A MARKOV DECISION PROCESS WITH COSTLY INSPECTION.
Abstract
A simple production process which has only two states in which production is possible, and two other states in which no production can take place is studied. The items produced are classified as either acceptable or defective. Costs are associated with producing defective items, inspecting items and repairing the process. Immediately after repair, and only then, is the process state known. An optimal control rule, which tells when to inspect items and when to repair the machinery, based on the past history of the process is sought. The problem in which inspection costs are nil, and hence 100% inspection is used, has been studied by Girshick and Rubin. When the process satisfies certain conditions, an optimal control rule is characterized, and a method for obtaining the rule is presented. Several other methods are given which produce almost optimal solutions when these conditions are violated. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 15, 1968
- Accession Number
- AD0664456
Entities
People
- Stephen M. Tafeen
Organizations
- Stanford University