The NATO Advanced Research Institute on Search Theory and Appli- cations
was held at the Hotel Algarve in Praia Da Rocha, Portugal, from March 26
through March 30, 1979, and was sponsored by the NATO Special Programme
Panel on Systems Science. There were forty-one participants representing
a wide range of backgrounds and interests. The purpose of the institute
was to bring together people working in search theory and applications
with potential users of search techniques to stimulate the increased
application of recent- ly developed search technology to civilian
problems such as search and rescue, mineral exploration, surveillance,
and fishing. Con- versely, it was felt that by exposing search analysts
to potential applications and new problems, they would be stimulated to
develop new techniques for these applications and problems. The exchange
of ideas and problems necessary to accomplish these goals was provided
in the meeting workshops. There were three workshops, Search and Rescue,
Exploration, and Surveillance and Fishing, each consisting of a small
group of search analysts and potential users working together to define
areas in which search theory and technology can be applied and to
outline plans for im- plementation. At the end of the conference, each
working group submitted a report outlining possible areas of search
applications and discussing problems which needed to be solved in order
to im- plement these applications.