How sensitive are average derivatives?

How sensitive are immunometric assays for thyrotropin?

The usual method for calculation of the "sensitivity" of thyrotropin immunometric assays is multireplicate analysis of the zero analyte standard. Although this is a statistically valid estimate of the scatter likely to be found in the response variable, it is unrelated to normal analytical practice (usually analysis in duplicate) and estimates intra-assay errors only. This study was designed to...

How robust are average complexity measures? A statistical case study

Average case analysis forms an interesting and intriguing part of algorithm theory since it explains why some algorithms with bad worst-case complexity can better themselves in performance on the average. Well known examples include the quicksort, simplex method and the wide variety of computer graphics and computational geometry algorithms. Here we make a statistical case study of the robustne...

How Harmful Are the Average American’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions?

It has sometimes been claimed (usually without evidence) that the harm caused by an individual’s participation in a greenhouse-gas-intensive economy is negligible. Using data from several contemporary sources, this paper attempts to estimate the harm done by an average American. This estimate is crude, and further refinements are surely needed. But the upshot is that the average American is res...

Food Taxes: How Likely Are Likely Effects?

How Safe are Central Counterparties in Derivatives Markets?

We propose a general framework for estimating the vulnerability to default by a central counterparty (CCP) in derivatives markets. Unlike conventional stress testing approaches, which estimate the ability of a CCP to withstand nonpayment by its two largest counterparties, we study the direct and indirect effects of nonpayment by members and/or their clients through the full network of exposures...