Search Theory

Abstract

Since World War II, the principles of search theory have been applied successfully in numerous important operations. These include the 1966 search for a lost H-bomb in the Mediterranean near Palomares, Spain, the 1968 search for the lost nuclear submarine Scorpion near the Azores, and the 1974 underwater search for unexploded ordnance during clearance of the Suez Canal. The U.S. Coast Guard employs search theory in its open ocean search and rescue planning. Search theory is also used in astronomy, and in radar search for satellites. Numerous additional applications, including those to industry, medicine, and mineral exploration, are discussed in the proceedings of the 1979 NATO Advanced Research Institute on Search Theory and Applications. Applications to biology and machine maintenance and inspection is described in the literature. Further references to the literature are provided in the first section of this document. This is followed in the second section by an illustration of how search theory can be used to solve an optimal search problem.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Apr 14, 1986
Accession Number
ADA177493

Entities

People

  • Henry R. Richardson

Organizations

  • Center for Naval Analyses

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes
  • Sensors
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Artificial Satellites
  • Cells
  • Detection
  • Measures Of Effectiveness
  • Moving Targets
  • Naval Operations
  • Naval Warfare
  • New York
  • Operations Research
  • Probability
  • Probability Distributions
  • Random Variables
  • Search And Rescue
  • Search Theory
  • Submarine Warfare
  • Targets
  • Training

Readers

  • Library and Information Science
  • Maritime Security/Maritime Homeland Security
  • Operations Research

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Space Objects
  • Space - Spacecraft Maneuvers