distributes his search effort in a search space in order to detect the target. On the other hand, the target moves to avoid the searcher. As a payoff of the game, we take the cumulative amount of search effort weighted by the target distribution, which can be derived as an approximation of the detection probability of the target. The searcher's strategy is a plan of distributing search effort and the target's is a movement represented by a path or transition probability across the search space. In the search, there are false contacts caused by environmental noises, signal processing noises, or real objects resembling true targets. If they happen, the searcher must take some time for their investigation, which interrupts the search for a while. There have been few researches dealing with search games with false contacts. In this paper, we formulate the game into a mathematical programming problem to obtain its equilibrium point. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2007     

A learning tabu search for a truck allocation problem with linear and nonlinear cost components

The two‐level problem studied in this article consists of optimizing the refueling costs of a fleet of locomotives over a railway network. The goal consists of determining: (1) the number of refueling trucks contracted for each yard (truck assignment problem denoted TAP) and (2) the refueling plan of each locomotive (fuel distribution problem denoted FDP). As the FDP can be solved efficiently with existing methods, the focus is put on the TAP only. In a first version of the problem (denoted (P1)), various linear costs (e.g., fuel, fixed cost associated with each refueling, weekly operating costs of trucks) have to be minimized while satisfying a set of constraints (e.g., limited capacities of the locomotives and the trucks). In contrast with the existing literature on this problem, two types of nonlinear cost components will also be considered, based on the following ideas: (1) if several trucks from the same fuel supplier are contracted for the same yard, the supplier is likely to propose discounted prices for that yard (Problem (P2)); (2) if a train stops too often on its route, a penalty is incurred, which represents the dissatisfaction of the clients (Problem (P3)). Even if exact methods based on a mixed integer linear program formulation are available for (P1), they are not appropriate anymore to tackle (P2) and (P3). Various methods are proposed for the TAP: a descent local search, a tabu search, and a learning tabu search (LTS). The latter is a new type of local search algorithm. It involves a learning process relying on a trail system, and it can be applied to any combinatorial optimization problem. Results are reported and discussed for a large set of instances (for (P1), (P2), and (P3)), and show the good performance of LTS. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. 62:32–45, 2015     

A cooperative game in search theory

Search theory originates from the military research efforts of WWII. Most researchers of that period modeled their search games in noncooperative games, where players are enemies or compete against each other. In this article, we deal with a cooperative search game, where multiple searchers behave cooperatively. First we describe several search problems and discuss the possibility of a coalition or cooperation among searchers. For the cooperative search game, we define a function named quasi‐characteristic function, which gives us a criterion similar to the so‐called characteristic function in the general coalition game with transferable utility. The search operation includes a kind of randomness with respect to whether the searchers can detect a target and get the value of the target. We also propose a methodology to divide the obtained target value among members of the coalition taking account of the randomness. As a concrete problem of the cooperative search game, we take the so‐called search allocation game, where searchers distribute their searching resources to detect a target in a cooperative way and the target moves in a search space to evade the searchers. Lastly, we discuss the core of the cooperative search allocation game. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2009     

Constrained minimax optimization of continuous search efforts for the detection of a stationary target

Analytical resolution of search theory problems, as formalized by B.O. Koopman, may be applied with some model extension to various resource management issues. However, a fundamental prerequisite is the knowledge of the prior target density. Though this assumption has the definite advantage of simplicity, its drawback is clearly that target reactivity is not taken into account. As a preliminary step towards reactive target study stands the problem of resource planning under a min–max game context. This paper is related to Nakai's work about the game planning of resources for the detection of a stationary target. However, this initial problem is extended by adding new and more general constraints, allowing a more realistic modeling of the target and searcher behaviors. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2007     

Detection of a Markovian target with optimization of the search efforts under generalized linear constraints

This paper deals with search for a target following a Markovian movement or a conditionally deterministic motion. The problem is to allocate the search efforts, when search resources renew with generalized linear constraints. The model obtained is extended to resource mixing management. New optimality equations of de Guenin's style are obtained. Practically, the problem is solved by using an algorithm derived from the FAB method. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 49: 117–142, 2002; DOI 10.1002/nav.10009     

