To Test or Not: Incentivizing Individuals in a Population to Achieve Socially Optimal Testing in Epidemics

Roy, A and Singh, C and Narahari, Y (2024) To Test or Not: Incentivizing Individuals in a Population to Achieve Socially Optimal Testing in Epidemics. In: 20th IEEE International Conference on Automation Science and Engineering, CASE 2024, 28 August 2024 through 1 September 2024, Bari, pp. 2449-2456.

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Abstract

With multiple waves of epidemics devastating the global population and the possibility of future waves looming large, testing has moved to the centre-stage of epidemic management. In this study, we explore how offering incentives for testing during epidemics can encourage people to test themselves responsibly, without having to resort to strict penalties for noncompliance. We use a scientific approach to examine how adjusting testing costs can influence people's behavior during outbreaks. We compare two scenarios: one where testing decisions are centrally managed for maximum social benefit, and another where individuals make their own testing choices. For achieving computational tractability in analyzing a large population, we use the mean field approach. By combining ideas from optimal control theory and mean field game theory, we investigate how policymakers can use subsidies to motivate people to test more responsibly during epidemics. This research offers valuable insights for policymakers on the quantum of subsidies needed to encourage desirable testing behavior of rational individuals in a population. © 2024 IEEE.

Item Type:	Conference Paper
Publication:	IEEE International Conference on Automation Science and Engineering
Publisher:	IEEE Computer Society
Additional Information:	The copyright for this article belongs to publisher.
Keywords:	Computational tractability; Global population; Large population; Mean field approach; Multiple waves; Optimal testing; People behavior; Policy makers; Social benefits; Testing costs, Optimal control systems
Department/Centre:	Division of Electrical Sciences > Electronic Systems Engineering (Formerly Centre for Electronic Design & Technology) Division of Electrical Sciences > Computer Science & Automation
Date Deposited:	27 Nov 2024 13:07
Last Modified:	27 Nov 2024 13:07
URI:	http://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/86916

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