Short proofs of some inequalities of Horst Alzer

summary:We provide elementary proofs of some inequalities of Horst Alzer

Consumer policy - a network/political economy perspective : an application of the new macro-relational consumer policy framework to study the evolutionary dynamics of the policy community for the Electronic Fund Transfer System (EFTS) consumer issue in Canada

This thesis argued that-sole reliance by government on the micro-economic paradigm. as the rationale for intervening in the marketplace results in too narrow an approach to consumer policy and a lack of appreciation for the dynamic and relational aspects of the consumer policy process. An integration of select constructs from the political economy and network paradigms contributed to the development of a macro-relational consumer policy framework. The network approach provides a relational perspective while the political economy paradigm provides a macro approach to widening consumer policy theory. Together, they offer a macro-relational perspective to compliment the micro-economic approach. The investigator suggests that the computerization of the Canadian payment system represents a change in the technological sphere of the macro policy environment. This change challenges the marketplace interests of the consumer policy network constituents (secondary policy environment). The stakeholders affected by this change coalesce into a policy community to balance respective interests. This primary policy environment, evolutionary in nature (internal policy activity, then dyadic, multidyadic, and triadic), will exhibit varying patterns of stakeholder interaction, relationship development and network dynamics. Propositions developed, to explain the evolutionary dynamics of the policy community guided the content analysis, the case study and the network analysis. Relational data (matrices and graphs) profiled the chronological maps of the relationships of the aggregate, constituent and dyadic sets of stakeholders. A multi-layered network analysis revealed an evolutionary process and a policy community which varied on several interaction dimensions (frequency, directedness, durability, role perception, intensity) and network dimensions (size, density, connectedness, cohesiveness, knittedness, stability). To mirror parallel initiatives in complimentary disciplines, stakeholders and future macro-relational consumer policy researchers are challenged to embrace the powerful network/political economy perspective to profit from stimulating theoretical and pragmatic insights into the complex, dynamic consumer policy process.This thesis argued that-sole reliance by government on the micro-economic paradigm. as the rationale for intervening in the marketplace results in too narrow an approach to consumer policy and a lack of appreciation for the dynamic and relational aspects of the consumer policy process. An integration of select constructs from the political economy and network paradigms contributed to the development of a macro-relational consumer policy framework. The network approach provides a relational perspective while the political economy paradigm provides a macro approach to widening consumer policy theory. Together, they offer a macro-relational perspective to compliment the micro-economic approach. The investigator suggests that the computerization of the Canadian payment system represents a change in the technological sphere of the macro policy environment. This change challenges the marketplace interests of the consumer policy network constituents (secondary policy environment). The stakeholders affected by this change coalesce into a policy community to balance respective interests. This primary policy environment, evolutionary in nature (internal policy activity, then dyadic, multidyadic, and triadic), will exhibit varying patterns of stakeholder interaction, relationship development and network dynamics. Propositions developed, to explain the evolutionary dynamics of the policy community guided the content analysis, the case study and the network analysis. Relational data (matrices and graphs) profiled the chronological maps of the relationships of the aggregate, constituent and dyadic sets of stakeholders. A multi-layered network analysis revealed an evolutionary process and a policy community which varied on several interaction dimensions (frequency, directedness, durability, role perception, intensity) and network dimensions (size, density, connectedness, cohesiveness, knittedness, stability). To mirror parallel initiatives in complimentary disciplines, stakeholders and future macro-relational consumer policy researchers are challenged to embrace the powerful network/political economy perspective to profit from stimulating theoretical and pragmatic insights into the complex, dynamic consumer policy process

Emerging from the Deep: Complexity, Emergent Pedagogy and Deep Learning

As indicated in the title – emerging from the deep – this paper proposes that an ability to face and deal with complexity can emerge from deep learning that is facilitated by pedagogies designed to ensure this outcome, especially an emergent pedagogy that instills deep education. Educators would view the classroom as a complex adaptive system (CAS) capable of self-organizing and operating at the edge of chaos where order emerges, just not predictably. Self-directed students would experience a learning environment that is appreciative of nonequilibrium, unpredictability, shifting and emerging patterns and co-evolution. Teachers would be coaches, activators and facilitators. Students would take part in learning encounters that ensure intellectual networking and conceptual connections. The knowledge and insight that develop would be interwoven and interdependent (complex), which is appropriate because complexity is needed to address complex problems

