A Genetic Programming Approach to Solving Optimization Problems on Agent-Based Models

In this thesis, we present a novel approach to solving optimization problems that are defined on agent-based models (ABM). The approach utilizes concepts in genetic programming (GP) and is demonstrated here using an optimization problem on the Sugarscape ABM, a prototype ABM that includes spatial heterogeneity, accumulation of agent resources, and agents with different attributes. The optimization problem seeks a strategy for taxation of agent resources which maximizes total taxes collected while minimizing impact on the agents over a finite time. We demonstrate how our GP approach yields better taxation policies when compared to simple flat taxes and provide reasons why GP-generated taxes perform well. We also look at ways to improve the performance of the GP optimization method

Economic Essays On Health and Location

ABSTRACT ECONOMIC ESSAYS ON HEALTH AND LOCATION By JOSEPH ANTHONY GARUCCIO May, 2021 Committee Chair: Dr. Charles Courtemanche Major Department: Economics This dissertation is composed of three chapters that focus on the effect of one’s environment on one’s health and healthcare decisions. Specifically, this work focuses on how various policies and physical environments affect one’s potential access to care, one’s probability of acquiring preventive care, and the spread of the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19). In my first chapter, I examine if Medicaid expansions induced new physicians to locate closer to poor populations. I use precise physician location data and American Community Survey data at the census block group level to identify the extent to which the expansions induced new physicians to locate closer to poor populations. A goal of the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid expansions was to increase healthcare access for low-income adults. I show that new physicians in expansion states located increasingly closer to poor populations after expansion, arguably increasing their healthcare access. In my second chapter, I estimate the effect increases in urban sprawl in metropolitan statistical areas (MSA) have on the probability individuals acquire timely preventive care. I make use of Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System data, an index of urban sprawl at the MSA level, and the 1947 Interstate Highway Construction Plan to estimate the effect of increased sprawl. In an instrumental variable design, I find that a standard deviation increase in sprawl lowers the probability that individuals have various important cancer screenings and are more likely to be obese. Such an increase also increases the probability of individuals obtaining flu shots. In my third chapter, my coauthors and I estimate the effect social distancing policies had on reducing the growth rate of COVID-19. We make use of daily, county-level confirmed case and intervention data from Johns Hopkins University as well as state-level testing data to estimate the effect of four key social distancing policies. We make use of an event-study design to separately estimate the effect of shelter-in-place orders (SIPOs), bans on large gatherings, public school closures, and restaurant and entertainment venue closures. We find that SIPOs and the closure of restaurant and entertainment venues significantly reduced the growth rate. We found no significant evidence that gathering bans nor school closures had a mitigating effect

The Investment Potential of Modern Hip Hop Artists

Popular modern hip-hop artists are often seen flaunting custom jewelry, pricey cars, expensive personal collections, and other highly-depreciative luxury items. The influence of hip hop culture on the spending habits of its members is responsible for these traditional portrayals. Members of the hip hop community feel the need to mold to the norms established by its history and momentous idols. If those who identify themselves as members of the hip hop community invested their money in the financial markets and instruments, they may have the opportunity to grow their income at a much larger rate. I propose possible market investment scenarios to determine if opportunity costs are undertaken by hip hop artists who inevitably conform to the conventions of hip-hop culture and purchase custom jewelry

Correlation plenoptic imaging

Plenoptic imaging is a promising optical modality that simultaneously captures the location and the propagation direction of light in order to enable three-dimensional imaging in a single shot. However, in classical imaging systems, the maximum spatial and angular resolutions are fundamentally linked; thereby, the maximum achievable depth of field is inversely proportional to the spatial resolution. We propose to take advantage of the second-order correlation properties of light to overcome this fundamental limitation. In this paper, we demonstrate that the momentum/position correlation of chaotic light leads to the enhanced refocusing power of correlation plenoptic imaging with respect to standard plenoptic imaging.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figure

Complex networks and public funding: the case of the 2007-2013 Italian program

In this paper we apply techniques of complex network analysis to data sources representing public funding programs and discuss the importance of the considered indicators for program evaluation. Starting from the Open Data repository of the 2007-2013 Italian Program Programma Operativo Nazionale 'Ricerca e Competitivit\`a' (PON R&C), we build a set of data models and perform network analysis over them. We discuss the obtained experimental results outlining interesting new perspectives that emerge from the application of the proposed methods to the socio-economical evaluation of funded programs.Comment: 22 pages, 9 figure

On the physical nonexistence of signals going backwards in time, and quantum mechanics

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Signal-to-noise properties of correlation plenoptic imaging with chaotic light

Correlation Plenoptic Imaging (CPI) is a novel imaging technique, that exploits the correlations between the intensity fluctuations of light to perform the typical tasks of plenoptic imaging (namely, refocusing out-of-focus parts of the scene, extending the depth of field, and performing 3D reconstruction), without entailing a loss of spatial resolution. Here, we consider two different CPI schemes based on chaotic light, both employing ghost imaging: the first one to image the object, the second one to image the focusing element. We characterize their noise properties in terms of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and compare their performances. We find that the SNR can be significantly higher and easier to control in the second CPI scheme, involving standard imaging of the object; under adequate conditions, this scheme enables reducing by one order of magnitude the number of frames for achieving the same SNR.Comment: 12 pages, 3 figure

Exploring plenoptic properties of correlation imaging with chaotic light

In a setup illuminated by chaotic light, we consider different schemes that enable to perform imaging by measuring second-order intensity correlations. The most relevant feature of the proposed protocols is the ability to perform plenoptic imaging, namely to reconstruct the geometrical path of light propagating in the system, by imaging both the object and the focusing element. This property allows to encode, in a single data acquisition, both multi-perspective images of the scene and light distribution in different planes between the scene and the focusing element. We unveil the plenoptic property of three different setups, explore their refocusing potentialities and discuss their practical applications.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figure

Correlation Plenoptic Imaging With Entangled Photons

Plenoptic imaging is a novel optical technique for three-dimensional imaging in a single shot. It is enabled by the simultaneous measurement of both the location and the propagation direction of light in a given scene. In the standard approach, the maximum spatial and angular resolutions are inversely proportional, and so are the resolution and the maximum achievable depth of focus of the 3D image. We have recently proposed a method to overcome such fundamental limits by combining plenoptic imaging with an intriguing correlation remote-imaging technique: ghost imaging. Here, we theoretically demonstrate that correlation plenoptic imaging can be effectively achieved by exploiting the position-momentum entanglement characterizing spontaneous parametric down-conversion (SPDC) photon pairs. As a proof-of-principle demonstration, we shall show that correlation plenoptic imaging with entangled photons may enable the refocusing of an out-of-focus image at the same depth of focus of a standard plenoptic device, but without sacrificing diffraction-limited image resolution.Comment: 12 pages, 5 figure