Essays on Optimal Efforts, Costs and Rewards

This dissertation consists of three essays on optimal efforts, costs and rewards. The first essay is an application of the concept of Markov Perfect Nash Equilibrium to the most popular sport in the world – soccer. This essay confirms that the notion of Nash Equilibrium is applicable while analyzing sporting activities, which are played under a strict set of rules and where payoffs are observable. Using a game theoretical model and simulation techniques, I am able to prove that the probability of observing a goal goes up as the game progresses, given that the game is tied. The second and third essays are in the area of Labor Economics. I try to explain the increasing trend in consumption of leisure in the United States over the last 5 decades by distinguishing between Active and Passive forms of leisure. I build a theoretical model, which is used to derive comparative statics that help us in identifying the effect of health on consumption of different types of leisure. This paper uses the American Time Use Survey to test the observable implications of the theoretical model. The third essay is on the minimum wage debate. I use a contiguous counties dataset to analyze the effect of minimum wage changes on employment, earnings per worker and the wage bill. A difference in differences approach is used and results show that the supply of labor at the lower tail of the skill distribution may be elastic

Theoretical Models of the Brans-Dicke Parameter for Time Independent Deceleration Parameters

The dependence of the dimensionless Brans-Dicke (BD) coupling parameter upon time and the scalar field has been determined, for an isotropic and homogeneous space of zero curvature, by solving BD field equations and the wave equation for the scalar field. For this purpose, very simple expressions of empirical scale factors, that generate constant deceleration parameters, have been used here in two theoretical models. The characteristics of time dependence of the BD parameter, obtained from these two models, are in qualitative agreement with each other. The mathematical expressions representing the rate of change of the BD parameter with time, based on these two models, are found to have identical forms. Combining the expressions of the BD parameter obtained from these two models, a method for the determination of the present value of the equation-of-state (EoS) parameter of the cosmic fluid has been discussed. Its value is found to be consistent with the ranges of values obtained from other studies based on recent observations

Theoretical Models of the Brans-Dicke Parameter for Time Independent Deceleration Parameters

The dependence of the dimensionless Brans-Dicke (BD) coupling parameter upon time and the scalar field has been determined, for an isotropic and homogeneous space of zero curvature, by solving BD field equations and the wave equation for the scalar field. For this purpose, very simple expressions of empirical scale factors, that generate constant deceleration parameters, have been used here in two theoretical models. The characteristics of time dependence of the BD parameter, obtained from these two models, are in qualitative agreement with each other. The mathematical expressions representing the rate of change of the BD parameter with time, based on these two models, are found to have identical forms. Combining the expressions of the BD parameter obtained from these two models, a method for the determination of the present value of the equation-of-state (EoS) parameter of the cosmic fluid has been discussed. Its value is found to be consistent with the ranges of values obtained from other studies based on recent observations

A Computer Vision Method for Estimating Velocity from Jumps

Athletes routinely undergo fitness evaluations to evaluate their training progress. Typically, these evaluations require a trained professional who utilizes specialized equipment like force plates. For the assessment, athletes perform drop and squat jumps, and key variables are measured, e.g. velocity, flight time, and time to stabilization, to name a few. However, amateur athletes may not have access to professionals or equipment that can provide these assessments. Here, we investigate the feasibility of estimating key variables using video recordings. We focus on jump velocity as a starting point because it is highly correlated with other key variables and is important for determining posture and lower-limb capacity. We find that velocity can be estimated with a high degree of precision across a range of athletes, with an average R-value of 0.71 (SD = 0.06)

Nanoengineered condenser surfaces for enhancing transport in thermal desalination by air gap membrane distillation

