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Food For Thought: When Information Optimization Fails to Optimize Utility

Agarwala, Edward K.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1244147146

Abstract Details

2009, Master of Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, Mathematics.
Information maximization criteria have been used to account for the physiology of sensory systems as diverse as receptive fields in the primary visual and auditory cortices, and olfaction. We investigated a model of an organism searching for food by taking successive samples from an environment in which food particles diffuse stochastically from a slowly and randomly moving source. In the limit of large food concentrations we reduced our high dimensional model system to a Markov chain on a small number of equivalence classes. In this system we made rigorous quantitative comparisons of different search strategies based on (i) maximizing the searcher's information about the food source's location, (ii) maximizing the likelihood of landing on the source, and (iii) hybrid strategies combining aspects of (i) and (ii). In terms of long-term expected food benefit we found that each strategy was superior to the others depending on the source's rate of movement.
Dr. Peter Thomas (Committee Chair)
Dr. Hillel Chiel (Committee Member)
Dr. Ken Lopora (Committee Member)
Dr. Elizabeth Meckes (Committee Member)
93 p.
Biology; Mathematics
Information theory; behavior; maximum likelihood; foraging; sensory systems

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Agarwala, E. K. (2009). Food For Thought: When Information Optimization Fails to Optimize Utility [Master's thesis, Case Western Reserve University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1244147146

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Agarwala, Edward. Food For Thought: When Information Optimization Fails to Optimize Utility. 2009. Case Western Reserve University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1244147146.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Agarwala, Edward. "Food For Thought: When Information Optimization Fails to Optimize Utility." Master's thesis, Case Western Reserve University, 2009. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1244147146

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

case1244147146
528
© 2009, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Case Western Reserve University School of Graduate Studies and OhioLINK.