A survey of the search theory literature

A topical collection on “Advances in Search and Rescue at Sea” has appeared in recent issues of Ocean Dynamics following the latest in a series of workshops on “Technologies for Search and Rescue and other Emergency Marine Operations” (2004, 2006, 2008, and 2011), hosted by IFREMER in Brest, France. Here, we give a brief overview of the history of search and rescue at sea before we summarize the main results of the papers that have appeared in the topical collection.

Advances in search and rescue at sea

This article is based on a talk that I gave at the 1988 TIMS/ORSA meeting in Washington, D.C. about developments in search theory since the Lanchester Prize for 1975 was awarded to me for Theory of Optimal Search. The answer to the question in the title is that a lot has happened, particularly in the area of the search for moving targets and in the use of computers in search theory and applications.

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OR Forum-What's Happened in Search Theory Since the 1975 Lanchester Prize?

SARPlan: A Decision Support System for Canadian Search and Rescue Operations.

SARPlan: A decision support system for Canadian Search and Rescue Operations

This paper provides an overview of the Computer-Assisted Search Planning (CASP) system developed for the United States Coast Guard. The CASP information processing methodology is based upon Monte Carlo simulation to obtain an initial probability distribution for target location and to update this distribution to account for drift due to currents and winds. A multiple scenario approach is employed to generate the initial probability distribution. Bayesian updating is used to reflect negative information obtained from unsuccessful search. The principal output of the CASP system is a sequence of probability “maps” which display the current target location probability distributions throughout the time period of interest. CASP also provides guidance for allocating search effort based upon optimal search theory.

Joseph H. Discenza

Papers

The United States Coast Guard Computer-Assisted Search Planning system (CASP)