Attrition Models and Applications

Abstract

Frederick W. Lanchester proposed simple ordinary differential equations that plainly model the attrition of fighting forces in a battlefield. With this insight, researchers studied extensions of these equations to model various battles for years. Novel studies include the application of these equations to miscellaneous field apart from battles that comprise reciprocal contention of opponents. If well-defined, these models can assist decision makers in revealing the shortcomings of a war strategy and discovering the bottlenecks that should be optimized. The recent studies prove that the insights gained from these models can also be utilized in other fields such as economy, biology, engineering, etc. This chapter includes the classic Lanchester equations, significant extensions of classical models, and a number of important application examples.