IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/inm/oropre/v24y1976i1p44-69.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Canonical Methods in the Solution of Variable-Coefficient Lanchester-Type Equations of Modern Warfare

Author

Listed:
  • James G. Taylor

    (Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California)

  • Gerald G. Brown

    (Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, California)

Abstract

This paper develops a mathematical theory for solving deterministic, Lanchester-type, “square-law” attrition equations for combat between two homogeneous forces with temporal variations in fire effectivenesses (as expressed by the Lanchester attrition-rate coefficients). It gives a general form for expressing the solution of such variable-coefficient combat attrition equations in terms of Lanchester functions, which are introduced here and can be readily tabulated. Different Lanchester functions arise from different mathematical forms for the attrition-rate coefficients. We give results for two such forms: (1) effectiveness of each side's fire proportional to a power of time, and (2) effectiveness of each side's fire linear with time but with a nonconstant ratio of attrition-rate coefficients. Previous results in the literature for a nonconstant ratio of these attrition-rate coefficients only took a convenient form under rather restrictive conditions.

Suggested Citation

  • James G. Taylor & Gerald G. Brown, 1976. "Canonical Methods in the Solution of Variable-Coefficient Lanchester-Type Equations of Modern Warfare," Operations Research, INFORMS, vol. 24(1), pages 44-69, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:oropre:v:24:y:1976:i:1:p:44-69
    DOI: 10.1287/opre.24.1.44
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/opre.24.1.44
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1287/opre.24.1.44?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:inm:oropre:v:24:y:1976:i:1:p:44-69. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Asher (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/inforea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.