A Unifying Theory of Search
What a grand sounding title for a post? I couldn’t think of another title that summed up what I was hoping to achieve with the post. I’d like to try to explain how all search is linked. Each type of search contains the same elements, but depending on their quantity / use depends on how [...]
March 24, 2011
· 
Robert Bradley · 
3 Comments
Tags: ALSAR, Lawrence Stone, Police Search, Search Theory, Theory of Optimal Search · Posted in: Search Research, Search Thoughts
Coverage
Coverage as a word is often used to describe how much of a search area or sector has been searched. This is wrong. Coverage has a specific mathematical definition in search theory. It refers to the Area Effectively Swept divided by the Area of the Search Sector. Â This figure is then used in Koopman’s Exponential [...]
January 22, 2010
· Robert Bradley · No Comments
Tags: Area Effectively Swept, Coverage, Koopman's Exponential Detection Function, POD, Probability of Detection, Search Sector, Search Theory · Posted in: SAR Dictionary
Elements of the Optimal Search Problem
Lawrence Stone defined the elements of the optimal search problem in his 1986 book, Theory of Optimal Search. This was paraphrased extremely well by Cooper, Frost and Robe in their 2003 report – Compatibility of Land SAR Procedures with Search Theory as quoted below; A probability density distribution on search object location and state (so [...]
January 19, 2010
· Robert Bradley · 2 Comments
Tags: Compatibility of Land SAR Procedures with Search Theory, Consensus, D Cooper, J Frost, Lawrence Stone, Missing Person Behaviour Statistics, Optimisation, POA, POC, POD, POS, Probability Density, Probability Density Distribution, Probability of Area, Probability of Detection, Probability of Success, R Quincy Robe, Search Effort, Search Planning, Search Resource, Search Theory, Theory of Optimal Search · Posted in: Search Research, Search Thoughts, Search Training
A Defence of Purposeful Wandering
Johnnie Walker a long while back made a throwaway comment when he was commenting on his own Search Analogy; I know of Police Services who ban purposeful wandering by their search volunteers. Yes, you read that right. Not insist on it. Ban it! [Read it here if you don't believe he wrote it...] I have [...]
January 13, 2010
· Robert Bradley · One Comment
Tags: ALSAR, Johnnie Walker, POD, Police, PolSA, Probability of Detection, Purposeful Wandering, Search Controllers Course, Search Techniques, Search Theory, Search Volunteers, UKLSI · Posted in: Search Thoughts
What is Search Theory?
I’ve alluded to Search Theory lots of times during the last couple of months, and have often been told that I am happy to “bore” anyone to death with such maths. So I thought it was about time to write a series on the maths of search theory and how it can [should?] be used [...]
January 6, 2010
· Robert Bradley · No Comments
Tags: Missing Person Search, Optimisation, Search Mathematics, Search Maths, Search Resources, Search Theory · Posted in: Search Thoughts
