Promoting Resiliency in Emergency Communication Networks: A Network Interdiction Stylized Initial Case Study Model of a Miami-Dade County Network

Network Interdiction Modeling

Network interdiction models fall under the general category of game theory models. Such models attempt to capture the interplay between two or more actors, each seeking some goal. Various types of game theory models exist with most models having an assumption that each actor involved intends to maximize their reward within the “game” for him or herself as it plays out. The term “interdiction” is seen throughout optimization research literature, particularly with respect to modeling military and governmental processes such as supply logistics as utilized in the work by McMasters and Mustin (1970). Its military definition broadly deals with the destruction or disruption of supplies and the processes used to deliver them. One of the first applications of deterministic network interdiction modeling was conducted by Wood (1993) on the flow of raw materials for illicit drug production into various regions in South America. Network interdiction models tend to follow the process outlined by Smith (2008). Dimitrov and Morton (2013) describe four applications of network interdiction modeling, including one that is similar to the case study model, in this work: identifying vulnerabilities in an electric power system. Work that utilized the notion of network interdiction for analyzing source-destination path availability in a network infrastructure was conducted by Murray, et al. (2007) and Matisziw and Murray (2009). A description of the basic workings of an interdiction model is necessary to fully understand its applicability to our case study.