Optimal commitment of forces in some Lanchester-type combat models

This paper shows that one can determine whether or not it is beneficial for the victor to initially commit as many forces as possible to battle in Lanchester-type combat between two homogeneous forces by considering the instantaneous casualty-exchange ratio. It considers the initial-commitment decison as a one-sided static optimization problem and examines this nonlinear program for each of three decision criteria (victor's losses, loss ratio, and loss difference) and for each of two different battle-termination conditions (given force-level breakpoint and given force-ratio breakpoint) . The paper's main contribution is to show how to determine the sign of the partial derivative of the decision criterion with respect to the victor's initial force level for general combat dynamics without explicitly solving the Lanchester-type combat equations. Consequently, the victor's optimal initialcommitment decision many times may be determined from how the instantaneous casualty-exchange ratio varies with changes in the victor's force level and time. Convexity of the instantaneous casualty-exchange ratio is shown to imply convexity of the decision criterion so that conditions of decreasing marginal returns may be identified also without solving the combat equations. The optimal initial-commitment decision is shown to be sensitive to the decision criterion for fixed force-ratio breakpoint battles.supported by the Foundation Research Program of the Naval Postgraduate School with funds provided by the Chief of Naval Researchhttp://archive.org/details/optimalcommitmen00taylN0001477WR7004

Modeling and Analysis of Resolve and Morale for the `Long War\u27

In The Art of War, Sun Tzu begins by stating: War is a matter of vital importance to the State; the province of life or death; the road to survival or ruin. It is mandatory that it be thoroughly studied. Sun Tzu follow\u27s this opening by stating five fundamental factors a commander must master to be successful in combat. The first of these factors is moral influence which Sun Tzu defines as that which causes the people to be in harmony with their leaders, so they will accompany them in life and death without fear of mortal peril. In the face of the instant communication provided by satellites, 24 hour news media coverage, and other technological advances, this factor is even more relevant today. This research provides an analytic framework, based on the principles of fourth generation operations, capturing the effects of will and resolve of the combatant and population. The strategic level model investigates the long term impacts of asymmetric conflict. These results are primarily measured in the socio-political arena rather than the military battlefield. The model developed in this dissertation remains a model of conflict and combat. However, some of the impacts from the political, economic, and informational instruments of power are represented in the model through the dynamic adaptation of public resolve and combat spirit. To paraphrase Sun Tzu, war is vitally important and must be studied. Therefore, this dissertation puts forth a means to model key aspects of conflict in the `long war\u27

Accountants\u27 index. Twenty-eighth supplement, January-December 1979, volume 2: M-Z

https://egrove.olemiss.edu/aicpa_accind/1034/thumbnail.jp

Accountants\u27 index. Twenty-eighth supplement, January-December 1979, volume 1: A-L

https://egrove.olemiss.edu/aicpa_accind/1033/thumbnail.jp