基于循环追踪算法的编队航天器交会控制

采用循环追踪算法解决编队航天器交会控制问题。建立并推导了线性循环追踪算法和非线性循环追踪算法数学模型,提出了绕飞平面采用循环追踪控制,绕飞平面法向采用比例微分进行振动抑制的编队交会控制律。基于脉冲推力方式,对绕飞平面分别采用线性和非线性循环追踪的三航天器编队交会控制问题进行了仿真分析。仿真结果表明,提出的基于循环追踪的控制方式可满足编队航天器交会控制要求,航天器按顺时针运行轨迹交会于初始位置决定的参考中心,三航天器间相对距离、相对运动速度变化趋势基本一致,速度增量消耗较小,为航天器编队构形控制研究提供有益参考。     

Continuous accumulation games on discrete locations

In an accumulation game, a HIDER attempts to accumulate a certain number of objects or a certain quantity of material before a certain time, and a SEEKER attempts to prevent this. In a continuous accumulation game the HIDER can pile material either at locations $1, 2, …, n, or over a region in space. The HIDER will win (payoff 1) it if accumulates N units of material before a given time, and the goal of the SEEKER will win (payoff 0) otherwise. We assume the HIDER can place continuous material such as fuel at discrete locations i = 1, 2, …, n, and the game is played in discrete time. At each time k > 0 the HIDER acquires h units of material and can distribute it among all of the locations. At the same time, k, the SEEKER can search a certain number s < n of the locations, and will confiscate (or destroy) all material found. After explicitly describing what we mean by a continuous accumulation game on discrete locations, we prove a theorem that gives a condition under which the HIDER can always win by using a uniform distribution at each stage of the game. When this condition does not hold, special cases and examples show that the resulting game becomes complicated even when played only for a single stage. We reduce the single stage game to an optimization problem, and also obtain some partial results on its solution. We also consider accumulation games where the locations are arranged in either a circle or in a line segment and the SEEKER must search a series of adjacent locations. © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 49: 60–77, 2002; DOI 10.1002/nav.1048     

Algorithms for the multi‐item multi‐vehicles dynamic lot sizing problem

We consider a two‐stage supply chain, in which multi‐items are shipped from a manufacturing facility or a central warehouse to a downstream retailer that faces deterministic external demand for each of the items over a finite planning horizon. The items are shipped through identical capacitated vehicles, each incurring a fixed cost per trip. In addition, there exist item‐dependent variable shipping costs and inventory holding costs at the retailer for items stored at the end of the period; these costs are constant over time. The sum of all costs must be minimized while satisfying the external demand without backlogging. In this paper we develop a search algorithm to solve the problem optimally. Our search algorithm, although exponential in the worst case, is very efficient empirically due to new properties of the optimal solution that we found, which allow us to restrict the number of solutions examined. Second, we perform a computational study that compares the empirical running time of our search methods to other available exact solution methods to the problem. Finally, we characterize the conditions under which each of the solution methods is likely to be faster than the others and suggest efficient heuristic solutions that we recommend using when the problem is large in all dimensions. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2006.     

搜索引擎的技术现状及发展趋势

本文介绍了搜索引擎的工作原理及分类,并从目前搜索引擎存在的问题出发,展望未来更完美的搜索技术。     

单航天器无需变轨与Walker星座多星交会的充分条件及特性分析

以Walker星座为研究对象,对单航天器无需变轨实现多星交会的问题展开研究。从Walker星座相位同构特性出发,得到了单航天器无需变轨能够对多颗星座卫星交会的充分条件,对交会的星座卫星的数目和星座卫星组合等问题进行了研究。在此基础上,提出了利用解析法求解交会轨道的轨道设计方法,并对交会轨道的特性进行了分析。对交会更多星座卫星(大于3颗)的可能性展开了讨论。研究结果可为单航天器无需变轨对星座多星交会提供理论依据。     

Discrete stochastic optimization using variants of the stochastic ruler method

We present two random search methods for solving discrete stochastic optimization problems. Both of these methods are variants of the stochastic ruler algorithm. They differ from our earlier modification of the stochastic ruler algorithm in that they use different approaches for estimating the optimal solution. Our new methods are guaranteed to converge almost surely to the set of global optimal solutions under mild conditions. We discuss under what conditions these new methods are expected to converge faster than the modified stochastic ruler algorithm. We also discuss how these methods can be used for solving discrete optimization problems when the values of the objective function are estimated using either transient or steady‐state simulation. Finally, we present numerical results that compare the performance of our new methods with that of the modified stochastic ruler algorithm when applied to solve buffer allocation problems. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2005.