We describe and compare heuristic solution methods for a multi-stage stochastic network interdiction problem. The problem is to maximize the probability of sufficient disruption of the flow of information or goods in a network whose characteristics are not certain. In this formulation, interdiction subject to a budget constraint is followed by operation of the network, which is then followed by...

We study the choices of two types of maximizing Public Servants over how far to carry privatization of industries and in what order to privatize. Two stylizations of the Public Servant's objectives are considered, a Niskanen-style Bureaucrat who maximizes a surplus budget subject to the constraint of staying in office, and a Populist who maximizes popularity/consumer welfare subject to the cons...

Economic models of consumer demand and labor supply begin with an individual economic agent choosing actions that maximize his or her utility function subject to a budget constraint. How can we reconcile this individualistic theory of the consumer with the reality that people tend to live, eat, work, and play in families? Economists have dealt with a possible multiplicity of decision makers in ...

We investigate price mechanism selection in a setting where sellers compete for budget constrained buyers by adopting either …xed pricing or auctions (…rst or second price). We show that …rst and second price auctions are payo¤ equivalent when some bidders are …nancially constrained, so sellers are indi¤erent to adopt either format. We fully characterize possible equilibria and show that if the...

This paper examines regulatory incentive mechanisms for efficient investment in the transmission network, taking into account both technological externalities among transmission lines and information asymmetry between the regulator and the transmission company (Transco). First, by adding extra constraints associated with the power flow, we develop an extended price cap mechanism that can intern...

Abstract. This paper presents a novel algorithm for rate-complexity scalable multi-view image coding using an adaptive disparity-compensated (DC) wavelet lifting scheme. First, image regions of multi-view images are prioritized by counting matching points. The proposed algorithm selects either Haar, 5/3, or our proposed multiple picture reference DC wavelet lifting adaptively. The selection cri...

Policy and decision makers dealing with environmental conservation and land use planning often require identifying potential sites for contributing to minimize sediment flow reaching riverbeds. This could be one of the environmental objectives of reforestation initiatives. An Integer Programming (IP) formulation for selecting a predefined number of locations to minimize sediment load at a water...

In a mobile crowdsourcing system, the platform utilizes ubiquitous smartphones to perform sensing tasks. For a successful mobile crowdsourcing application, the consideration of the heterogeneity of quality of sensing from different users as well as proper incentive mechanism to motivate users to contribute to the system are essential. In this thesis, we introduce quality of sensing into incenti...

An analytical design procedure to determine optimal noise hazard control strategies for industrial facilities is presented. Its objective is to determine a set of appropriate noise controls to eliminate or reduce noise levels so that workers' daily noise exposure does not exceed a permissible level. From a given noise control budget, engineering controls will be firstly implemented, followed by...

Introduction This paper has two purposes. One is to examine the effect of soft budget constraints (SBC) on economies in transition from centralization to capitalism. The other is to survey our understanding of SBC more generally. Of course, this latter aim is also pertinent to the former. Current work on SBC follows in the tradition of the famous debate in the late 1930s and early 1940s on mark...