A Review of Seven DOAE Papers on Mathematical Models of Attrition.

Abstract : This paper is a descriptive and critical review of seven papers on the mathematics of combat attrition prepared by staff members of the Defence Operational Analysis Establishment of the U.K. The papers reviewed are A Bivariate Probability Distribution; The Moments of the Distribution of Battle States; Homogeneous Battles with General Attrition Functions; The Distribution of the Duration of Battle; Approximate Moments of the Distribution of States of a Simple Heterogeneous Battle; and Stochastic 'Linear Law' Battles; and Moments of the Distribution of States for a Battle with General Attrition Functions. Emphasis of the reviews is on mathematical aspects of the stochastic attrition process treated in the papers.