A survey of the pursuit–evasion problem in swarm intelligence

For complex functions to emerge in artificial systems, it is important to understand the intrinsic mechanisms of biological swarm behaviors in nature. In this paper, we present a comprehensive survey of pursuit–evasion, which is a critical problem in biological groups. First, we review the problem of pursuit–evasion from three different perspectives: game theory, control theory and artificial intelligence, and bio-inspired perspectives. Then we provide an overview of the research on pursuit–evasion problems in biological systems and artificial systems. We summarize predator pursuit behavior and prey evasion behavior as predator–prey behavior. Next, we analyze the application of pursuit–evasion in artificial systems from three perspectives, i.e., strong pursuer group vs. weak evader group, weak pursuer group vs. strong evader group, and equal-ability group. Finally, relevant prospects for future pursuit–evasion challenges are discussed. This survey provides new insights into the design of multi-agent and multi-robot systems to complete complex hunting tasks in uncertain dynamic scenarios.