Optimal stopping value function ($V(t,s)$)

For a Markov process with reward $f$, the value starting at time $t$ in state $s$ is the supremum of expected rewards over admissible stopping times. In finite discrete time it obeys $V(T,s)=f(s)$ and $V(t,s)=\max \{f(s),PV(t+1,\cdot )(s)\}$ for the transition operator $P$, wherever expectations are well-defined. Statewise absolute integrability of every remaining-horizon reward makes these values finite.