499,698 research outputs found
On Relations Between the Relative entropy and -Divergence, Generalizations and Applications
The relative entropy and chi-squared divergence are fundamental divergence
measures in information theory and statistics. This paper is focused on a study
of integral relations between the two divergences, the implications of these
relations, their information-theoretic applications, and some generalizations
pertaining to the rich class of -divergences. Applications that are studied
in this paper refer to lossless compression, the method of types and large
deviations, strong~data-processing inequalities, bounds on contraction
coefficients and maximal correlation, and the convergence rate to stationarity
of a type of discrete-time Markov chains.Comment: Published in the Entropy journal, May 18, 2020. Journal version (open
access) is available at https://www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/22/5/56
The Effect of Motivation on Self-Employment Duration in Germany: Necessity versus Opportunity Entrepreneurs
Using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (GSOEP), we analyze whether necessity and opportunity entrepreneurs differ in terms of self-employment duration. We find that the two types of entrepreneurs differ regarding their duration in self-employment. Once controlled for educational variables however, this effect turns out to be no longer significant. We therefore conclude that the difference observed is no original effect but is due to selection. We then go on to discuss the implications of our finding for entrepreneurship-policy making. Suggestions to improve governmental start-up support programmes are given. Estimations are carried out with discrete time hazard rate models controlling for unobserved heterogeneity.Self-employment; Firm survival; Necessity entrepreneurs; Opportunity entrepreneurs; Hazard rates; GSOEP
On the waiting time distribution for continuous stochastic systems
The waiting time distribution (WTD) is a common tool for analysing discrete
stochastic processes in classical and quantum systems. However, there are many
physical examples where the dynamics is continuous and only approximately
discrete, or where it is favourable to discuss the dynamics on a discretized
and a continuous level in parallel. An example is the hindered motion of
particles through potential landscapes with barriers. In the present paper we
propose a consistent generalisation of the WTD from the discrete case to
situations where the particles perform continuous barrier-crossing
characterised by a finite duration. To this end, we introduce a recipe to
calculate the WTD from the Fokker-Planck/Smoluchowski equation. In contrast to
the closely related first passage time distribution (FPTD), which is frequently
used to describe continuous processes, the WTD contains information about the
direction of motion. As an application, we consider the paradigmatic example of
an overdamped particle diffusing through a washboard potential. To verify the
approach and to elucidate its numerical implications, we compare the WTD
defined via the Smoluchowski equation with data from direct simulation of the
underlying Langevin equation and find full consistency provided that the jumps
in the Langevin approach are defined properly. Moreover, for sufficiently large
energy barriers, the WTD defined via the Smoluchowski equation becomes
consistent with that resulting from the analytical solution of a (two-state)
master equation model for the short-time dynamics developed previous by us [PRE
86, 061135 (2012)]. Thus, our approach "interpolates" between these two types
of stochastic motion. We illustrate our approach for both symmetric systems and
systems under constant force.Comment: 12 pages, 10 figure
Reading an academic expository text – The ESL learner’s experience
Researches on approaches to learning have often described students as either deep or surface learners. In essence, the deep approach is associated with intrinsic motivation, a
focus on understanding the meaning of the learning material and relating new ideas to previous knowledge. In contrast, the surface approach views a particular task in isolation,
a focus on memorizing discrete facts and reproduces terms through rote learning. Although these studies have provided information on the qualitative differences of learning in various contexts, little research has been conducted to examine the students’ learning approaches within an ESL context. Accordingly, the primary purpose of this paper is to describe and compare six ESL learners’ approaches of two readings of an academic expository text. Three instruments were used to collect data: reading sessions, individual interviews and observations, whereby all sessions were videotaped, audio taped and transcribed verbatim. Findings of the study revealed that there were qualitative differences in the ESL approaches of reading an academic expository text and that different types of approaches were employed in the two readings of the text. To conclude,
the paper will further discuss the implications of the findings and some pedagogical considerations for the teaching and learning of reading within an ESL context
Two-Sided Search and Matching: Theory and Estimation
Frictions are a potentially important feature of many two-sided settings, for example, in the marriage market. My dissertation develops and estimates two-sided search and matching models and uses them to assess the importance of frictions in explaining observed marriage patterns. In the models, unmatched individuals search for long-term partners. Opportunities to meet potential partners arrive over time at uncertain intervals. Individuals are of different observable discrete types (e.g., gender and race/ethnicity) and types vary in their proportions within the population. Types may also differ in their type-pair specific utilities of marrying and their likelihood of meeting certain types of potential spouses.
The first chapter in my dissertation proposes a new identification approach to separately estimate type-specific preferences and opportunities. I implement the technique to understand the marital patterns of racial and ethnic groups in the United States and to analyze the reasons for a high degree of same-type marriages. The second chapter theoretically analyzes the implications of the assumption that people prefer same-type partners. I show that frameworks with and without search frictions deliver different insights about the effects of group size on matching outcomes
Two Basic Methodological Choices in Wildland Vegetation Inventories: Their Consequences and Implications
In designing inventories of wildland vegetation, two of the many basic methodological choices are: 1) whether data are collected, reduced, and stored in discrete classes or as continuous variables, and 2) whether data are gathered as general purpose variables to bear upon many questions, or as specific purpose variables optimized for only one type of prediction. The effects of these two choices on accuracy of vegetation inventories to predict plant community production were examined by comparing regression models built upon differing sets of independent variables inventoried from a common data base. Contrary to expectations, discrete variables of classified community types were better predictors of plant community production than the same vegetation data reduced as continuous variables by three ordination techniques. Substitution of specific purpose soil and vegetation variables thought to be especially relevant to production did not improve correlations from those of analogous general purpose variables. These results do not show the anticipated accuracy loss of general purpose inventory variables, but such findings cannot yet be generalized to other situations. Implications for the design of practical, extensive survey methods for wildland vegetation are briefly discussed
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