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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Samanta, Sukanya, Reddy, Manohar
Format: Preprint
Published: 2025
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.04050
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author Samanta, Sukanya
Reddy, Manohar
author_facet Samanta, Sukanya
Reddy, Manohar
contents The interdiction of escaping adversaries in urban networks is a critical security challenge. State-of-the-art game-theoretic models, such as the Escape Interdiction Game (EIG), provide comprehensive frameworks but assume a highly dynamic interaction and entail significant computational complexity, which can be prohibitive for real-time applications. This paper investigates a crucial sub-problem: an evader's optimal pathfinding calculus when faced with a static or pre-determined defender deployment. We propose the Dynamic Programming for Evader Route Optimization (DPERO) algorithm, which models the environment as a graph with probabilistic risks at various nodes. By transforming the multiplicative survival objective into an additive cost function using logarithms, we frame the task as a shortest path problem solvable with value iteration. This approach allows for the efficient computation of a path that optimally balances safety and distance. Experimental results on simulated grid networks demonstrate that DPERO identifies routes with significantly higher survival probabilities compared to naive shortest-path baselines, validating its efficacy as a practical tool for vulnerability analysis and strategic planning.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2510_04050
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle A Dynamic Programming Approach to Evader Pathfinding in Static Pursuit Scenarios
Samanta, Sukanya
Reddy, Manohar
Data Structures and Algorithms
The interdiction of escaping adversaries in urban networks is a critical security challenge. State-of-the-art game-theoretic models, such as the Escape Interdiction Game (EIG), provide comprehensive frameworks but assume a highly dynamic interaction and entail significant computational complexity, which can be prohibitive for real-time applications. This paper investigates a crucial sub-problem: an evader's optimal pathfinding calculus when faced with a static or pre-determined defender deployment. We propose the Dynamic Programming for Evader Route Optimization (DPERO) algorithm, which models the environment as a graph with probabilistic risks at various nodes. By transforming the multiplicative survival objective into an additive cost function using logarithms, we frame the task as a shortest path problem solvable with value iteration. This approach allows for the efficient computation of a path that optimally balances safety and distance. Experimental results on simulated grid networks demonstrate that DPERO identifies routes with significantly higher survival probabilities compared to naive shortest-path baselines, validating its efficacy as a practical tool for vulnerability analysis and strategic planning.
title A Dynamic Programming Approach to Evader Pathfinding in Static Pursuit Scenarios
topic Data Structures and Algorithms
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2510.04050