An Optimal Hostage Rescue Problem Where the Probability of a Given Number Or More Hostages Being Killed is Minimized

This paper proposes a mathematical model for an optimal hostages rescue problem. When more than one person is taken hostage at a given time, a decision as to whether or not to attempt a rescue has to be made. The objective is to minimize the probability of a given number or more hostages being killed where the given number is determined by the decision maker in charge of resolving the crisis. Several properties of the optimal rescue rule are clarified