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On-line selection of an acceptable pair

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 July 2016

J. Preater*
Affiliation:
Keele University
*
Postal address: Department of Mathematics, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire ST5 5BG, UK. Email address: [email protected]
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Abstract

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A sequence of objects with independent, identically distributed qualities is presented to a selector who must choose two on-line, i.e. without anticipation or recall. The selector's aim is to obtain a satisfactory pair as quickly as possible. Two versions of the problem are considered, and optimal selection rules are derived and compared. An investigation is also made of a heuristic rule suitable for a selector who has no prior knowledge of the nature of the object sequence.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© Applied Probability Trust 2006 

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