Let Xn, . . . ,X1 be i.i.d. random variables with distribution function F. A statistician, knowing F, observes the X values sequentially and is given two chances to choose X’s using stopping rules. The statistician’s goal is to stop at a value of X as small as possible. Let V^2 equal the...

Let X_i be nonnegative independent random variables with finite expectations and X^*_n = max {X_1, ..., X_n}. The value EX^*_n is what can be obtained by a ``prophet". A ``mortal" on the other hand, may use k = 1 stopping rules t_1, ..., t_k yielding a return E[max_{i=1, ..., k} X_{t_i}]. For n...

Asymptotic results for the problem of optimal two choice stopping on an n element long i.i.d. sequence X<SUB>n</SUB>, . . . ,X<SUB>1</SUB> have previously been obtained for two of the three domains of attraction. An asymptotic result is proved for the exponential distribution, a representative from the remaining,...</sub></sub>

We study a class of optimal allocation problems, including the well-known Bomber Problem, with the following common probabilistic structure. An aircraft equipped with an amount x of ammunition is intercepted by enemy airplanes arriving according to a homogenous Poisson process over a fixed time...

A problem of optimally allocating partially effective ammunition x to be used on randomly arriving enemies in order to maximize an aircraft's probability of surviving for time t, known as the Bomber Problem, was first posed by Klinger and Brown (1968). They conjectured a set of apparently...

The problem of finding stopping rules which maximize (EXt) (EYt) is considered, for independent pairs (Xi, Yi) of nonnegative r.v.s. with known joint distribution. The solution is compared to that of maximizing E(Xt Yt). When (Xi, Yi) are uniform, a detailed analysis is given for the...

We compare estimators of the (essential) supremum and the integral of a function f defined on a measurable space when f may be observed at a sample of points in its domain, possibly with error. The estimators compared vary in their levels of stratification of the domain, with the result that...

The inequality conjectured by van den Berg and Kesten in [9], and proved by Reimer in [6], states that for A and B events on S, a product of finitely many finite sets, and P any product measure on S,P(AÊB) <FONT FACE="Symbol">£</FONT> P(A)P(B), where AÊB are the elementary events which lie in both A and B for `disjoint...</font>

We consider a permutation method for testing whether observations given in their natural pairing exhibit an unusual level of similarity in situations where any two observations may be similar at some unknown baseline level. Under a null hypothesis where there is no distinguished pairing of the...

The Fighter problem with discrete ammunition is studied. An aircraft (fighter) equipped with n anti-aircraft missiles is intercepted by enemy airplanes, the appearance of which follows a homogeneous Poisson process with known intensity. If j of the n missiles are spent at an encounter they...