A Primer on Spreadsheet Analytics

This paper provides guidance to an analyst who wants to extract insight from a spreadsheet model. It discusses the terminology of spreadsheet analytics, how to prepare a spreadsheet model for analysis, and a hierarchy of analytical techniques. These techniques include sensitivity analysis, tornado charts,and backsolving (or goal-seeking). This paper presents native-Excel approaches for automating these techniques, and discusses add-ins that are even more efficient. Spreadsheet optimization and spreadsheet Monte Carlo simulation are briefly discussed. The paper concludes by calling for empirical research, and describing desired features spreadsheet sensitivity analysis and spreadsheet optimization add-ins.Comment: 12 Pages, 8 Colour Figure

On relations of invariants for vector-valued forms

An algorithm is given for computing explicit formulas for the generators of relations among the invariant rational functions for vector-valued bilinear forms. These formulas have applications in the geometry of Riemannian submanifolds and in CR geometry.Comment: Major changes in the expositio

Towards Evaluating the Quality of a Spreadsheet: The Case of the Analytical Spreadsheet Model

We consider the challenge of creating guidelines to evaluate the quality of a spreadsheet model. We suggest four principles. First, state the domain-the spreadsheets to which the guidelines apply. Second, distinguish between the process by which a spreadsheet is constructed from the resulting spreadsheet artifact. Third, guidelines should be written in terms of the artifact, independent of the process. Fourth, the meaning of "quality" must be defined. We illustrate these principles with an example. We define the domain of "analytical spreadsheet models", which are used in business, finance, engineering, and science. We propose for discussion a framework and terminology for evaluating the quality of analytical spreadsheet models. This framework categorizes and generalizes the findings of previous work on the more narrow domain of financial spreadsheet models. We suggest that the ultimate goal is a set of guidelines for an evaluator, and a checklist for a developer.Comment: Proc. European Spreadsheet Risks Int. Grp. (EuSpRIG) 2011 ISBN 978-0-9566256-9-

Slepton Flavor Physics at Linear Colliders

If low energy supersymmetry is realized in nature it is possible that a first generation linear collider will only have access to some of the superpartners with electroweak quantum numbers. Among these, sleptons can provide sensitive probes for lepton flavor violation through potentially dramatic lepton violating signals. Theoretical proposals to understand the absence of low energy quark and lepton flavor changing neutral currents are surveyed and many are found to predict observable slepton flavor violating signals at linear colliders. The observation or absence of such sflavor violation will thus provide important indirect clues to very high energy physics. Previous analyses of slepton flavor oscillations are also extended to include the effects of finite width and mass differences.Comment: 7 pages, no figures, uses RevTeX4. Contribution to Snowmass 200