76 research outputs found
Nonlinear Markov Processes in Big Networks
Big networks express various large-scale networks in many practical areas
such as computer networks, internet of things, cloud computation, manufacturing
systems, transportation networks, and healthcare systems. This paper analyzes
such big networks, and applies the mean-field theory and the nonlinear Markov
processes to set up a broad class of nonlinear continuous-time block-structured
Markov processes, which can be applied to deal with many practical stochastic
systems. Firstly, a nonlinear Markov process is derived from a large number of
interacting big networks with symmetric interactions, each of which is
described as a continuous-time block-structured Markov process. Secondly, some
effective algorithms are given for computing the fixed points of the nonlinear
Markov process by means of the UL-type RG-factorization. Finally, the Birkhoff
center, the Lyapunov functions and the relative entropy are used to analyze
stability or metastability of the big network, and several interesting open
problems are proposed with detailed interpretation. We believe that the results
given in this paper can be useful and effective in the study of big networks.Comment: 28 pages in Special Matrices; 201
Democracy in a Pandemic
Covid-19 has highlighted limitations in our democratic politics – but also lessons for how to deepen our democracy and more effectively respond to future crises. In the face of an emergency, the working assumption all too often is that only a centralised, top-down response is possible. This book exposes the weakness of this assumption, making the case for deeper participation and deliberation in times of crises. During the pandemic, mutual aid and self-help groups have realised unmet needs. And forward-thinking organisations have shown that listening to and working with diverse social groups leads to more inclusive outcomes. Participation and deliberation are not just possible in an emergency. They are valuable, perhaps even indispensable. This book draws together a diverse range of voices of activists, practitioners, policy makers, researchers and writers. Together they make visible the critical role played by participation and deliberation during the pandemic and make the case for enhanced engagement during and beyond emergency contexts. Another, more democratic world can be realised in the face of a crisis. The contributors to this book offer us meaningful insights into what this could look like
Democracy in a Pandemic: Participation in Response to Crisis
Covid-19 has highlighted limitations in our democratic politics – but also lessons for how to deepen our democracy and more effectively respond to future crises. In the face of an emergency, the working assumption all too often is that only a centralised, top-down response is possible. This book exposes the weakness of this assumption, making the case for deeper participation and deliberation in times of crises. During the pandemic, mutual aid and self-help groups have realised unmet needs. And forward-thinking organisations have shown that listening to and working with diverse social groups leads to more inclusive outcomes.
Participation and deliberation are not just possible in an emergency. They are valuable, perhaps even indispensable.
This book draws together a diverse range of voices of activists, practitioners, policy makers, researchers and writers. Together they make visible the critical role played by participation and deliberation during the pandemic and make the case for enhanced engagement during and beyond emergency contexts.
Another, more democratic world can be realised in the face of a crisis. The contributors to this book offer us meaningful insights into what this could look like
A Theory of Personalised Nudging: Integrating Heterogeneity and Behavioural Science into Political Decision-Making
While successful, behavioural nudges have often been one-size-fits-all, inducing different
behaviours from different people despite both people being nudged in the same way. This is
called the problem of heterogeneity, and one proposed solution is to personalise behavioural
nudges.
One area where personalised nudges may be of pertinent interest is the online political
advertising space. In recent years, concerns regarding the use of social media sites as part of
highly targeted political campaigns have grown. For any personalised nudging programme,
this is area of social significance.
This thesis investigates two strategies for personalising nudges using an experimental
approach. Following an RCT experimental design (n = 962), the effect of impersonal nudges
embedded into hypothetical political advertisements are first examined. The first part of this
study finds limited evidence that impersonal nudges can influence decision making.
In the second part, two strategies for personalising nudges are used to investigate if
personalisation renders nudging more effective in this domain. These strategies involve
personalising the type of nudge shown to a participant (so-called delivery personalisation) and
personalising the outcome which a participant is nudged towards (so-called choice
personalisation).
Across all personalisation strategies (choice, delivery, and both combined), this thesis finds
personalised nudges are statistically significantly more effective at influencing political
decision-making than impersonal nudges and not nudging at all. Furthermore, data from the
personalisation stage suggests further refinement of this experiment is possible, and so the
effects of personalisation may be even greater than observed here
Fuelling the zero-emissions road freight of the future: routing of mobile fuellers
The future of zero-emissions road freight is closely tied to the sufficient availability of new and clean fuel options such as electricity and Hydrogen. In goods distribution using Electric Commercial Vehicles (ECVs) and Hydrogen Fuel Cell Vehicles (HFCVs) a major challenge in the transition period would pertain to their limited autonomy and scarce and unevenly distributed refuelling stations. One viable solution to facilitate and speed up the adoption of ECVs/HFCVs by logistics, however, is to get the fuel to the point where it is needed (instead of diverting the route of delivery vehicles to refuelling stations) using "Mobile Fuellers (MFs)". These are mobile battery swapping/recharging vans or mobile Hydrogen fuellers that can travel to a running ECV/HFCV to provide the fuel they require to complete their delivery routes at a rendezvous time and space. In this presentation, new vehicle routing models will be presented for a third party company that provides MF services. In the proposed problem variant, the MF provider company receives routing plans of multiple customer companies and has to design routes for a fleet of capacitated MFs that have to synchronise their routes with the running vehicles to deliver the required amount of fuel on-the-fly. This presentation will discuss and compare several mathematical models based on different business models and collaborative logistics scenarios
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