The Infinite Secretary Problem as the Limit of the Finite Problem
Open Access
- 1 August 1977
- journal article
- Published by Institute of Mathematical Statistics in The Annals of Probability
- Vol. 5 (4) , 636-644
- https://doi.org/10.1214/aop/1176995775
Abstract
In a recent paper by J. Gianini and S. M. Samuels an "infinite secretary problem" was formulated: an infinite, countable sequence of rankable individuals (rank 1 = best) arrive at times which are independent and uniformly distributed on [0, 1]. As they arrive, only their relative ranks with respect to their predecessors can be observed. Given an increasing cost function $q(\bullet)$, let $\nu$ be the minimum, among all stopping rules, of the mean of the function $q$ of the actual rank of the individual chosen. Let $\nu(n)$ be the corresponding minimum for a finite secretary problem with $n$ individuals. Then $\lim \nu(n) = \nu$.
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