Research for Information Theory

The expanded version of a set of lecture notes, this work is concerned with mathematical analysis, and not modeling target motion or detection functions, and not with the development of computer codes.

Some apparent contradictions in the operations research literature of search theory and information theory are reviewed, and the source of the conflict is isolated. The information processes connected with a search operation are examined by studying the geometric properties of information surfaces in search-allocation space. Some new theorems are developed which show that the connection between search and information theory is much stronger than previously believed. It is demonstrated that the amount of search effort, C is a critical parameter in the relation between search and information gain. For very small values of C, there is no unique relation between detection probability and information gain; for very large values of C, the optimal whereabouts search policy produces the greatest information gain; for a broad intermediate range of C (including many cases of practical interest) the optimal detection search policy produces the greatest information gain.

Introduce concept that expenditures alter the nature of underlying stochastic process.

A model that characterizes an air-to-air engagement as a semi-Markov process is described. Included is a discussion of the model's assumptions and effectiveness measures with instructions for applying the model to experiments characterizing offensive and defensive maneuvering capability in air combat.