Optimizing the random search of a finite-lived target by a Lévy flight

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Hauptverfasser: Boyer, Denis, Mercado-Vásquez, Gabriel, Majumdar, Satya N., Schehr, Grégory
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2023
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author Boyer, Denis
Mercado-Vásquez, Gabriel
Majumdar, Satya N.
Schehr, Grégory
author_facet Boyer, Denis
Mercado-Vásquez, Gabriel
Majumdar, Satya N.
Schehr, Grégory
contents In many random search processes of interest in chemistry, biology or during rescue operations, an entity must find a specific target site before the latter becomes inactive, no longer available for reaction or lost. We present exact results on a minimal model system, a one-dimensional searcher performing a discrete time random walk or Lévy flight. In contrast with the case of a permanent target, the capture probability and the conditional mean first passage time can be optimized. The optimal Lévy index takes a non-trivial value, even in the long lifetime limit, and exhibits an abrupt transition as the initial distance to the target is varied. Depending on the target lifetime, this transition is discontinuous or continuous, separated by a non-conventional tricritical point. These results pave the way to the optimization of search processes under time constraints.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2310_10934
institution arXiv
publishDate 2023
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Optimizing the random search of a finite-lived target by a Lévy flight
Boyer, Denis
Mercado-Vásquez, Gabriel
Majumdar, Satya N.
Schehr, Grégory
Statistical Mechanics
In many random search processes of interest in chemistry, biology or during rescue operations, an entity must find a specific target site before the latter becomes inactive, no longer available for reaction or lost. We present exact results on a minimal model system, a one-dimensional searcher performing a discrete time random walk or Lévy flight. In contrast with the case of a permanent target, the capture probability and the conditional mean first passage time can be optimized. The optimal Lévy index takes a non-trivial value, even in the long lifetime limit, and exhibits an abrupt transition as the initial distance to the target is varied. Depending on the target lifetime, this transition is discontinuous or continuous, separated by a non-conventional tricritical point. These results pave the way to the optimization of search processes under time constraints.
title Optimizing the random search of a finite-lived target by a Lévy flight
topic Statistical Mechanics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2310.10934