A theory of multi-period contest preparation. (Q1875008)

The paper is concerned with the mathematical modelling of a rational behavior of groups of individuals. The model is a system of two differential equations, the state variables represent the components of the agent's preparation for the sequence of tests. The tests occur at discrete time moments. On each interval between the tests the agent derives a control as a solution of an appropriate optimal control problem using Pontryagin's maximum principle. Joining the thus-obtained pieces of control and the corresponding solutions of the system, the pair called the contest preparation process (CPP) is obtained. It is proved that the CPP converges to some limit periodic or steady-state regime independently of initial conditions as time tends to infinity. The model has various applications, such as an election process or rent seeking.