The elements of a finite nonempty partially ordered set are exposed at independent uniform times in [0,1] to a selector who, at any given time, can see the structure of the induced partial order on the exposed elements. The selector’s task is to choose online a maximal element. This generalizes the classical linear order secretary problem, for which it is known that the selector can succeed wit...

The multiple criteria secretary problem in which the criteria are independent and the objective is to choose an applicant that is best in at least one criterion was solved by Gnedin (1981). We generalize this result to the case of two criteria that may be dependent. Two models, one assuming independence of the vectors of ranks and the other assuming independence of the variables on which the ra...

A version of the secretary problem called the duration problem, in which the objective is to maximize the time of possession of relatively best objects or the second best, is treated. It is shown that in this duration problem there are threshold numbers (k 1 , k ? 2) such that the optimal strategy immediately selects a relatively best object if it appears after time k 1 and a relatively second ...

In many decentralized labor markets, job candidates are offered positions at very early stages in the hiring process. It has been argued that these early offers are an effect of the competition between employers for the best candidate. This work studies the timing of offers in a theoretical model based on the classical secretary problem. We consider a secretary problem with multiple employers a...

We study search behavior in a generalized “secretary problem” environment in which consumers search sequentially for the best alternative from a known and finite set of multi-attribute alternatives. In contrast to most previous studies, we make no distributional assumptions about the quality of the alternatives. Rather, at each stage of the search the consumers are only assumed to be able to ra...

Bruss (1987) has studied a continuous-time generalization of the so-called secretary problem, where options arise according to homogeneous Poisson processes with an unknown intensity of . In this note, the solution is extended to the case with random availability, that is, there exists a xed known probability p(0 < p 1) of availability, and the number of o ering chances allowed at most is m( 1)...

— We consider the secretary problem when the candidates are interviewed in batches of two at each stage and cost of interviewing is present. Closedform asymptotic resuïts are derived and are compared with case when there is no recall of the candidates. There is a small réduction in the expected loss when the interview cost is a power functiôn which is nonconstant.

This paper deals with Bruss’ odds problem with multiple stopping chances. A decision maker observes sequentially a sequence of independent 0/1 (failure/success) random variables with the objective to predict the last success correctly with multiple stopping chances. First, we give a nontrivial lower bound of the probability of win (obtaining the last success) for the problem with m-stoppings. N...

The prospect of finding love may be scary but the prospect of committing to a relationship for the rest of your life is almost certainly scary. The secretary problem is a parallel to romantic decision making where an individual decides when to be satisfied with a selection choice in the face of uncertain future options. However, the secretary problem and its variations still do not provide a pr...

The Sliding Window Secretary Problem allows a window of choices to the Classical Secretary Problem, in which there is the option to choose the previous K choices immediately prior to the current choice. We consider a case of this sequential choice problem in which the interviewer has a finite, known number of choices and can only discern the relative ranks of choices, and in which every permuta...