The influence of the environment on Lévy random search efficiency: Fractality and memory effects

An open problem in the field of random searches relates to optimizing the search efficiency in fractal environments. Here we address this issue through a systematic study of Lévy searches in landscapes encompassing several degrees of target aggregation and fractality. For scarce resources, non-destructive searches with unrestricted revisits to targets are shown to present universal optimal behavior irrespective of the general scaling properties of the spatial distribution of targets. In contrast, no such universal behavior occurs in the destructive case with forbidden revisits, in which the optimal strategy strongly depends on the degree of target aggregation. We also investigate how the presence of memory and learning skills of the searcher affect the search efficiency. By considering a limiting model in which the searcher learns through recent experience to recognize food-rich areas, we find that a statistical memory of previous encounters does not necessarily increase the rate of target findings in random searches. Instead, there is an optimal extent of memory, dependent on specific details of the search space and stochastic dynamics, which maximizes the search efficiency. This finding suggests a more general result, namely that in some instances there are actual advantages to ignoring certain pieces of partial information while searching for objects.     

On the first passage time and leapover properties of Lévy motions

We investigate two coupled properties of Lévy stable random motions: the first passage times (FPTs) and the first passage leapovers (FPLs). While, in general, the FPT problem has been studied quite extensively, the FPL problem has hardly attracted any attention. Considering a particle that starts at the origin and performs random jumps with independent increments chosen from a Lévy stable probability law λ_α,β(x), the FPT measures how long it takes the particle to arrive at or cross a target. The FPL addresses a different question: given that the first passage jump crosses the target, then how far does it get beyond the target? These two properties are investigated for three subclasses of Lévy stable motions: (i) symmetric Lévy motions characterized by Lévy index α(0<α<2) and skewness parameter β=0, (ii) one-sided Lévy motions with 0<α<1, β=1, and (iii) two-sided skewed Lévy motions, the extreme case, 1<α<2, β=−1.