Target Search Optimization by Threshold Resetting
Phys. Rev. Lett. 135, 227101 – Published 24 November, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/752c-wqly
Abstract
We introduce a new class of first-passage time optimization driven by threshold resetting, inspired by many natural processes where crossing a critical limit triggers failure, degradation, or transition. Here, search agents are collectively reset when a threshold is reached, creating event-driven, system-coupled simultaneous resets that induce long-range interactions. We develop a unified framework to compute mean search times for these correlated stochastic processes, with ballistic and diffusive searchers as key examples uncovering diverse optimization behaviors. A cost function, akin to breakdown penalties, reveals that optimal resetting can forestall larger losses. This formalism generalizes to broader stochastic systems with multiple degrees of freedom.