We would see Jesus

Historical series, 10. Jn 12:20-33. Preached during Lent, 1997, Hodgeville Lutheran parish

Symmetry of Endomorphism Algebras

Motivated by recent problems regarding the symmetry of Hecke algebras, we investigate the symmetry of the endomorphism algebra $E_P(M)$ for $P$ a $p$-group and $M$ a $kP$-module with $k$ a field of characteristic $p$. We provide a complete analysis for cyclic $p$-groups and the dihedral 2-groups. For the dihedral 2-groups, this requires the classification of the indecomposable modules in terms of string modules and band modules. We generalize our techniques to consider $E_{\Lambda}(M)$ for $\Lambda$ a Nakayama algebra, a local algebra, or even an arbitrary algebra.Comment: Submitted to journal for publicatio

In Christ ... a future with hope

Historical series, 18. Sermon preached at the opening service of the Saskatchewan Synod Convention, Swift Current, Saskatchewan, 4 Jl 2002. Jer 29:11-14; Rom 8:18-27; Jn 17:1-6, 17-26

ECONOMIC ANALYSIS AND EFFICIENCY IN PUBLIC EXPENDITURE

Benefit-Cost Analysis involves several steps: development of a program information structure (product categories), estimating the production function, pricing benefits and costs, adjusting for opportunity costs, choice of investment criteria, and incorporating uncertainty. Each step involves conflicts of interest that can only be resolved by political (collective) choice of property rights assigning opportunities to the various interest groups. The rules of benefit-cost analysis for public expenditure are equivalent of private property rights established by legislative and court decisions for the market economy. The traditional separation of technical analysis and political choice is not longer tenable. Theory and practice point to a more interactive, iterative relationship between analysts and politicians.Public Economics,

SOURCES OF SOCIAL CAPITAL

If the capital metaphor is to be taken seriously, social capital must focus on sources and not consequences. Human motive is the equivalent of physical capital goods which can perform transformative functions such as creating utility for one person out of the consumption of another and solving free rider problems. The focus on consequences of social capital cannot distinguish a gift motivated by affinity from a goods transfer motivated by moral obligation or promise of selfish gain. Motive is important if we are to understand investment and depreciation in social capital. The paper develops and tests a survey instrument to measure the predominant motive describing the relationships among people in eight Michigan communities with different socio-economic characteristics. Such a social capital account would allow community stocks to be compared and tracked over time.Institutional and Behavioral Economics,

THE SPARTAN SCHOOL OF INSTITUTIONAL ECONOMICS AT MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY

Heterodox scholarship at Michigan State University (MSU) was influenced by the institutional economics of John R. Commons at Wisconsin. But it was far from monolithic and had many other sources and originality of its own. A case can be made that the center of institutional economics moved across Lake Michigan from Madison to East Lansing and blossomed in the second half of the 20th century with such Wisconsin Ph.D's as Raleigh Barlowe, Warren Samuels, Allan Schmid, Harry Trebing, and others. Equally important in making MSU a center of institutional economics were scholars from other institutional backgrounds such as Paul Strassmann, economic development; Robert Solo, science and technology; James Shaffer, agricultural marketing and consumer behavior; Nicholas Mercuro, law and economics; and others.Institutional and Behavioral Economics,

INSTITUTIONAL ALTERNATIVES FOR IMPROVING OUR ENVIRONMENT

Environmental Economics and Policy,

POLICY ASPECTS OF LAND-USE PLANNING IN IRELAND. BROADSHEET No. 22, December 1983

The passage of the Local Government (Planning and Development) Act in 1963 heralded a substantially increased degree of intervention by government into decisions concerning how land is used. We describe the form which this intervention took over the subsequent 20 years and analyse its implications. We do so in three phases. First we present the legislative, administrative and analytic framework, then we discuss some elements of the planning process and finish with some conclusions

Coherent States from Combinatorial Sequences

We construct coherent states using sequences of combinatorial numbers such as various binomial and trinomial numbers, and Bell and Catalan numbers. We show that these states satisfy the condition of the resolution of unity in a natural way. In each case the positive weight functions are given as solutions of associated Stieltjes or Hausdorff moment problems, where the moments are the combinatorial numbers.Comment: 4 pages, Latex; Conference 'Quantum Theory and Symmetries 2', Krakow, Poland, July 200