Adaptive Group Testing Algorithm

An algorithm is described for group testing under the conditions when, in a specified set of cardinality $$n$$ , there is an unknown amount of $$d > 0$$ of defective elements and it is necessary to identify them with a sequence of tests. Each next test can take into account the results of the previous ones. The upper estimate for the number of tests in our algorithm improves the known value. The algorithm runtime is the minimum possible: it is of the order of the number of tests.