Status of Consumer Education and Financial Education in Canada (2016)

This article reports on the status of consumer education in Canada in 2016 (junior and senior high), relative to the 2015-initiated federal national financial education/literacy strategy. Questions addressed: (1) Is it necessary to have separate financial education curricula when consumer education is available? and (2) Are the existing consumer education curricula adequate? After conceptualizing consumer education and literacy relative to financial education and literacy, a content analysis of provincial and territorial education documents identified 64 courses containing consumer-related content in seven subject areas. The majority (73%) of the 216 instances of consumer-related content—mostly (68%) found in home economics/family studies, social studies, mathematics, and business—pertained to resource management, with equal coverage for each of citizen participation (14%) and decision making (13%). Most (73%) of the courses were not offered until senior high. Results confirmed a fragmented and inconsistent approach to consumer education across subject areas, grade levels, provinces/territories, and regions. To stimulate dialogue, the national financial education strategy is framed as a stop-gap measure until there is political will for a pan-Canadian consumer education curriculum, predicated on the assumption that consumer education (not financial education) better prepares citizens for any future global depression. Appendix: McGregor Appendi

Theories of Delinquency and Deviance Applied to Consumption

As aspects of ethical and moral consumption, this paper is concerned with gaining deeper insights into how people could possibly react to being judged and then labeled delinquent and deviant consumers (i.e., falling short of or neglecting to fulfill their duty to others, other species, and the Earth). To that end, theories of delinquency (rational choice, strain, anomie, social processes, subculture, and differential opportunity) and Henry and Eaton’s six degrees of deviance approach were employed to conceptualize this phenomenon. Each theory and degree of deviance is explained and then paired with a consumer example to illustrate its relevance in offering insights into people’s possible reactions to being judged and labelled delinquent and deviant consumers. Future researchers are encouraged to operationalize the ideas contained herein to see if they have empirical and theoretical merit

Better Streaming Algorithms for the Maximum Coverage Problem

We study the classic NP-Hard problem of finding the maximum k-set coverage in the data stream model: given a set system of m sets that are subsets of a universe {1,...,n}, find the k sets that cover the most number of distinct elements. The problem can be approximated up to a factor 1-1/e in polynomial time. In the streaming-set model, the sets and their elements are revealed online. The main goal of our work is to design algorithms, with approximation guarantees as close as possible to 1-1/e, that use sublinear space o(mn). Our main results are: 1) Two (1-1/e-epsilon) approximation algorithms: One uses O(1/epsilon) passes and O(k/epsilon^2 polylog(m,n)) space whereas the other uses only a single pass but O(m/epsilon^2 polylog(m,n)) space. 2) We show that any approximation factor better than (1-(1-1/k)^k) in constant passes require space that is linear in m for constant k even if the algorithm is allowed unbounded processing time. We also demonstrate a single-pass, (1-epsilon) approximation algorithm using O(m/epsilon^2 min(k,1/epsilon) polylog(m,n)) space. We also study the maximum k-vertex coverage problem in the dynamic graph stream model. In this model, the stream consists of edge insertions and deletions of a graph on N vertices. The goal is to find k vertices that cover the most number of distinct edges. We show that any constant approximation in constant passes requires space that is linear in N for constant k whereas O(N/epsilon^2 polylog(m,n)) space is sufficient for a (1-epsilon) approximation and arbitrary k in a single pass. For regular graphs, we show that O(k/epsilon^3 polylog(m,n)) space is sufficient for a (1-epsilon) approximation in a single pass. We generalize this to a K-epsilon approximation when the ratio between the minimum and maximum degree is bounded below by K

Temperature dependence of the ohmic conductivity and activation energy of Pb1+y(Zr0.3Ti0.7)O3 thin films

The ohmic conductivity of the sol-gel derived Pb1+y(Zr0.3Ti0.7)O3 thin films (with the excess lead y=0.0 to 0.4) are investigated using low frequency small signal alternate current (AC) and direct current (DC) methods. Its temperature dependence shows two activation energies of 0.26 and 0.12 eV depending on temperature range and excess Pb levels. The former is associated with Pb3+ acceptor centers, while the latter could be due to a different defect level yet to be identified.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figures, PostScript. Submitted to Applied Physics Letter