A nonamenable "factor" of a Euclidean space

Answering a question of Benjamini, we present an isometry-invariant random partition of the Euclidean space $\mathbb{R}^d$, $d\geq 3$, into infinite connected indistinguishable pieces, such that the adjacency graph defined on the pieces is the 3-regular infinite tree. Along the way, it is proved that any finitely generated one-ended amenable Cayley graph can be represented in $\mathbb{R}^d$ as an isometry-invariant random partition of $\mathbb{R}^d$ to bounded polyhedra, and also as an isometry-invariant random partition of $\mathbb{R}^d$ to indistinguishable pieces. A new technique is developed to prove indistinguishability for certain constructions, connecting this notion to factor of iid's.Comment: 23 pages, 4 figure

Socio-Economic Impacts of the Agricultural Emissions Trading Scheme

Paper removed Feb. 14, 2013 at author's requestAgribusiness, Environmental Economics and Policy, Land Economics/Use,

Natural selection: firm performance following the Canterbury earthquakes

The Canterbury earthquakes in September 2010 and February 2011 caused major upheaval to the people of the region. The second quake killed 185 people, forced many from their homes, and closed Christchurch’s central business district. This paper examines the consequential effects on business in the region, paying particular attention to heterogeneity in firm-level outcomes. Consistent with aggregate statistics, we quantify substantial variation in firm outcomes by industry and by location. In addition, we show that firms’ prior financial viability heavily influenced their chance of survival. Conditional on continuing to operate, average profitability returned to pre-quake levels relatively quickly, albeit subject to reduced inputs. Taken together, these effects support economic models where firm exit is driven by selection on profitability

Does State Policy Help or Hurt the Dropout Problem in California?

Examines the scope and causes of California's dropout problem, and assesses whether some state policies unintentionally drive students out of schools. Proposes a comprehensive policy framework focused on effectively serving at-risk students