Abstract
In this paper a new notion of a hierarchic Markov process is introduced. It is a series of Markov decision processes called subprocesses built together in one Markov decision process called the main process. The hierarchic structure is specially designed to fit replacement models which in the traditional formulation as ordinary Markov decision processes are usually very large. The basic theory of hierarchic Markov processes is described and examples are given of applications in replacement models. The theory can be extended to fit a situation where the replacement decision depends on the quality of the new asset available for replacement.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Journal | European Journal of Operational Research |
Volume | 35 |
Issue number | 2 |
Pages (from-to) | 207-215 |
Number of pages | 9 |
ISSN | 0377-2217 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 1988 |
Keywords
- agriculture
- Management
- Markov decision programming
- optimization
- stochastic processes