Book review

Search is a vast area straddling many distinct disciplines. Scientists working in different fields mean different things saying "search". There is at least three such fields in applied mathematics where this term appears, namely, (i) optimization and root finding, (ii) sequential, usually discrete, search for an unknown target, and (iii) search, usually continuous, for the objects like submarines. One can consult the survey article J. O'Geran, H.P. Wynn, A.A. Zhigljavsky, Search, Acta Applicandae Mathematicae, 1991, 25, 241-276, for a description of different search fields and links between them.

The present work deals mainly with the direction (iii) above. (This direction is mainly originated from military problems and closely connected with the differential games theory.) Specifically, the volume at hand contains six articles dealing with the search for moving targets, continuous search games, search strategies as the solutions of differential equations, and some particular search plans. The first four of these articles, written by the well known specialists in the field, specifically, L.D. Stone, H.R. Richardson, S. Gal and M. Mangel, are mainly of a survey nature and present a general interest. These articles basically determine the significance of the volume. The last two articles dealing with special search problems seem to be of lower interest.

The volume seems to present a certain interest for the scientists and engineers working in the search theory and its applications. These specialists are also advised to take a look at the recent issue of the Naval Research Logistics Quaterly (1991, 38, No. 3) which deals with the same topic.

Since the book does not seem to be cheap, purchasing it is mainly advised to the libraries of the institutions having the search problems to solve in their activity.