Differential equations associated to Families of Algebraic Cycles

We develop a theory of differential equations associated to families of algebraic cycles in higher Chow groups (i.e., motivic cohomology groups). This formalism is related to inhomogeneous Picard--Fuchs type differential equations. For families of K3 surfaces the corresponding non-linear ODE turns out to be symilar to Chazy's equation.Comment: 8 pages. Final version. To be published in Annales de l'Institute Fourie

On the motive of certain subvarieties of fixed flags

We compute de Chow motive of certain subvarieties of the flags manifold and show that it is an Artin motive.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figure

Competitive collaboration & market contestability: Cases in Mexican & UK banking (1945-1975)

This research explores the evolution of co-operation among different types of intermediaries in the UK and Mexican financial systems and provides an international comparison. In it we focus on how and why collaboration between commercial banks and non-bank financial competitors emerged in the context of the external innovations that modified the contestability of bank markets. Changes in Mexican banking consider collaboration between commercial banks and small regional banks, with an emphasis on the 1945 to 1975 period. The success of collaboration, between non-bank and non-finance providers to modify competitive capabilities and competitive challenges, in UK deposit markets is the benchmark for co-operation in Mexican banking. Business histories in the UK and Mexico show how some relations emerged out of integration strategies, with the purpose of establishing financial conglomerates. Other banks and non-bank providers in Mexico and the UK sought to create co-operative agreements that developed competitive capabilities and allowed barriers to enter deposit markets to be circumvented. As a result, the research sheds light on the success of collaboration agreements through changes in competitive strength rather than the longevity of the transaction or the formality and structural visibility of the agreements.Comparative Financial Markets (N20), Market Structure (L10), Networks (L22).

On welfare criteria and optimality in an endogenous growth model

In this paper we explore the consequences for optimality of a social planner adopting two different welfare criteria. The framework of analysis is an OLG model with physical and human capital. We first show that, when the SWF is a discounted sum of individual utilities defined over consumption per unit of natural labour, the precise cardinalization of the individual utility function becomes crucial for the characterization of the social optimum. Also, decentralizing the social optimum requires an education subsidy. In contrast, when the SWF is a discounted sum of individual utilities defined over consumption per unit of efficient labour, the precise cardinalization of preferences becomes irrelevant. More strikingly, along the optimal growth path, education should be taxed.endogenous growth, human capital, intergenerational transfers, education policy