A general software system for Markov decision processes in herd management applications

A general software system for construction, editing and optimization of Markov decision processes ranging from traditional models and hierarchical Markov processes to multi-level hierarchical processes is presented. The software is designed to be multipurpose, to meet the needs of students and young scientists for demonstration of methods and concepts as well as the needs of a professional user, building real world models. A short description of the system is given and its facilities are illustrated through a sow model defined as a three-level hierarchical Markov process combining decisions on two time scales. Emphasis is put on modeling devices that may simplify the structure or speed up the calculations, which in real world models are of vast dimensions. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.