796 research outputs found
Communication in networks with hierarchical branching
We present a simple model of communication in networks with hierarchical
branching. We analyze the behavior of the model from the viewpoint of critical
systems under different situations. For certain values of the parameters, a
continuous phase transition between a sparse and a congested regime is observed
and accurately described by an order parameter and the power spectra. At the
critical point the behavior of the model is totally independent of the number
of hierarchical levels. Also scaling properties are observed when the size of
the system varies. The presence of noise in the communication is shown to break
the transition. Despite the simplicity of the model, the analytical results are
a useful guide to forecast the main features of real networks.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figures. Final version accepted in PR
Optimal network topologies for local search with congestion
The problem of searchability in decentralized complex networks is of great
importance in computer science, economy and sociology. We present a formalism
that is able to cope simultaneously with the problem of search and the
congestion effects that arise when parallel searches are performed, and obtain
expressions for the average search cost--written in terms of the search
algorithm and the topological properties of the network--both in presence and
abscence of congestion. This formalism is used to obtain optimal network
structures for a system using a local search algorithm. It is found that only
two classes of networks can be optimal: star-like configurations, when the
number of parallel searches is small, and homogeneous-isotropic configurations,
when the number of parallel searches is large.Comment: 4 pages. Final version accepted in PR
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The confidence cult(ure)
In this paper we explore how confidence has become a technology of self that invites girls and women to work on themselves. The discussion demonstrates the extensiveness of what we call the ‘cult(ure) of confidence’ across different areas of social life, and examines the continuities in the way that exponents of the confidence cult(ure) name, diagnose and propose solutions to archetypal feminist questions about labour, value and the body. Our analysis focuses on two broad areas of social life in which the notion of confidence has taken hold powerfully in the last few years: popular discussions about gender and work, and consumer body culture. Examining the incitements to self-confidence in these realms, we show how an emergent technology of confidence, systematically re-signifies feminist accounts, by turning away from structural inequalities and collectivist critiques of male domination into heightened modes of self-work and self-regulation, and by repudiating the injuries inflicted by the structures of inequality. We conclude by situating the ‘confidence cult(ure)’ in relation to wider debates about feminism, postfeminism and neoliberalism
Universal features in the growth dynamics of complex organizations
We analyze the fluctuations in the gross domestic product (GDP) of 152
countries for the period 1950--1992. We find that (i) the distribution of
annual growth rates for countries of a given GDP decays with ``fatter'' tails
than for a Gaussian, and (ii) the width of the distribution scales as a power
law of GDP with a scaling exponent . Both findings are in
surprising agreement with results on firm growth. These results are consistent
with the hypothesis that the evolution of organizations with complex structure
is governed by similar growth mechanisms.Comment: 4 pages, 7 ps figures, using Latex2e with epsf rotate and multicol
style files. Submitted to PR
Botulism from Drinking Pruno
Foodborne botulism occurred among inmates at 2 prisons in California in 2004 and 2005. In the first outbreak, 4 inmates were hospitalized, 2 of whom required intubation. In the second event, 1 inmate required intubation. Pruno, an alcoholic drink made illicitly in prisons, was the novel vehicle for these cases
The Effect of Bankruptcy Laws on the Valuation of Risky Consumer Debt
In a market setting with perfect information, a consumer recognizes that he can influence the state-contingent returns, and hence the pric, of his risky debt by the decision variables that determine the collateral and promised payments. This paper examines the effect of bankruptcy laws on the feasible consumption opportunities of borrowers and lenders in order to determine the necessary requirements for the bilateral debt market to be perfectly competitive.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/72017/1/j.1540-6288.1989.tb00348.x.pd
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Culture and Subjectivity in Neoliberal and postfeminist times
My aim in this paper is to think through a number of issues concerning the relationship between culture and subjectivity. It seems to me that exploring the relationship of changing forms of political organisation, social relations and cultural practices to changing modes and experiences of subjecthood and subjectivity are among the most important and urgent tasks for critical intellectual work. These questions go to the heart of understanding power, ideology and agency and they require research that is interdisciplinary, psychosocial and intersectional. My particular focus in this short article is on the interrelations between changing representational practices in visual culture and changing subjectivity/ies. I argue that neoliberalism and postfeminism are central to understanding contemporary media culture, and I put the case for research which does not retreat from exploring how these broader social/political/economic/cultural discourses and formations may relate to subjectivity
Heterogeneity and the dynamics of technology adoption
We estimate the demand for a videocalling technology in the presence of both network effects and heterogeneity. Using a unique dataset from a large multinational firm, we pose and estimate a fully dynamic model of technology adoption. We propose a novel identification strategy based on
post-adoption technology usage to disentangle equilibrium beliefs concerning the evolution of the network from observed and unobserved heterogeneity in technology adoption costs and use benefits. We find that employees have significant heterogeneity in both adoption costs and network benefits, and have preferences for diverse networks. Using our estimates, we evaluate a number of counterfactual adoption policies, and find that a policy of strategically targeting the right subtype for initial adoption can lead to a faster-growing and larger network than a policy of uncoordinated or diffuse adoption
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