On Anti-symmetry in Multiple Target Tracking

The notion of indistinguishable targets is well-established in advanced target tracking. Conceptually, it is rooted in quantum physics where functions of joint particle states are considered that are either symmetric or anti-symmetric under permutation of the particle labels. This symmetry dichotomy explains why two disjunct classes of particles exist in nature: bosons and fermions. Besides symmetry, also anti-symmetry has a place in multiple target tracking as we will show, leading to well-defined probability density functions describing the joint target states. Inbuilt anti-symmetry implies a target tracking version of Pauli'sexclusion principle: Real world targets are ""fermions"" that cannot exist at the same time at the same place. This is of interest in dense tracking scenarios with resolution conflicts and split-off. We discuss the concept and illustrate its benefits.