Reformulating Software Engineering as a Search Problem

A set of functions is introduced which generalizes the famous Schur polynomials and their connection to Grasmannian manifolds. These functions are shown to provide a new method of constructing solutions to the KP hierarchy of nonlinear partial differential equations. Specifically, just as the Schur polynomials are used to expand tau-functions as a sum, it is shown that it is natural to expand a quotient of tau-functions in terms of these generalized Schur functions. The coefficients in this expansion are found to be constrained by the Pl\"ucker relations of a grassmannian.Comment: To appear in "Contemporary Mathematics". (Modified as per requests of editor and referees. No serious changes.

Measurement or Management?: Revisiting the Productivity Paradox of Information Technology

In 1999, the Department of Trade and Industry in London commissioned a literature review of, and commentary on, the productivity paradox in information technology. This paper is derived from that report. The authors find that the discussion of the productivity paradox took place largely in the United States and particularly in Massachusetts. Two quite separate strands were evident: the literature of the economists, seeking ever-better methods of measurement, and that of management authors, seeking ever-better methods of management. This paper gives more attention to the latter than is customary, and concludes that the link between management methods and the requirements of IT may be closer than has hitherto been suspected. A combination of factors rather than a single factor is probably responsible for the disappointing productivity of IT. Within this combination, the problems that IT posed managers and the opportunities it offered management consultants are especially intriguing. Zusammenfassung Messproblem oder Managementproblem — Eine Revision des Produktivitätsparadoxons der Informationstechnologie 1999 gab das Department of Trade and Industry in London einen umfassenden Literaturüberblick über das Produktivitätsparadox in der Informationstechnologie in Auftrag. Der vorliegende Beitrag beruht auf diesem Projekt. Die Autoren stellten fest, dass die Diskussion des Produktivitätsparadoxons größtenteils in den Vereinigen Staaten und teilweise in Massachusetts stattfand. Zwei sehr unterschiedliche Betrachtungsansätze bestimmen die Produktivitätsparadox-Diskussion: Die volkswirtschaftliche Literatur forscht nach immer besseren Messmethoden, und die betriebswirtschaftliche Literatur beschäftigt sich mit der Suche nach immer besseren Managementmethoden. Der vorliegende Beitrag konzentriert sich hauptsächlich auf die zweite Betrachtungsweise. Als Schlussfolgerung ergibt sich, dass der Zusammenhang zwischen Managementmethoden und Anforderungen der Informationstechnik weitaus enger ist als bisher angenommen wurde. Für die enttäuschenden Produktivitätswirkungen der Informationstechnik ist nicht ein einzelner Faktor, sondern wahrscheinlich eine Kombination von Faktoren verantwortlich. In dieser Kombination sind die Probleme, die sich Managern in der Nutzung von IT stellen, und die Betätigungsmöglichkeiten für Unternehmensberater besonders interessant

Rare neoplasms

Although interest in pancreatic pathology is very high in the radiological and gastroenterological communities, it is still the case that less is known about pathology of the pancreas than about liver pathology, for example. Diagnosis depends on the structure of the pancreatic lesion, which can be directly visualized on US, CT or MR images. This atlas, which encompasses both the imaging and the pathology of pancreatic neoplasms, will therefore be invaluable in enabling radiologists and sonographers to understand the underlying pathology and in allowing pancreatic pathologists to understand the imaging translation. The emphasis in the atlas is very much on the pathological and imaging appearances, with most of the text concentrated at the beginning of the chapters. A comprehensive overview is provided of typical and atypical presentations and diverse aspects of common and uncommon pancreatic neoplasms, including ductal adenocarcinoma, neuroendocrine neoplasms, intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms, cystic neoplasms, metastases and lymphoma