The intuition of the MacCready setting

Taub, B. (2020) The intuition of the MacCready setting. Technical Soaring, 43(2), pp. 14-21.

Abstract

I develop intuition for the MacCready setting without elaborate stochastic control or numerical analysis. I express the speed to fly problem as a constrained optimization using a Lagrangian formulation; the Lagrange multiplier associated with the constraint then has an interpretation as a shadow price. I then consider the effects of two types of uncertainty on the optimal speed to fly: thermals of random strength in known locations, and thermals of fixed strength in random locations. Finally, I analyze the consequences of boundaries for the optimal speed to fly: the finite height of cloudbase, the ground, and the distance to the objective.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Taub, Professor Bart
• Authors: Taub, B.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > Adam Smith Business School > Economics
• Journal Name: Technical Soaring
• Publisher: Technical Soaring Society of America, Inc.
• ISSN: 0744-8996
• ISSN (Online): 0744-8996
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2019 Technical Soaring Society of America, Inc.
• First Published: First published in Technical Soaring 43(2):14-21
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher

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