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Run with the Brownian Hare, Hunt with the Deterministic Hounds

Davide Bernardi and Benjamin Lindner
Phys. Rev. Lett. 128, 040601 – Published 26 January 2022
Physics logo See synopsis: Chasing an Unpredictable Quarry

Abstract

We present analytic results for mean capture time and energy expended by a pack of deterministic hounds actively chasing a randomly diffusing prey. Depending on the number of chasers, the mean capture time as a function of the prey’s diffusion coefficient can be monotonically increasing, decreasing, or attain a minimum at a finite value. Optimal speed and number of chasing hounds exist and depend on each chaser’s baseline power consumption. The model can serve as an analytically tractable basis for further studies with bearing on the growing field of smart microswimmers and autonomous robots.

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  • Received 13 October 2021
  • Accepted 24 December 2021

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.128.040601

© 2022 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Statistical Physics & ThermodynamicsInterdisciplinary Physics

synopsis

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Chasing an Unpredictable Quarry

Published 26 January 2022

Researchers explore the effects of random motion in a pursuit problem in which hounds chase a hare.

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Authors & Affiliations

Davide Bernardi*

  • Center for Translational Neurophysiology of Speech and Communication, Fondazione Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Fossato di Mortara 19, 44121 Ferrara, Italy

Benjamin Lindner

  • Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Berlin, Philippstraße 13, Haus 2, 10115 Berlin, Germany and Physics Department of Humboldt University Berlin, Newtonstraße 15, 12489 Berlin, Germany

  • *davide.bernardi@iit.it, davide.bernardi@bccn-berlin.de

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Issue

Vol. 128, Iss. 4 — 28 January 2022

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