Pursuit-evasion differential games of players with different speeds in spaces of different dimensions

TL;DR

This paper investigates pursuit-evasion differential games involving players with different speeds in spaces of different dimensions, extending classical concepts to 3D and deriving optimal strategies with proven optimality.

Contribution

It extends the Apollonius circle to 3D space, constructs isochrons for pursuit-evasion games, and derives optimal strategies with rigorous proof of their optimality.

Findings

Proposed strategies outperform classical ones in simulations

Isochron construction enables optimal strategy derivation

Value functions satisfy Hamilton-Jacobi-Isaacs equation

Abstract

We study pursuit-evasion differential games between a faster pursuer moving in 3D space and an evader moving in a plane. We first extend the well-known Apollonius circle to 3D space, by which we construct the isochron for the considered two players. Then both cases with and without a static target are considered and the corresponding optimal strategies are derived using the concept of isochron. In order to guarantee the optimality of the proposed strategies, the value functions are given and are further proved to be the solution of Hamilton-Jacobi-Isaacs equation. Simulations with comparison between the proposed strategies and other classical strategies are carried out and the results show the optimality of the proposed strategies.