Research and Advances

ADAM is a computer routine designed to do a Monte Carlo simulation of a one-sided air battle. ADAM requires as input plans for bombing missions (including targets) the initial condition of defense installations (missile sites, radar sites, and fighter bases) and bomber bases, and parameters determining aircraft characteristics and weapon effectiveness. Time is broken into short intervals (15 minutes as presently coded), and during each time interval ADAM carries out the action called for by the plans and computes the consequences, thus setting up a new set of conditions for the next time period. During this cycle the functions performed include: (1) flight following—the movement of aircraft is directed in accordance with the route specifications; fuel consumption, altitude, and distance traveled are computed; airborne operations such as refueling, air release of deception devices, the dropping of bombs, and communication of mission results are carried out; (2) attrition—radar detection of bombers and attacks by fighters and missiles are simulated; (3) targeting—designated ground zeros for bombs dropped over target are selected and the amount of information obtained by reconnaissance missions is determined; (4) damage—blast damage to bomber bases and defense installations is computed, as well as their restricted operation as a result of radioactive fallout from ground bursts. The output from ADAM consists of the final status of bomber bases and defense installations, a time history of all bombing missions, counters (these include such quantities as the number of aircraft killed by missiles or fighters, the number of bases and defense installations destroyed or rendered inoperable because of radiation), the actual ground zeros (from bomb drops at target points or attrited bombers), and the fighter engagements. A strike of 312 bombers against 71 bomber bases and 1158 defense installations takes about 15 minutes of 704 time.

The Center is currently engaged in a number of theoretical and basic research investigations which are expected to lead to the formulation of a theory of documentation and of searching strategy. A basic program is leading to the development of a mathematical model for a documentation system. Work is proceeding (1) on a comprehensive investigation of the properties of aggregates and systems of messages in order to arrive at a general theory of “measure” for documentation systems, (2) on an analysis of the algebra that is imposed on the message complex, and (3) on a detailed study of the concept of mapping in documentation.