Search results for "Operations Research"
showing 10 items of 1297 documents
Obstacles modelling reality: Two exploratory studies on physics defined and undefined problems
2014
For some researchers, and perhaps for many teachers, problem-solving is strongly related to thinking (Mayer, 1983). Several reports highlight the importance of developing suitable skills to solve complex, ill-defined and boundless real-life problems in educated people (NSF Standards, U.S. Department of Labour, ABET engineering accreditation organization, and American Institute of Physics, mentioned in Etkina & Van Heuvelen, 2007; Bureau of Labour Statistics, U.S. Department of Labour, 2014; Competency Model Clearinghouse, 2012). Problem-solving is virtually the core of the professional activity of a physicist (Etkina, Van Heuvelen, White-Brahmia, Brookes, Gentile, Murthy, Rosengrant & Warre…
Towards a methodological toolset for the psycholinguistics of translation
2021
Abstract The manuscript provides readers with a basic methodological toolset for experimental psycholinguistic studies on translation. Following a description of key methodological concepts and the rationale behind experimental designs in psycholinguistics, we discuss experimental paradigms adopted from bilingualism research, which potentially constitute a methodological foundation for studies investigating the psycholinguistics of translation. Specifically, we show that priming paradigms possess several inherent advantages which make them particularly suitable for research on translation. The manuscript critically discusses key methodological problems associated with such paradigms and ill…
Factors in the global assimilation of collaborative information technologies: an exploratory investigation in five regions
2008
The diffusion of innovation theory is deployed to investigate the global assimilation of collaborative information technologies (CITs). Based on the concepts of IT acquisition and utilization, an assimilation framework is presented to highlight four states (limited, focused, lagging, and pervasive) that capture the assimilation of conferencing and groupware CITs. Data collected from 538 organizations in the United States, Australia, Hong Kong, Norway, and Switzerland are aggregated and analyzed to explore assimilation patterns and the influence of decision-making pattern, functional integration, promotion of collaboration, organization size, and IT function size on the assimilation of CITs.…
An interactive approach to multiple criteria optimization with multiple decision-makers
1986
In this article we propose a formal man-machine interactive approach to multiple criteria optimization with multiple decision makers. The approach is based on some of our earlier research findings in multiple criteria decision making. A discrete decision space is assumed. The same framework may readily be used for multiple criteria mathematical programming problems. To test the approach two experiments were conducted using undergraduate Business School students as subjects in Finland and in the United States. The context was, respectively, a high-level Finnish labor-management problem and the management-union collective bargaining game developed at the Krannert Graduate School of Management…
The Influence of Collective Behavior on Pacing in Endurance Competitions
2015
A number of theoretical models have been proposed in recent years to explain pacing strategies observed in individual competitive endurance events. These have typically related to the internal regulatory processes that inform the making of decisions relating to muscular work rate. Despite a substantial body of research which has investigated the influence of collective group dynamics on individual behaviors in various animal species, this issue has not been comprehensively studied in individual athletic events. This is somewhat surprising given that athletes often directly compete in close proximity to one another, and that collective behavior has also been observed in other human environme…
Tabu search for min-max edge crossing in graphs
2020
Abstract Graph drawing is a key issue in the field of data analysis, given the ever-growing amount of information available today that require the use of automatic tools to represent it. Graph Drawing Problems (GDP) are hard combinatorial problems whose applications have been widely relevant in fields such as social network analysis and project management. While classically in GDPs the main aesthetic concern is related to the minimization of the total sum of crossing in the graph (min-sum), in this paper we focus on a particular variant of the problem, the Min-Max GDP, consisting in the minimization of the maximum crossing among all egdes. Recently proposed in scientific literature, the Min…
The best choice problem with an unknown number of objects
1993
The secretary problem with a known prior distribution of the number of candidates is considered. Ifp(i)=p(N=i),i ∈ [α, β] ∩ ℕ, whereα=inf{i ∈ℕ:p(i) > 0} andβ=sup{i ∈ℕ:p(i)≳0}, is the prior distribution of the numberN of candidates it will be shown that, if the optimal stopping rule is of the simple form, then the optimal stopping indexj=minΓ satisfies asymptotically (asβ → ∞) the equationj=exp $${{\left[ {\left( {\sum\limits_{i = max(\alpha ,j)}^\beta {p(i) \log (i)/i} } \right)} \right]} \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{\left[ {\left( {\sum\limits_{i = max(\alpha ,j)}^\beta {p(i) \log (i)/i} } \right)} \right]} {\left. {\left( {\sum\limits_{i = max(\alpha ,j)}^\beta {p(i)/i} } \right) - 1} \ri…
Regulation and efficiency: the case of European railways
2001
Abstract During the long period of regulation of the railway system in Europe (1950s–1990s) the companies notably improved their levels of productivity. However, parallel to this, the state of their financial accounts also significantly worsened. In order to explain this fact we have estimated both cost and revenue frontier functions, calculating the losses associated with both cost and revenue inefficiencies as well as inefficiencies on the cost side. The results obtained show the existence of significant potential losses of revenue, which can be explained above all by the strong policy of regulation and intervention reigning in this period. A better commercial policy and a supply adapted …
Monitoring multidimensional phenomena with a multicriteria composite performance interval approach
2021
[EN] In the last two decades, the construction of composite indicators to measure and compare multidimensional phenomena in a broad spectrum of domains has increased considerably. Different methodological approaches are used to summarise huge datasets of information in a single figure. This paper proposes a new approach that consists in computing a multicriteria composite performance interval based on different aggregation rules. The suggested approach provides an additional layer of information as the performance interval displays a lower bound from a non-compensability perspective, and an upper bound allowing for full-compensability. The outstanding features of this proposal are: 1) a dis…
Identifying individuality and variability in team tactics by means of statistical shape analysis and multilayer perceptrons.
2012
Abstract Offensive and defensive systems of play represent important aspects of team sports. They include the players’ positions at certain situations during a match, i.e., when players have to be on specific positions on the court. Patterns of play emerge based on the formations of the players on the court. Recognition of these patterns is important to react adequately and to adjust own strategies to the opponent. Furthermore, the ability to apply variable patterns of play seems to be promising since they make it harder for the opponent to adjust. The purpose of this study is to identify different team tactical patterns in volleyball and to analyze differences in variability. Overall 120 s…