Dynamic Programming: Applications to Agriculture and Natural Resources

by John O.S. Kennedy (Editor)

Overview

Humans interact with and are part of the mysterious processes of nature. Inevitably they have to discover how to manage the environment for their long-term survival and benefit. To do this successfully means learning something about the dynamics of natural processes, and then using the knowledge to work with the forces of nature for some desired outcome. These are intriguing and challenging tasks. This book describes a technique which has much to offer in attempting to achieve the latter task. A knowledge of dynamic programming is useful for anyone interested in the optimal management of agricultural and natural resources for two reasons. First, resource management problems are often problems of dynamic optimization. The dynamic programming approach offers insights into the economics of dynamic optimization which can be explained much more simply than can other approaches. Conditions for the optimal management of a resource can be derived using the logic of dynamic programming, taking as a starting point the usual economic definition of the value of a resource which is optimally managed through time. This is set out in Chapter I for a general resource problem with the minimum of mathematics. The results are related to the discrete maximum principle of control theory. In subsequent chapters dynamic programming arguments are used to derive optimality conditions for particular resources.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9789401083621
Publisher:	Springer Netherlands
Publication date:	09/26/2011
Edition description:	Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 1986
Pages:	344
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x 0.03(d)

Table of Contents

I Introduction.- 1 The Management of Agricultural and Natural Resource Systems.- II The Methods of Dynamic Programming.- 2 Introduction to Dynamic Programming.- 3 Shastic and Infinite-Stage Dynamic Programming.- 4 Extensions to the Basic Formulation.- III Dynamic Programming Applications to Agriculture.- 5 Scheduling, Replacement and Inventory Management.- 6 Crop Management.- 7 Livesk Management.- IV Dynamic Programming Applications to Natural Resources.- 8 Land Management.- 9 Forestry Management.- 10 Fisheries Management.- V Conclusion.- 11 The Scope for Dynamic Programming Applied to Resource Management.- Appendices.- A1 Coding Sheets for Entering Data Using DPD.- A2 Program Listings.- A2.1 Listing of DPD.- A2.2 Listing of FDP.- A2.3 Listing of IDP.- A2.4 Listing of DIM.- Author Index.