Optimal number of agents in a collective search, and when to launch them

Abstract

Search processes often involve multiple agents that collectively search a randomly located target. While increasing the number of agents usually decreases the time at which the first agent finds the target, it also requires resources to create and sustain more agents. In this manuscript, we raise the question of the optimal timing for launching multiple agents in a search in order to reach the best compromise between minimizing the overall search time and minimizing the costs associated with launching and sustaining agents. After introducing a general formalism for independent agents in which we allow them to be launched at arbitrary times, we investigate by means of analytical calculations and numerical optimization the optimal launch strategies to optimize the quantiles of the search cost and its mean. Finally, we compare our results with the case of stochastic resetting and study the conditions under which it is preferable to launch new searchers rather than resetting the first one to its initial position.