Dynamic programming applications in water resources

TLDR: In this paper, the authors present a survey of dynamic programming models for water resource problems and examine computational techniques which have been used to obtain solutions to these problems, including aqueduct design, irrigation system control, project development, water quality maintenance, and reservoir operations analysis.

Abstract: The central intention of this survey is to review dynamic programming models for water resource problems and to examine computational techniques which have been used to obtain solutions to these problems. Problem areas surveyed here include aqueduct design, irrigation system control, project development, water quality maintenance, and reservoir operations analysis. Computational considerations impose severe limitation on the scale of dynamic programming problems which can be solved. Inventive numerical techniques for implementing dynamic programming have been applied to water resource problems. Discrete dynamic programming, differential dynamic programming, state incremental dynamic programming, and Howard's policy iteration method are among the techniques reviewed. Attempts have been made to delineate the successful applications, and speculative ideas are offered toward attacking problems which have not been solved satisfactorily.