Searching for losers

We investigate the following process: N people select b losers by flipping coins. The 0-party continues until there are less than b losers; then the 1-party has to find the other losers by the same process. The average time for this process is about long₂ N, but this result requires rather advanced methods. Furthermore, the average size of a binary tree associated to this process and the average number of coin flippings are computed. The method used in this article can be used to give asympotical solutions of a special type of bivariate recurrences. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Electromagnetic field singularities

An integral transform based method is given for determining information about the locating and properties of singularities of electromagnetic fields associated with axially symmetric radiating sources.     

Numerical methods for finding multiple eigenvalues of matrices depending on parameters

Summary. Let be a square matrix dependent on parameters and , of which we choose as the eigenvalue parameter. Many computational problems are equivalent to finding a point such that has a multiple eigenvalue at . An incomplete decomposition of a matrix dependent on several parameters is proposed. Based on the developed theory two new algorithms are presented for computing multiple eigenvalues of with geometric multiplicity . A third algorithm is designed for the computation of multiple eigenvalues with geometric multiplicity but which also appears to have local quadratic convergence to semi-simple eigenvalues. Convergence analyses of these methods are given. Several numerical examples are presented which illustrate the behaviour and applications of our methods. Received December 19, 1994 / Revised version received January 18, 1996     

Nitrostyrene Derivatives of Adenosine 5′-Glutarates Modified with an Alkyl Spacer and their inhibitory activity on epidermal growth factor receptor protein tyrosine kinase

β-Nitrostyrene derivatives of adenosine 5′-glutarates are potent and selective bisubstrate-type inhibitors of the epidermal growth factor receptor protein tyrosine kinase (EGF-R PTK). In an attempt to improve the inhibitory activity, this type of compounds was modified with alkyl spacers of varying length between the nitrostyrene and the glutaryl units. The spacers consisted of 1, 3, 4, and 5 atoms to give compounds of the benzyl, oxyethyl, oxypropyl, and oxybutyl series, respectively (Schemes 1 and 2). Adenosine 5′-esters were prepared in the benzyl and oxypropyl series only. Compared to the compounds in the parent series without spacer (IC₅₀ = 0.7–12 μM ), most of the modified compounds inhibited the EGF-R PTK only marginally or were inactive (IC₅₀ ≥ 100 μM ). The only exceptions were the free acids 19 and 20 with IC₅₀ values of ca. 5 μM . It is noteworthy that esterification of these two hydrogen glutarates with either MeOH or adenosine yielded inactive compounds, which is in contrast to the corresponding substances without spacers.     

Derivatives of (2R)-N-Glyoxylbornane-10,2-sultam and Their Use as auxiliaries in the diastereoselective spirocyclization of 2-substituted tryptamines

A crude hydrate 6 and a crystalline hemiacetal 7 of glyoxylamide 4 were prepared from crotonamide 5 (Scheme 2). Particularly hemiacetal 7 , but also 6 and the ‘dimer’ 8 (obtained from 7 ) may serve as homochiral auxiliaries. The structure of 8 was determined by X-ray analysis. By arenesulfonyl halides, tryptimines 12–14 of 4 were diastereoselectively transformed into spirotricycles 15–17 and 19 .     

Synthesis of Benzazepine Analogues of Noscapine

The synthesis of benzazepine analogues of the opium alkaloid noscapine ( 1 ) is described. The benzazepines 2 and 3 were prepared starting from nornarceine ethyl ester ( 4 ; readily available from 1 ) in several steps. X-Ray analysis of compound 2 revealed that it is not a diastereosisomer mixture but a racemate of the threo-form and thus has the same configuration as 1 .     

Forecasting call frequency at a financial services call centre

A forecasting model is developed for the number of daily applications for loans at a financial services telephone call centre. The purpose of the forecasts and the associated prediction intervals is to provide effective staffing policies within the call centre. The model building process is constrained by the availability of only 2 years and 7 months of data. The distinctive feature of the data is that demand is driven in the main by advertising. The analysis given focuses on applications stimulated by press advertising. Unlike previous analyses of broadly similar data, where ARIMA models were used, a model with a dynamic level, multiplicative calendar effects and a multiplicative advertising response is developed and shown to be effective.     

Issues in Managing Information Technology

This paper describes three case studies which investigated issues relating to the implementation and management of advanced information technology. The benefits derived from information technology were found to vary from one organization to another. These studies provide further evidence to support earlier research findings that senior management has an important role to play in the effective exploitation of information technology, and that the investment approach taken by an organization has a significant effect on the development of computer-based information systems. The effectiveness of a system depends not only on applying the appropriate technology, but also on how successfully technical and behavioural issues are resolved.