Search for an Immobile Hider on a Binary Tree with Unreliable Locational Information

Exploiting Unreliable Information to Help Locate a Hidden Target The mathematical theory of search games was originally introduced by Shmuel Gal in 1979 to model the search for an immobile target (for instance, a landmine, improvised explosive device, or a weapons cache) on a tree network (a network without cycles). A Searcher, starting at a given point, aims to find an adversarial Hider, who is trying to maximize the time till detection. Traditionally, the Searcher has no extra information once the Hider chooses his hiding spot. In practical situations, such as detecting radioactive materials or landmines, Searchers often receive additional clues. A new study by Alpern and Lidbetter models these clues as signals that help guide the Searcher’s route. These signals, though not always accurate, suggest which paths are more promising. The study shows that with this updated model, the Hider’s best strategy shifts to hiding further from the root. This enhanced approach could improve the effectiveness of mobile sensors in real-world searches.