Thermal desalination is a technique that uses heat or thermal energy to desalinate water, unlike reverse osmosis. Membrane distillation (MD) is a type of thermal desalination technology having various configurations. Air gap membrane distillation (AGMD) is one of the more energy efficient MD configurations, being especially advantageous over other configurations at high salinity. However, the large mass transfer resistance of the air gap dramatically reduces the permeate flux, impairing performance. Higher condensation performance can be achieved by using a smaller air gap size, but typical film-wise condensation flow patterns flood the air gap at the optimal gap size (\u3c1 mm). Experiments show that dropwise and jumping-droplet condensation regimes, achieved using hydrophobic and superhydrophobic condensing surfaces respectively, can improve droplet shedding, allowing for thinner gap sizes. A systemlevel numerical model is used to demonstrate that these surfaces could thereby enable improved energy efficiency (2.1× increase of gained output ratio) while avoiding flooding at gap sizes as small as 0.2 mm. Superhydrophobic surfaces with directional jumping of droplets, specifically in the direction of gravity, are also tested and compared to droplets that jump normal to the condensing surface. Novel condensing surfaces that include a combination of the superhydrophobic and superhydrophilic patterns create flow regimes having pathways for faster permeate removal. Other condensing surfaces, including SLIPS (slippery liquidinfused porous surfaces) and laser-ablated superhydrophobic patterned surfaces are tested to the check the extent to which they improve the permeate removal rate while exhibiting different condensation regimes that merit further exploration

Essays on Optimal Efforts, Costs and Rewards

This dissertation consists of three essays on optimal efforts, costs and rewards. The first essay is an application of the concept of Markov Perfect Nash Equilibrium to the most popular sport in the world – soccer. This essay confirms that the notion of Nash Equilibrium is applicable while analyzing sporting activities, which are played under a strict set of rules and where payoffs are observable. Using a game theoretical model and simulation techniques, I am able to prove that the probability of observing a goal goes up as the game progresses, given that the game is tied. The second and third essays are in the area of Labor Economics. I try to explain the increasing trend in consumption of leisure in the United States over the last 5 decades by distinguishing between Active and Passive forms of leisure. I build a theoretical model, which is used to derive comparative statics that help us in identifying the effect of health on consumption of different types of leisure. This paper uses the American Time Use Survey to test the observable implications of the theoretical model. The third essay is on the minimum wage debate. I use a contiguous counties dataset to analyze the effect of minimum wage changes on employment, earnings per worker and the wage bill. A difference in differences approach is used and results show that the supply of labor at the lower tail of the skill distribution may be elastic.</p

How Job Creation, Job Destruction, and Match Capital Improve Worker Outcomes

A first best match between a firm and a worker would maximize the worker’s productivity relative to all other possible matches. If all workers were assigned to jobs such that no worker could be reassigned and raise aggregate output, the economy would maximize the surplus that it could distribute to its members. Using a model of job search, we show that labor market policies that raise the cost of search, slow the arrival rate of job offers, limit worker mobility or truncate the distribution of wage offers will lead to a less efficient matching process and reduce the number of matched workers. Frictions in job search will give rise to monopsony power that will lower worker’s share of output and limit the number of successful matches. We illustrate how restrictions on search lead to fewer and poorer matches using the cases of employment protection, occupational licensing, and minimum wages. We support the theoretical arguments with evidence that economies with more regulations that constrain job search and matching have higher unemployment rates, lower average incomes, and greater income inequality.This is a manuscript of a book chapter published as Orazem, P.F., Roy, S. (2023). How Job Creation, Job Destruction, and Match Capital Improve Worker Outcomes. In: Kassens, A.L., Hall, J.C. (eds) Challenges in Classical Liberalism, pp. 143-167. Palgrave Studies in Classical Liberalism. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-32890-9_8. Posted with Permission

Active Leisure, Passive Leisure and Health

Leisure consumption has been increasing in the United States since the 1960s. Over the same period, inactive lifestyles have contributed to adverse health outcomes. We propose a new way of categorizing leisure into groups based on the amount of physical exercise needed. Our results show that physically active leisure is a normal good whose demand rises with education and health, while physically passive leisure is an inferior good whose demand rises with lower education and poorer health. These patterns allow us to propose a taxonomy that categorizes various leisure activities into ‘Active’ and ‘Passive’ groups.This is a manuscript of an article published as Roy, Soumyadip, and Peter F. Orazem. "Active Leisure, Passive Leisure and Health." Economics & Human Biology (2021): 101053. doi: 10.1016/j.ehb.2021.101053. Posted with permission.</p