Applications of Optimal Impulse Control to Optimal Foraging Problems

The method of optimal impulse control is applied to problems of optimal foraging and optimal switching between patches. This method is particularly appropriate for analysis and modeling of many biological processes during which there is a sudden switch from a particular level of the states to another. It allows derivation of the optimal continuous control and of the optimal time at which a switch from one level of states to another should occur. Three models are considered, two with optimal foraging on a non-renewable patchy resource, and one with renewable patchy resource. Optimal switching times between patches are derived explicitly for the former two and discussed for the latter.