Exact Algorithms for 0-1 Integer Programs with Linear Equality Constraints

In this paper, we show $O(1.415^n)$-time and $O(1.190^n)$-space exact algorithms for 0-1 integer programs where constraints are linear equalities and coefficients are arbitrary real numbers. Our algorithms are quadratically faster than exhaustive search and almost quadratically faster than an algorithm for an inequality version of the problem by Impagliazzo, Lovett, Paturi and Schneider (arXiv:1401.5512), which motivated our work. Rather than improving the time and space complexity, we advance to a simple direction as inclusion of many NP-hard problems in terms of exact exponential algorithms. Specifically, we extend our algorithms to linear optimization problems

Corporate Debt Restructuring and Public Financial Institutions in Japan -Do Government-Affiliated Financial Institutions Soften Budget Constraints?

There are two different views on the effects of public financial institutions on corporate debt restructuring : the soft budget view and the hard budget view. The former view, which is held by Kornai (1979, 1983), Dewatripont and Maskin (1995), and others insists that because centralized public financial institutions have difficulty committing themselves to refrain from providing additional funds to distressed firms, corporate reorganizations often result in overinvestment. On the other hand, the latter view argues that public financial institutions should prefer corporate liquidation rather than the continuation of business because public financial institutions are secured by mortgages to a greater extent and are more reluctant to forgive the debts than private financial institutions. In this paper, I have empirically examined the role and impact of public financial institutions, government-affiliated financial institutions in particular, from the viewpoints of debtor-in-possession (DIP) financing and bankruptcy procedures for distressed firms. The conclusions of this paper are as follows. In the DIP financing, the Development Bank of Japan always takes the lead, followed by private financial institutions. Namely, so-called cowbell effect may exist, which is inconsistent with the hard budget view. Regarding the selection of bankruptcy procedures, firms that owed to government-affiliated financial institutions have a tendency to opt for private procedures which have the effect of delaying a drastic debt restructuring. This is consistent with the soft budget view.public financial institutions, bankruptcy procedures, debtor-in-possession financing

Plan's CCCD approach - Country study PLAN-Kenya

The field study for Kenya, a part of the strategic formative evaluation on CCCD, was carried out August 16-23, 2009. This country study aimed at studying CCCD as an approach for development and how it was applied by Plan Kenya. The executive summary covers the main findings and recommendations of the field study in Kenya. Detailed findings and recommendations concerning Plan Kenya are described in this report. Findings and recommendations when relevant are incorporated in the synthesis report: Strategic Evaluation Study on CCCD for Plan NLNO. After the introduction the report starts with an overview on the country context and Plan Kenya. The third chapter presents how Plan staff and partners view CCCD, fourth chapter is on how CCCD works in practice, chapter 5 looks in more detail on partnerships. The report ends with a summary of the findings and recommendations. CCCD was introduced in Kenya in 2004. Programmes undertaken by Plan Kenya do take child centredness and community development as their main point of departure

Consistent Digital Curved Rays and Pseudoline Arrangements

Representing a family of geometric objects in the digital world where each object is represented by a set of pixels is a basic problem in graphics and computational geometry. One important criterion is the consistency, where the intersection pattern of the objects should be consistent with axioms of the Euclidean geometry, e.g., the intersection of two lines should be a single connected component. Previously, the set of linear rays and segments has been considered. In this paper, we extended this theory to families of curved rays going through the origin. We further consider some psudoline arrangements obtained as unions of such families of rays

Are Chinese Technologies A Mode Of Entry For Firms In Developing Countries? The Case of Furniture Manufacturing in Kenya

Kenya has started to rely significantly on technologies developed in developing countries particularly China rather than those from advanced countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany and Japan. Using data from furniture manufacturing firms in Kenya, the paper compares the investment cost and the scale characteristics of the technologies (machines and equipment) from China with those from advanced countries and Kenya. By examining the characteristics of the firms that have invested in technologies from various sources, the paper concludes that the technologies from China and Kenya have lessened entry barrier (specifically high capital cost) for new firms, compared to advanced country technologies. Chinese technology appears to serve as an entry mode more than the Kenyan technology. In terms of barriers to entry, therefore Chinese and Kenyan technologies appear to be more appropriate for Kenya (and more generally developing countries) than advanced country technolog