A stochastic inventory model

Abstract

In some cases arising in certain industries or military installations not only the demand for a particular commodity is a stochastic variable but its supply as well. In these cases it is convenient to consider the inventory level resulting from the interaction of supply and demand as a third stochastic variable. The variation of the inventory level in time can then be considered as a stochastic process. If this process is ergodic, the total inventory cost over a certain timeT may be represented as a function of the mean inventory level. This mean level can then be manipulated in such a way as to minimize the total inventory cost.